Students coming from different states to study at the University still consist of almost a quarter of the student population, despite a spike in their tuition and a decrease in their financial aid.
Nearly 2,300 current undergraduate and graduate students represent the large Texas Tiger group — accounting for the majority of out-of-state students — for the spring 2012 semester, according to the Office of Budget and Planning.
Theatre sophomore Benjamin Watt said he and his fellow Texans have constantly heard about the strong Tiger pride at the University, which was attractive to students from a proud state like Texas.
“Being from Texas is about feeling like you’re at home,” Watt said. “With such a large Texas background here, it feels homey.”
The University’s out-of-state tuition is equal to or cheaper than in-state tuition at many Texas schools, he said.
But out-of-state tuition has steeply increased since the fall 2008 semester.
Back then, non-resident tuition was about $6,400, but it has risen nearly $3,000 since. Out-of-state aid like the Bengal Legacy Scholarship has recently been dissolved, making tuition even more costly.
Despite increasing tuition woes, the University’s out-of-state costs are still competitive with other schools, said Rachel Wilson, psychology sophomore.
Wilson said many students at her Texas high school set their sights on the University of Texas at Austin, but only the top 10 percent of students in Texas schools are accepted into UT.
“A lot of students who don’t make the top 10 percent are still smart,” she said. “LSU is the next best choice.”
Wilson said about 30 students from her high school come to the University annually.
Wilson and Watt said they both pay full out-of-state tuition without aid, but the increasing cost has not yet concerned them.
“If tuition keeps going up, then I might worry,” Watt said.
According to the Office of Budget and Planning, out-of-state enrollment decreased since last semester from 5,982 to 5,606, not including international students.
Texas student enrollment remained highest among out-of-state students by nearly 2,000 students.
Florida and Georgia still have strong representation, with more than 300 students hailing from each state.
 
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Contact Brian Sibille at [email protected]