Then/Now: Gov. Edwards Stops Fee Increases Common During Disastrous Jindal Years

Democratic Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards’ leadership is making college more affordable for students and investing in higher education following years of neglect. After ending year after year of deep cuts to higher education that passed costs on to students under former Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a ‘game-changing’ bipartisan budget into law including the first net new investment in higher education in a decade.
THAT WAS THEN: “Every campus is charging higher tuition or fees for new and returning students next month, as schools continue to try to dig out from deep state financing reductions that Gov. Bobby Jindal and lawmakers have enacted since 2008. 
The increases continue to shift more costs to students and away from the state.
Tuition and fee increases range from less than 2 percent at LSU-Alexandria and Nicholls State University to more than 14 percent at McNeese State University and 20 percent at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, according to data provided to the Board of Regents.” [AP, 7/26/15]
THIS IS NOW:  “Thousands of Louisiana’s college students face a surprising change as they start courses this month and pay their registration bills: Their costs for attending class aren’t rising.
For years, many students across Louisiana’s public university campuses faced repeated tuition hikes, and more recently, regular fee increases.
But none of the state’s four college systems has enacted such mandatory, system-wide increases for upcoming fall semester classes, which generally start between Aug. 14 and Aug. 26 around Louisiana.” [AP, 8/3/19]