Louisiana College trustees at their spring board meeting okayed tuition and fees increases effective with the Fall 2007 term, and changed a long-standing policy that froze a student’s tuition for four years.
PINEVILLE – Louisiana College trustees at their spring board meeting okayed tuition and fees increases effective with the Fall 2007 term, and changed a long-standing policy that froze a student’s tuition for four years.
The increases reflected a budget that increased about $1.2 million because of increased costs.
Tuition increased from $325 to $340 a semester hour; about a 4 percent hike, which is lower than the 5 to 7 percent national average increase.
The matriculation fee grew from $430 to $530 per semester. This fee began in 2000 as a replacement for a former structure in which there were 13 separate fees, such as a technology fee and publications fee.
Meal plans were increased by 2.2 percent, even though the food services provider, ARAMARK, increased its fees by 3 percent to the college, a campus spokesman said.
The most popular meal plan – 19 meals a week – is to increase from $1,126 to $1,150/semester.
The college’s operating budget increased about $1.2 million – to $17,593,744 from $16,389,212.
A 16 percent increase in employee insurance was among the reasons for the increase. So was ARAMARK’s 3 percent hike for food services and 2.5 percent increase for plant operations. Money also was built into the 2007-08 budget for anticipated minimum wage increases.
A long-standing policy to not increase the tuition of a student for his or her first four years on campus was cancelled by trustee vote, effective for students beginning in the Fall 2008.
At the trustee meeting, members also heard officially of ARAMARK’s planned renovation of the Hattie B. Strother Cafeteria. Trustees also voted to approve degree programs in Allied Health and discussed the progress of establishing a law school.