Louisiana was one of six states to reduce funding to higher education and holds the most dramatic cut among them. It’s because of that ULM has undergone large budget cuts from the state level.
According to the President’s University address, which is accessible through the university website, tuition is at an all-time high having risen 105.4 percent since 2004.
Louisiana higher education funding is ranked the lowest in the country, which causes most of ULM’s budget to be self-generated. Budget cuts have resulted in 266 positions lost since July 2008, including 116 faculty members, 13 administrators, 26 unclassified and 111 classified.
“The recent tuition increases put a lot of strain on the students, especially those who work and have to pay for school,” said Marc Calhoun, a sophomore biology major. “Managing money to pay for school and other necessities while also trying to manage your time is stressful. A lot of students don’t have the time to enjoy college.”
Megan Gober, a senior nursing student, believes the university has been spending money on a lot of unnecessary projects and she doesn’t know where her money is going.
“I feel that the computers in the library didn’t honestly need to be replaced, seeing as we just got them in 2009,” said Gober. “I have a lot of large fees that appeared on my bill, but a lot of them were obscure and unclear. Why am I paying $250 for a nursing excellence fee? What exactly is that fee?”
Gober said the management of money on campus seems unbalanced. She does not receive scholarships and wishes that she could see more money and opportunities circulating through the student body.
With tuition and fees on the rise, more students are worrying about paying their way through college rather than enjoying their time here.
Allison Prudhomme, a senior history major, has been here since 2008 and believes that the raises in tuition make it harder for students to continue their education.
“People will just give up because they can’t afford it. It’s like a double standard,” said Prudhomme. They want us to do well and stay in school to get a degree but tuition and fees, not to mention books, on campus housing and meal plans—it all just adds up and makes it impossible for a lot of people.”
