By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

RESERVE – Since the passing of the Granting Resources and Autonomy for Diplomas Act during the last state Legislative session, tuition at Louisiana Technical College’s Reserve campus has increased, albeit only slightly.

The cost per credit hour there has gone up from $28 to $30.25.

Campus Administrator Cindy Poskey said the increase was necessitated by “deficits in budgets,” a problem she described as statewide.

The GRAD Act gave the state’s public universities the power to increase tuition by as much as 10 percent. Poskey said tuition at the school saw a 3 percent increase at the end of last school year and another 3 percent in July.

Comparing the school to more expensive four-year institutions, Poskey said, “We’re still the better value for your dollar.”

Although registration for the upcoming semester, which begins Monday, is ongoing all week, Poskey warned the process is a little more involved than just signing up and paying tuition.

“You can’t register unless you’ve been through the application process,” she said.

That process includes being able to provide the school with proof of high school completion, proof of citizenship and appropriate ACT scores. Additionally, prospective students must go through an admissions process similar to that of a four-year university.

“You need to be admitted before you can register,” Poskey added.

For those students who have already been admitted, Poskey said now is the time to come in and choose courses. By Friday, registration will already be considered late, and tuition will have to be paid up front as there is a slim possibility that late registrants will qualify for grants.

She said after Monday any prospective student will have to have critical extenuating circumstances to register.

Poskey said LTC staff will be on-hand to advise students of courses of study, and for those prospective students who have not yet been through the application process, the school will again offer testing in mid-September.

Enrollment at the college is about on par with previous years, according to Poskey.

“We’re not seeing a huge increase,” she said, adding, “We’ve had no indications of a huge drop.”

She said when the school offered advanced registration in July, over 200 students enrolled, but actual numbers for this semester will not be available until next week when classes begin.

One trend she has noticed, she said, in an increase in the number of students coming straight out of high school.

When asked if she thought the dual enrollment option offered at area schools played a part in this development, Poskey responded, “I know it does.”