Thursday, January 16, 2020
page 4 TUITION, from page 3 degree than ever seen before. The job market for a high school graduate is highly limited, and receiving a postsecondary education provides more security in the job market, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the increase in LSU undergraduate population over the last 10 years is minimal, the number of full-time undergraduate students has increased by 24% over the last 25 years. This year’s incoming class of 6,126 freshman students is the largest class in University history, surpassing last year’s record-breaking freshman class of 5,809 students. Overall enrollment at the University currently sits at 31,761, according to LSU Media Relations. Drastic increases in demand for a bachelor’s degree naturally leads to price increases in order to accommodate increased housing, classrooms and supplies. With increases in student enrollment came increases in financial aid opportunities since
FUNDRAISER, from page 3 of community service by partnering with our colleagues from LSU on Saturday by volunteering our time with Second Harvest. I want to thank our Alumni Association and others for organizing our efforts as we assist the local
the passage of the Middle Income Student Assistance Act in 1978, which provides all students with subsidized loan options and Pell Grants for certain qualifying students. Some theorists subscribe to the Bennett Hypothesis, which says as government-funded financial aid increases, so does university tuition so that schools may usurp those government funds for themselves. While this is only a theory, many studies indicate that it could be true. A study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York determined that for every new dollar of federal student aid, tuition increases by anywhere between 35 and 65 cents. But where does this usurped money go? Often, it goes toward paying hefty job salaries. Universities not only grow and develop for the sake of accommodating higher student enrollments, but also to appeal to prospective students and professors against other competitive schools. One incentive for recruiting
professors and administrators, of course, is salary. Professors earned an average salary of $126,609 last year at the University, according to the Office of Budgeting and Planning. However, there are many professors who make well over that amount, like LSU Foundation James C. Bolton Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Kevin Smith, who earned $271,179 as the highest-paid professor in 2018. The University spends a total of $259,985,480 on salaries alone. If it were only students paying for these salaries, every undergraduate student would have to pay $10,251.29 in order to cover that bill. The Louisiana state government appropriates about $797 million toward higher education, and about $500 million of that goes toward campuses. Most institutional budgets only have about a third of their budget covered by the state government, according to The Advocate. Louisiana’s state higher education budget was slashed by 60% during
former Gov. Bobby Jindal’s eight years in office. For in-state students, tuition is partially paid for by the state government’s Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, which covers up to $7,462.98 per year for students with qualifying high school GPAs and standardized test scores. If a student isn’t from Louisiana or does not meet the requirements for this program, the options are typically limited to one: student loans. “It’s always looming above everything I do,” Campbell said. “They’re creating a generation of students that are going to have no means of ever being financially stable.” While the number of students pursuing a college degree has increased, the value of a college degree has lowered as a result, according to a study by the Harvard Business School. Costs for a college degree continue to rise disproportionately to increases in salaries or employment opportunities.
community and those in need.” Sally Stiel, senior director of LSU alumni engagement and marketing, agreed with Miller. “We’re excited to partner with Clemson and Second Harvest Food Bank to bring this volunteer opportunity to our LSU alumni, friends and fans in New Orleans,” Stiel said in an LSU press release.
“LSU fans are some of the most passionate college fans around, so it’s only fitting that we put that passion to work for a good cause. We are all Tigers.” To get involved in the mission to feed the hungry, LSU students can volunteer with Second Harvest Food Bank and Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank,
along with local food pantries and soup kitchens. “We know that LSU fans have a history of giving back… and Clemson fans were no different,” said Vise. “It was wonderful to see these fans from different areas of the country come together for a common cause.”
UNION, from page 3 Renovations finished in 2011, with the re-opening of the Tiger Lair. At the time, the food court included Community Coffee, Papa John’s Pizza, Panda Express, Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina, Jamba Juice, Chick-fil-A, Quiznos, Bayou Bistreaux and the On-the-Geaux convenience store. Previously completed projects included renovations of the Union Theater, new office spaces and the Magnolia Room, which became an “all-you-care-to-eat” restaurant in fall 2010 while the Tiger Lair was under construction. Today students can enjoy many of the same amenities at the Student Union. While the Union has changed some of the food options it offers, it still has plenty of choices for students to enjoy, such as Smoothie King, McDonald’s, Create, Build Pizza, Einstein Bagels, Big Squeezy Juice, Panda Express, Chick-fil-A, On-the-Geaux and Community Coffee. Some students, like mass communication freshman Bridget Cotten, wish the Union would expand the food options even further. “I wish that there were some healthier options,” Cotten said. “I know they have Smoothie King and the Big Squeezy, but a lot of the time they are closed or they aren’t as appealing as Chick-fil-A or McDonald’s.”
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