2008 Enrollment

[NewsCopy]

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s higher admissions requirements are attracting better prepared high school students and enrollment numbers for Fall 2008 indicate that more students are on track for college success.

“ While overall enrollment remains stable, the makeup of the student body is changing in significantly positive ways,” said UL Lafayette President Dr. Joseph Savoie. “Preliminary enrollment for the Fall 2008 semester is 16,320 – a difference of only 25 students from 16,345 in 2007.

“ As a result of the university continuing to ratchet up its admission standards, students are progressing toward a degree at a faster rate than in the past,” he continued.

In addition to improving undergraduate student success rates, significant growth is occurring in UL Lafayette’s Graduate School. The 2008 enrollment figures show a 9 percent increase in graduate students. That amounts to 119 more students in master’s and doctoral programs, as compared to 2007 figures.

“I think this can be credited to enrolling better prepared students who meet our higher admission standards and the growing reputation of our graduate program,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Steve Landry. “We can see that students are staying on course to graduate on time and are prepared to enter the workforce.”

[NewsCopy]

A trio of bills in the state Legislature would allow UL Lafayette to raise its student tuition for the 2008-2009 school year. The primary measure will come from the Board of Regents’ tuition proposal. As a backup, state Rep. Don Trahan has filed two separate measures, one of which calls on direct legislative approval for a 4 percent increase to UL Lafayette’s tuition — a rise Trahan says would be covered by TOPS. Trahan, who chairs the House education committee, also has filed a separate bill to give postsecondary management boards greater autonomy in setting tuition rates. Trahan says UL’s tuition has lagged below the state’s other Doctoral II universities (UNO and LA Tech), in addition to smaller schools within the UL system. “[These bills] would help UL tremendously,” Trahan says. In addition, Trahan has filed a resolution on behalf of the governor to appeal to the Board of Regents to re-examine its funding of higher education. Traditionally, university funding has been based primarily on enrollment numbers. The governor wants to see other factors, including number of doctoral programs and level of faculty research, have more of an impact on funding levels. The rest of the story The Ind

[rhineaux]

_ _

I was suprised that there were no comments on this yesterday. I don't think Trahan has ever tried to hide his support, or at least 'fan-ness' of the flagship (he did have three out of four kids that went there) but at least he's not letting that blind his judgement on improving what's at home...at least that's my take.

I also came across this story last night. It will be interesting to see how the legislature treats each university when both are asking for the same thing in the same session. However, I don't know that they are really talking about the same thing...Trahan is asking for an actual tuition increase, not sure if that strictly means tuition or tuition and fees. The KATC story says LSU tuition could be going up, but that they are "asking lawmakers to raise the fees it can charge students." While both tuition and fees are two things that have to be paid by students in order to attend class, and could be considered as the same thing, they are not the same thing. I saw a tuition/fee schedule for LSU a while back and it showed that their semesterly fees are already almost as much as their tuition. And actually, their tuition isn't really that much higher than everyone elses (as I remember).

http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?s=8075049

[shof]

Not that unusual with respect to the fees vs actual tuition ratio. Schools in Texas are looking for additional rate increases for 2008 as well. Since 2003, tuition and fees have gone up significantly here. UT-Austin; up 56.8%, A&M up 76%, and UT-San Antonio up 72.5%. Of these 3, UTSA is the least expensive at $3,832/semester (proposed rate for Fall 08). The 08 increase will be from 5 - 13%. Glad my youngest finishes in May!

[rhineaux]

_ Not that unusual with respect to the fees vs actual tuition ratio. Schools in Texas are looking for additional rate increases for 2008 as well. Since 2003, tuition and fees have gone up significantly here. UT-Austin; up 56.8%, A&M up 76%, and UT-San Antonio up 72.5%. Of these 3, UTSA is the least expensive at $3,832/semester (proposed rate for Fall 08). The 08 increase will be from 5 - 13%. Glad my youngest finishes in May! _

the main reason I brought up the fees v. tuition issue was that 1.) the article was unclear about which one they wanted to raise and 2.) the fees at LSU were already about as much as tuition, but at all of the other schools in the state, the fees were (sometimes far) less than half as much as the tuition. And after looking at the data again, I found that LSU's Fall 2006 tuition (For 12 Hours) was $1,496 and with added fees, the cost jumped to $2,295.50, which is less than I had remembered. UL is currently charging about $1700 in tuition and fees. McNeese (Spring 2006) charged $1,526.00 total, $322 of which were in fees. Grambling is currently charging ~$1,811 total. In the LSU System, UNO charges about $3,292 combined. I don't think I read the wrong thing, but it seems odd that it's more expensive to attend LSUNO than it is LSUBR.

