<p>At LSU, unfortunately, the trend appears to be going in the opposite direction of limiting tuition increases due to the state’s fiscal problems. Legislation was passed recently allowing LSU to increase tuition up to 10% annually if certain academic benchmarks are met. However, LSU is one of the least expensive flagship universities, so even given such increases, their tuition is still lower than peer schools. </p>
<p>Prior to the 2011-12 school year, LSU offered half and full waivers of OOS tuition as well as full tuition scholarships to students with reasonably good GPAs and SAT/ACT test scores. These scholarships made LSU attractive to many OOS students, and as a result, the university experienced a 39% increase in applicants with ACT scores in the 28-36 range. Beginning with the 2011-12 school year, all OOS scholarships will be awarded in set amounts rather than guarantees to cover partial or full tuition. This was done in part to enable the university to more predictably plan for their scholarship costs in the coming years as they face an ever-tightening budget. </p>
<p>It looks like the in-state scholarship program, TOPS, is not affected by any of these changes.</p>