University administrators, faculty and student leaders witnessed the Governor’s plan for tuition reform clear its first political hurdle of the legislative session Thursday.An amended version of House Bill 1171, also known as the LA Grad Act, passed through the House Education Committee without opposition Thursday.Authored by Rep. Jim Tucker, R-Algiers, the bill would give universities the authority to raise their tuition and increase autonomy to manage university functions like travel regulations and procurement.The University must meet retention and graduation goals benchmarked against Southern Regional Education Board peers to be granted the plan’s advantages.The bill passed without opposition, but much debate centered around the timeframe in which universities can reap the benefits of the measure.In its original form, the legislation would have allowed LSU Baton Rouge to increase its tuition by 10 percent for the coming school year.Tucker amended the bill, requiring schools to show some progress toward higher retention, graduation and completers before they can reap the benefits of the bill.”I support the amendment for 2012 because [the original bill] would be like giving an employee money before they go to work,” said James Callier of the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation. “We need to see some indication that institutions are moving in the right direction, and if we don’t do that then we are maintaining the status quo.”Tucker, who is also Speaker of the House, said the change was necessary to pass the bill on the House floor.The University Board of Supervisors already approved a 5 percent increase in tuition and fees resulting in a $260 increase in total cost for undergraduates next semester.If passed, the bill would allow the University to raise tuition by a total of 10 percent in consecutive years until the tuition level reaches the SREB average.Jason Droddy, assistant vice chancellor of Legislative and External Affairs, said the bill will likely be amended again, and it’s possible tuition could be raised for the coming spring semester based on performance figures from fall.Chancellor Michael Martin has voiced his support for the LA Grad Act, calling it a “step in the right direction,” but said he will argue against the amended timeframe of the bill.”I think there will still be some modifications,” Martin said. “As we heard, there will probably be some floor amendments. I am going to continue to try to make the case that we have achieved; we have met the requirements, and we need the money.”Martin was joined by new Student Government President J Hudson and Vice President Dani Borel as well as English professor and creator of the Facebook group “Save LSU” Tania Nyman.While Martin has made his support for the Grad Act clear, Nyman thinks it will be a destructive policy that will lead to grade inflation if universities are forced to raise their standards to keep funding.The bill will now be referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.- – – -Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at [email protected]