Gov. Bobby Jindal announced his plan to allow state colleges and universities to raise tuition if they meet specific academic standards Tuesday.With the LA GRAD program, Granting Resources and Autonomy for Diplomas, colleges that meet certain credentials will be able to increase tuition by 10 percent per year until they reach the average costs of their Southeast regional peers. Once they reach this level, they could increase by 5 percent per year.The University would be expected to meet tuition rates of other state flagship institutions, not just regional schools.Louisiana is the only state that requires a two-thirds legislative approval to increase tuition.The standards universities are expected to meet in exchange for tuition flexibility include increasing admission standards to raise graduation rates, eliminating programs with low completion rates and increasing collaboration with two-year colleges.State universities and colleges would have six years to meet these goals in the voluntary program.Chancellor Michael Martin said there is some risk in giving universities flexibility to increase tuition.”There is always a danger that universities will overpromise to get funding, but it is a danger we have to deal with,” Martin said.The Postsecondary Education Review Commission suggested a similar plan earlier this month.The LA GRAD Act will be submitted in the next legislative session.Using fall and spring tuition rates, with a 10 percent increase students would be paying $346 more per year.Students will see the change as early as next fall if the act passes legislation, Martin said.”I would argue that only because tuition dollars are pretty flexible and you have a scholarship like TOPS that covers it,” Martin said.Martin said he is cautiously optimistic about the upcoming act and reminded students many changes could take place during the upcoming legislative session.”If there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, it’s a train coming at us,” Martin said.–Contact Grace Montgomery at [email protected]