Louisiana Spotlight: College costs growing, with state covering less - the Advocate

As college students begin to return to class across Louisiana's public college campuses this week, many of them are likely experiencing a bit of sticker shock. The price tag for classes continues to cost more and more with tuition and fee increases. And this year comes with a new twist as the TOPS program no longer covers the full cost of tuition at a public college, with a small hit taking hold this fall and the larger hit coming in the spring semester. In June, Gov. John Bel Edwards asked college leaders for "zero or minimal increases" in tuition, noting the schools received a nearly standstill budget in the current 2016-17 financial year. Louisiana's college systems didn't pay much attention to the governor's request. Some schools skipped the tuition hikes — only to raise other fees, many by sizable amounts. Some campuses, like LSU's main campus in Baton Rouge, hit students with a double whammy, both larger tuition costs and higher fees. http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/article_4477726e-609d-11e6-b7b2-5b699a05f0cb.html