Speaker Phelan, LSCO President Johnson & TX State University system chancellor make announcement

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, Orange’s state representative, Texas State University System Chancellor Brian McCall, and Lamar State College Orange President Thomas Johnson announced at a joint press conference today that new tuition parity funding passed in this year’s legislative session will further reduce the cost of tuition at the Lamar State Colleges, including Lamar State College Orange, by 11.2%.

The reduction will make tuition at Lamar State College Orange (LSCO) on par with other two-year schools in the state and will allow LSCO students to take additional classes at a lower cost, graduate more quickly, and finish school with less or no debt.

The new appropriation will bring tuition for a full-time course load of 12-semester credit hours at LSCO down to $1416.

The legislature also approved a funding request that would allow Lamar State College Orange to offer dual credit classes for a further reduced amount, as well as a $10 scholarship per semester credit hour that will be awarded to students who purchase access to their textbooks and other instructional materials through the College. With these reductions, a full 12-semester credit hour course load with textbook access would total $1596.

“This extraordinary action by Governor Abbott, Speaker Phelan, Senator Nichols, and the Texas State University System Board of Regents will allow students in the Orange area to achieve an education at a much lower cost. We couldn’t be more appreciative to this group of outstanding leaders for their foresight to continue making a bright Orange – and less expensive – future for our students,” said President Thomas Johnson.

The 11% tuition reduction is to take effect for students enrolling at Lamar State College Orange for the Fall 2021 semester.

Although their mission is similar to the community colleges in the state, the Lamar State Colleges receive no local tax revenue, resulting in an overdependence on tuition and fees. Before the initial 25% tuition reduction that was implemented in Fall 2019 took effect, tuition and fees at the Lamar State Colleges were about $1,800 higher, on average, than Texas community colleges. Now, tuition rates at LSCO are comparable to community colleges in Texas.

Governor Abbott also signed legislation granting the funds for Lamar State College Orange to purchase an industrial-size generator to power portions of the campus in the unfortunately common event of a hurricane.

Students who wish to learn more about how this tuition reduction affects them can visit our website.

To take advantage of this reduced tuition opportunity, and LSCO’s current Buy One Class, Get One FREE offer (up to two free classes for Fall), apply now at lsco.edu.