Edwards agrees to let Louisiana colleges set their own fees

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Louisiana’s colleges and universities can still set - and raise - their own student fees.

The schools’ governing boards have had that fee-hiking ability, but it was set to expire on June 30. Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed into law a bill that continues the authority to set and modify fees until mid-2020.

The four college management boards will have to report their fee changes each year to state lawmakers, under the new law sponsored by Rep. Chris Broadwater, a Hammond Republican.

Edwards’ office announced the bill signing Tuesday evening.

Several higher education leaders have said they may raise some fees for the upcoming 2017-18 school year, even though they will escape budget cuts for the first time in nearly a decade.

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House Bill 113: www.legis.la.gov