Southern University ranks 5th lowest in out-of-state fees

Although out-of state fees continue to haunt out-of-state students, public institutions of higher education must meet the standards set by the Louisiana Legislature.
In the regular session of 1996, the Louisiana Legislature passed the House Concurrent Resolution No. 97, which directed Southern University, Louisiana State University, and the Board of Trustees for State Colleges and Universities to submit a resolution to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget to charge out-of-state fees for undergraduate and graduate students.
The fees were required to meet the median standard of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and be comparable to other state institutions.
“Once we reached the SREB standard the university elected not to raise the fees higher and the out-of-state fees have remained stable since Fall 1999-2000,” said Flandus McClinton, vice chancellor for finance and administration. “We have no intentions to increase the fees at this point.” All increases require the approval of the Southern University Board of Supervisors.
According to McClinton, Southern University started the tuition increase in 1997 and continued the increase in $500 increments for three years.
Southern University earns approximately $5 million dollars in out-of-state fees per year, which goes into the universities general operating budget.
In a tuition and fee comparison by the Louisiana System released January 9, 2002 of eight state universities which included Southern University, ($2,896) Grambling State University ($2,675), McNeese State University ($3,170), Northwestern State University ($2,835), Nichols State University ($2,724), University of Louisiana at Lafayette ($3,475), University of Louisiana at Monroe ($2,976) and Southeastern Louisiana University ($2,664), SU ranked the 5th lowest in out-of-state fees.
” Even though the out-of-state fees are getting a little extreme, I really don’t have a problem because when I compare the prices, if I would have stayed home it would cost me more,” said Huey Gray III, a junior English liberal arts major form Detroit.
Students who meet certain criteria during the application and/or admission process may be eligible for exemption of all or part of the out-of-state fees.
Applicants, who wish to establish residential status must be a spouse of a Louisiana resident, a Louisiana resident by virtue of full-time employment or military personnel stationed in Louisiana with their spouse and dependents.
Applicants seeking non-resident fee exemptions must have at least one parent who received a Bachelor’s degree from the SU campus at which the student is seeking exemption, a non-resident athletic scholarship or a non-resident participant in the National Student Exchange Program.