Students ordering football tickets this year may have noticed a slight increase in the handling fee from last year.
Student tickets are ordered exclusively through lsusports.net and cost $49.
A $5 “handling fee” is added to every student season ticket order, said Brian Broussard, Athletic Department ticket manager.
Broussard said students last year were charged $1 for the handling fee and the Athletic Department had to absorb a $50,000 shortfall.
The fee helps pay for numerous charges involved in the ticket ordering process, Broussard said.
Broussard said $3 goes to Paciolan, an online ticketing software company the University uses to order tickets.
The money pays for each transaction made using their software, Broussard said.
Another $1.35 goes to credit card companies for card fees, Broussard said.
The final 65 cents pays for the printing of the tickets and the running and upkeep of the student ticket Web site.
Tom Hulse, a mathematics junior, said he originally thought the fee would be used to mail the tickets to students.
Hulse said as long as the money is not going directly to the Athletic Department, he understands the need for the fee.
“I’m not upset that they charged us for required fees,” Hulse said.
Broussard said it is unfortunate that students have to pay the fee, but the Athletic Department could not afford the shortfall again this year.
Kate Butler, a secondary education junior, said she ordered her tickets in the spring with her sorority and was unaware the handling fee even existed. Butler said the increase does not bother her as long as it is going toward a legitimate cause.
Broussard said he has been somewhat surprised with the lack of calls to his office about the increase. “There have not been as many calls as we thought we would be getting because of the increase,” Broussard said. An e-mail will be sent out in early August informing students when to pick up tickets, Broussard said.