Because of the passing of House Bill 872, the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine increased tuition by $750 per semester effective this fall, bringing the total cost of annual tuition close to $14,700. The LSU Board of Supervisors approved the increase July 16. HB 872 allows graduate school programs funded by the state to raise their tuition. The bill authorizes the LSU Board of Supervisors to establish specified tuition and attendance fee increases.The fee increase was necessary to ensure the stability of the school, according to Peter Haynes, dean of LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.”We’re forced to keep up with the escalating costs of education,” Haynes said. “The school needs to be accurately funded to continue.”Emily Strecker, first-year veterinary student, heard about the fee increase on TV. Strecker said her parents were willing to help her pay for undergraduate education, but it is up to her to find funding for graduate school. “It’s unfair,” Strecker said. “I had to go back and rework all my finances.”Tuitions are rising across the country, Haynes said. The University had one of the lowest veterinary school tuitions last year, according to a data report by The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. “Higher education has been compromised in many states,” Haynes said.The money will not be going toward any new additions but will cover a lot of the school’s own expenses, Haynes said.”We are doing the best we can with the resources we have,” he said.The intention is to ensure students from last year won’t be seeing any changes within the school this year, said Joseph Taboada, associate dean for student and academic affairs.”Students won’t be seeing the same amount of cuts as some of the other departments,” Taboada said. Because of budget cuts, certain staff positions that were previously vacant will not be filled, and money will be taken from renovations and travel.  “Think of it as plugging the hole in the dike,” Haynes said. However, Haynes calculated the hole to be $700,000.”This will cover about 25 percent of that hole,” he said.Taboada said the majority of students understand the reason behind the fee increase, but they don’t like it.Michele Lee, first-year veterinary student, said she cashed in her life insurance to pay for tuition.The dean said he remains optimistic despite economic hardships.”We’re very committed to maintaining quality education,” Haynes said. “We hope we can maintain the confidence of our students, and that our faculty and staff see us through this economic downturn.”  —-Contact Sarah Eddington at [email protected]