I am a graduate student who is lucky enough to have a Graduate Research Assistantship. This means I get paid for working in the lab and also receive a tuition waiver. Pay for assistantships frequently ranges from $14,000-$18,000 per year. I am still responsible for any and all fees LSU assesses. Currently, I pay fees totaling more than $2,300 per year. If this “Flagship Fee” is instituted, graduate students with assistantships could see a 5 to 7 percent cut in their gross pay. In your article, Robert Kuhn, the associate vice chancellor of budget and planning, said that cutting faculty and staff salaries by the necessary 10 percent is not an efficient method for recouping funds. I ask that LSU consider its graduate students, because a 5 to 7 percent cut in our relatively low pay is a huge cut. This additional fee would mean 18 to 24 percent of graduate assistants’ paycheck would go back to LSU for fees. As part of our assistantship, we cannot work a second job to make up this difference (nor would we have the time to). Instead of nickel and diming their students with fees, LSU needs to raise tuition if they need more funds.
April Bryan-Mason
graduate student
renewable natural resources
Letter to the Editor: 10/30/2009
Published: Friday, October 30, 2009
Updated: Friday, October 30, 2009
6 comments
Your name
Or she assumed that all graduate students earn between $14,000-$18,000 which is not the case.
Your name
""If this “Flagship Fee” is instituted, graduate students with assistantships could see a 5 to 7 percent cut in their gross pay."Citation needed" Sorry I guess April assumed you could do basic math.
Your name
When did colleges begin charging tuition and fees? Must be a new phenomenon.
Your name
Agreed, April. I am also a grad student, and 15% of my (pre-taxes) assistantship goes to student fees. Also, many of the items supported by student fees are more relevant to undergrads than grads.
Your name
Flagship fee is projected to be 1,000 per year. A reduction of $1000 on a stipend of $14000-$18000 is 5%-7%.
Your name
"If this “Flagship Fee” is instituted, graduate students with assistantships could see a 5 to 7 percent cut in their gross pay."Citation needed
