DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 26 Original 2020 First Extraordinary Session Zeringue
Abstract: Extends the authority of the public postsecondary education management boards to
establish and increase student fees but limits this authority to the 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and
2022-2023 academic years.
Present law authorizes the public postsecondary education management boards to establish fees and
adjust fee amounts at institutions under their respective management and supervision. Limits
application of such authority to the 2015-2016 through the 2019-2020 academic years and terminates
the authority to increase fees pursuant thereto on June 30, 2020.
Proposed law extends this authority to the 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023 academic years
and changes the date of the termination of the authority to increase fees pursuant thereto from June
30, 2020, to June 30, 2023.
Proposed law retains applicability of all of the following present law to continuing authority:
(1)Fee authority 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.
(2)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 (FTE) student from all tuition and fee amounts charged to a student plus the
revenue per FTE student from state and local appropriations shall not exceed the national
average per FTE 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 (FY) using
the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI).
(3)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 FTE student as
reported by the NCES and adjusted to the current FY using the HEPI.
(4)Requires each institution to allocate not less than 5% of revenues realized pursuant to present
law to provide need-based financial assistance to students eligible to receive a Pell Grant. (5)Prohibits revenues generated by fees imposed pursuant to present law from being used for
any other purpose except for support of the university at which the fees were collected.
(6)Provides that the fee authority granted by present law includes the authority to impose a fee
for the administration of certain student surveys.
(7)Present law requires each management board to report to the House and Senate education
committees by Feb. 15th of each year of the authorization regarding implementation of fees
authorized by present law, including an overview of the distribution of the monies in the
need-based financial assistance fund as provided in present law.
(Amends R.S. 17:3351.20(A)(1) and (F))