Why LSMSA is Affordable
School Funding
• LSMSA is a state public secondary school, so
there is no charge for tuition!
• Funding is from two primary sources:
the state and current student families
• Any costs associated with attending include:
residential, food, services or supplies.
What you don’t have to pay for…
• A lot!
▫ It costs more than $21,000 a year to educate and house LSMSA
students.
• Textbooks:
▫ The school loans textbooks to the students for each course in
which they enroll.
▫ Only if your student does not return a book, loses a book, or
heavily damages a book, do you have to pay for it.
• Meal Plans:
▫ Students do not purchase separate meal plans and are able to
eat all meals in the cafeteria.
Required Expenses (All Students)
Fees
Fall
Spring
Yearly Total
Room and Board
$500
$500
$1,000
Computer Use Fee
$12.50
$12.50
$25.00
Science Lab Fee
$12.50
$12.50
$25.00
Facility Use Fee
$10.00
-
$10.00
Security Deposit
$140
New Students Only
Total
$675
$525
$1,200
Required Fees (Annual): $1,060
•Payable by semester – due August 1 and December 1
•Fee statements are mailed during the late summer and fall
•Non payment of fees will result in dismissal of the student from the school
•Non-refundable after the first day of class each semester
One-time Security Deposit Fee (New Students Only):
$140
•Upon graduation or leaving the school, the Security Deposit Fee is refundable less any
costs of damages or other financial obligations to the school.
Fee Reductions & Waivers
• In recognition of the hardship the required fees place on some
families, the school does provide for fee reductions and waivers to
the Room & Board fee only.
• Guidelines for qualification are based on the Federal Free/Reduced
Lunch Program.
• Regardless of your income, applications MUST be completed in
order to be considered for a reduction or waiver.
• Only one application needs to be submitted per academic year.
Note the academic year begins with the fall semester.
Need Help, But Don’t Qualify?
• The school recognizes that there are many families that
do not qualify for the fee reduction or waiver, but still
need assistance in meeting the financial obligations.
• If this applies to you, contact the business office before
fees are due.
Mr. John A. Allen
Director of Finance and Operations
(318) 357-2510
Ms. Carisa Blade
Internal Operations Specialist
(318) 357-2500
jallen@lsmsa.edu
cblade@lsmsa.edu
Fax: (318) 357-3297
Art Fees (Based on Enrollment)
• $25 per course, per semester up to a maximum of
three courses.
• Art fees are not subject to fee reductions or waivers.
Art Class Fees
1 Course
$25
2 Courses
$50
3 Courses or more
$75
Additional Expenses (school-related)
• The annual Student Activity Fee:
▫ $165 for Sophomores & Juniors
▫ $205 for Seniors
• Not part of the LSMSA fee structure and therefore does not qualify
for a fee reduction or waiver
Fee
Annual Amount
Student Activities
$90
Yearbook
$40
Newspaper
$10
Folio (creative journal)
$5
PSAT Fee (Sophomores & Juniors)
$20
Senior Graduation
$60
Total Expected Fees by Year*:
Year
Required
Fees
Additional
Expenses
Annual
Amount
Sophomore and Junior (1st Year)
$1,200
$165
$1,365
Senior (1st Year)
$1,200
$205
$1,405
Junior (2nd Year)
$1,060
$165
$1,225
Senior (3rd Year)
$1,060
$205
$1,265
*Does not include additional Art Fees
Sample Fee Bill
Travel-Related Costs
•There will be costs associated with travel to and from school
at the start and end of the school year, as well as weekends
when students are required to leave campus and return home.
•For those students in south Louisiana, a chartered bus is
offered on Extended Weekends.
Destination
One-Way
Round-Trip
Opelousas
$26.25
$35
Baton Rouge
$41.25
$55
Convington
$60
$80
Metairie
$67.50
$90
Additional Expenses (personal)
• Personal Pocket Money: depends on your student’s lifestyle
and spending habits.
• Here are some things to keep in mind:
 Students do like to buy snacks
 Students toiletries
 There are costs associated with club fundraisers, club dues,
and other extra- and co-curricular activities.
 Students can avoid some expenses:
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Parking tickets
Library fines
Residence halls damage
Room and mailbox keys
Banking Options in Natchitoches
• Students need some way to access money – local
checking account, debit card, etc.
• They will also need to know how to balance a checkbook
and how to write a check.
• Natchitoches has a lot of local banks, but no major
national or regional banks.
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Bank of Montgomery – ATM to be located in LSMSA building soon!
City Bank and Trust Company
Exchange Bank
First Federal Bank of Louisiana
La Capital Federal Credit Union
Peoples State Bank
Sabine State Bank
Don’t Forget…
• Payments can be made via checks, money order or
PayPal
• Fall fees due August 1st
• Spring fees due December 1st
• Reduction/Waiver application deadlines are firm
• LSMSA Business Office available to answer all fee
questions