RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 377 (HB 152) 2015 Regular Session Broadwater
New law authorizes the public postsecondary education management boards to establish fees
and adjust fee amounts at institutions under their respective management and supervision.
Provides that such authority shall apply for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years only
and that the authority to increase fees pursuant thereto terminates on June 30, 2017. Provides
that such authority specifically includes authority to impose per credit fees and differential
fees for certain programs and to charge proportional amounts for part-time students and
summer sessions. Provides that except for the LSU Health Sciences Centers (LSUHSC), the
pharmacy program at the Univ. of La. at Monroe (ULM), and the Southern Univ. Law Center
(SULC), the revenue per full time equivalent student from all tuition and fee amounts
charged to a student plus the revenue per full time equivalent student from state and local
appropriations shall not exceed the national average per full time equivalent student revenue
from state appropriations, local appropriations, tuition, and fees as reported by the National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES) by Carnegie classification, which maximum amount
may be annually adjusted based on the most recent funding statistics as reported by the
NCES and adjusted to the current fiscal year using the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI).
Provides that the total of all tuition and fee amounts charged to a student enrolled in the
LSUHSC, ULM pharmacy program, and SULC shall not exceed the tuition and fees charged,
as reported by the NCES, of national peers selected by the institution, which maximum
amount may be annually adjusted based on the most recent tuition and fee amounts per full
time equivalent student as reported by the NCES and adjusted to the current fiscal year using
the HEPI.
New law also:
(1)Requires each institution to allocate not less than 5% of revenues realized pursuant
to new law to provide need-based financial assistance to students eligible to receive
a Pell Grant.
(2)Prohibits revenues generated by fees imposed pursuant to new law from being used
for any other purpose except for support of the university at which the fees were
collected.
(3)Requires each management board to submit a report to the House and Senate
education committees by Feb. 15th of 2016 and 2017 regarding how fees authorized
by new law have been implemented at each institution under its supervision and
management, including an overview of the distribution of the monies in the
need-based financial assistance fund as provided in new law.
(4)Provides that the fee authority granted by new law includes the authority to impose
a fee for the administration of certain student surveys.
Effective upon signature of governor (July 1, 2015).
(Adds R.S. 17:3351.20)