SLS 14RS-807 ORIGINAL Page 1 of 3 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. Regular Session, 2014 SENATE BILL NO. 438 BY SENATOR GALLOT POSTSECONDARY ED. Requires postsecondary education management boards to establish criteria for waiving nonresident tuition or mandatory fee increases in cases of financial hardship. (8/1/14) AN ACT1 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:3139.2(4)(c), relative to the Louisiana Granting Resources2 and Autonomy for Diplomas Act; to provide for the establishment of certain criteria3 by postsecondary education management boards; to provide for waiving nonresident4 tuition and mandatory fee increases in cases of financial hardship; and to provide for5 related matters.6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:7 Section 1. R.S. 17:3139.2(4)(c) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:8 ยง3139.2. Performance agreements; objectives9 Effective beginning with the 2011 Fiscal Year, any public postsecondary10 education institution, including professional schools, may enter into an initial11 performance agreement with the Board of Regents in order to be granted limited12 operational autonomy and flexibility as provided in R.S. 17:3139.5 in exchange for13 committing to meet established targets for the following performance objectives as14 applicable to the institution as determined by the Board of Regents:15 * * *16 (4) * * *17 SB NO. 438 SLS 14RS-807 ORIGINAL Page 2 of 3 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. (c)(i) Upon entering the initial performance agreement, adhere to a schedule1 established by the institution's management board to increase nonresident tuition2 amounts that are not less than the average tuition amount charged to Louisiana3 residents attending peer institutions in other Southern Regional Education Board4 states and monitor the impact of such increases on the institution. However, for each5 public historically black college or university, the nonresident tuition amounts shall6 not be less than the average tuition amount charged to Louisiana residents attending7 public historically black colleges and universities in other Southern Regional8 Education Board states.9 (ii) Each postsecondary education management board shall establish10 criteria for waiving any nonresident tuition or mandatory fee increase as11 authorized in this Section in cases of financial hardship. Information relative12 to such waivers, and the criteria and procedures for obtaining a waiver, shall13 be made available to all prospective students in a timely manner to ensure that14 each student is informed of the availability of a waiver prior to the student15 making a final decision concerning attendance at any public institution of16 postsecondary education.17 * * *18 The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Nancy Vicknair. DIGEST Gallot (SB 438) Present law authorizes any public postsecondary education institution, including professional schools, to enter into an initial performance agreement with the Board of Regents in order to be granted limited operational autonomy and flexibility in exchange for committing to meet established targets for performance objectives. Present law provides that, regarding the institutional and accountability objective, upon entering the initial performance agreement, the institution shall adhere to a schedule established by the institution's management board to increase nonresident tuition amounts that are not less than the average tuition amount charged to Louisiana residents attending peer institutions in other Southern Regional Education Board states and monitor the impact of such increases on the institution. Present law further provides that for each public historically black college or university, the nonresident tuition amounts shall not be less than the average tuition amount charged to La. residents attending public historically black colleges and universities in other Southern SB NO. 438 SLS 14RS-807 ORIGINAL Page 3 of 3 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. Regional Education Board states. Proposed law retains present law and requires each postsecondary education management board to establish criteria for waiving any nonresident tuition or mandatory fee increase in cases of financial hardship. Further requires information relative to such waivers, and the criteria and procedures for obtaining a waiver, be made available to all prospective students in a timely manner to ensure that each student is informed of the availability of a waiver prior to the student making a final decision concerning attendance at any public institution of postsecondary education. Effective August 1, 2014. (Amends R.S. 17:3139.2(4)(c))