The whole fees v. tuition thing can go either way. I'm not sure what the ratio is in TX, but I think that if you look in MS, their total attendance costs are domintated by tuition and have minimal fees. Either way, money is money, whether it costs $1 for tuition and $3500 for fees, or vice versa. I guess it really does matter in Louisiana because of the TOPS program, and I don't think that program covers tuition.

[derf]

If i remember right, TOPS doesn't cover fees, only tuition. So any fee increase would have to be covered by the student. However, if they ease up the hassle of a tuition increase, i.e. simple majority by the legislature instead of the 2/3 majority needed to approve a increase, universities can easier keep up with the increases as needed instead of simply making up the difference by raising student fees.

Anyway you cut it, we still need to make an amendment allowing for state institutions to assess a student fee for athletics. I think we are the only state that does not allow this. LA politics...ain't they grand

[RaginCajun77]

The House Education Committee approved a bill that would allow Louisiana's public colleges to raise college tuition, for four years, based on a formula devised by the state Board of Regents. A look at what the schools charge now and how much tuition would grow in the first year of increases, which would take effect in the 2008-09 school year:

FOUR-YEAR SCHOOLS:

1. LSU main campus in Baton Rouge, $4,675 current annual tuition, $234 increase next year.
2. Louisiana Tech University, $4,578 current annual tuition, $137 increase next year.
3. University of New Orleans, $3,984 current annual tuition, $159 increase next year.
4. Northwestern State University, $3,708 current annual tuition, $185 increase next year.
5. Southern University in Baton Rouge, $3,666 current annual tuition, $183 increase next year.
6. Grambling State University, $3,622 current annual tuition, $181 increase next year.
7. Nicholls State University, $3,595 current annual tuition, $180 increase next year.
8. LSU-Shreveport, $3,521 current annual tuition, $176 increase next year.
9. University of Louisiana at Monroe, $3,501 current annual tuition, $175 increase next year.
10. University of Louisiana, $3,460 current annual tuition, $173 increase next year.
11. McNeese State University, $3,263 current annual tuition, $163 increase next year.
12. Southeastern Louisiana University, $3,219 current annual tuition, $161 increase next year.
13. LSU-Alexandria, $3,093 current annual tuition, $124 increase next year.
14. Southern University-New Orleans, $2,976 current annual tuition, $149 increase next year.

The University with the second largest enrollment in the state is ranked 10th in tuition, that my friends is ridiculous.

[LsuULfan]

Agree should be higher. What amount did the UL admin request or push?

[NewsCopy]

BATON ROUGE - State colleges and universities shouldn't have to come to the Legislature asking for permission to increase student tuition, says Rep. Don Trahan, R-Lafayette. Trahan, chairman of the House Education Committee got unanimous approval of the panel for his HB734, which would allow increases of 3, 4 or 5 percent, depending on how a campus compares to its peer institutions in the South. "This is not the ultimate tuition solution," said Commissioner of Higher Education Joe Savoie. "This is sort of a stop-gap measure." He labeled it "a modest, essentially cost of living adjustment." The state constitution currently empowers the Legislature with control of tuition costs and says if a campus or system wants an increase, it must get legislative approval. The rest of the story Mike Hasten mhasten@gannett.com

[MetryCajun]

_ The House Education Committee approved a bill that would allow Louisiana's public colleges to raise college tuition, for four years, based on a formula devised by the state Board of Regents. A look at what the schools charge now and how much tuition would grow in the first year of increases, which would take effect in the 2008-09 school year:

The University with the second largest enrollment in the state is ranked 10th in tuition, that my friends is ridiculous. _

We should be up there with Tech and UNO. Looking at the chart UL is by far the best value in Louisiana.

[CajunCool]

Assuming an enrollment of 16,000, look at what this could mean:
> a $300 increase to move us ahead of NW - additional $4.8 million
> at UNO's tuition level - additional $8.4 million
> at LaTech's tuition level - additional $17.9 million

[ulforlife]

Assuming an enrollment of 16,000, look at what this could mean:
> a $300 increase to move us ahead of NW - additional $4.8 million
> at UNO's tuition level - additional $8.4 million
> at LaTech's tuition level - additional $17.9 million

And our enrollment is actually higher than that to boot