Martin -- Tuition Hikes Build Character.

LSU Chancellor Michael Martin apparently thinks Bobby Jindal is doing a heckuva job.

“We are very pleased with the bold proposals Governor Jindal offered this afternoon for higher education in Louisiana. These proposals are not short-term, quick fixes; they are thoughtful initiatives that will set Louisiana on a long-term path to a high-performing higher education system."

That's a pretty ringing endorsement.

Martin has never outright criticized Jindal, but he and other higher education officials have long opined that state leaders in general need to be more active in budget cuts. And he's often spoken in such a way that blasts Jindal's policies while painstakingly construed in a way

Now we see very little complaining from Martin now that Jindal has announced his higher education legislation agenda. But that's hardly surprising.

After all, he might as well have written the agenda himself.

Notice the end to Martin's statement:

“Finally, we thank Louisiana’s Flagship Coalition for the hard work they have done on behalf of LSU and all of higher education.”

Why would Martin give a shout-out to the Coalition in a statement ostensibly about Jindal's policies? It's simple -- Jindal's policies for the most part are the Coalition's policies. Which means they are also LSU's policies.

It's difficult to argue that Jindal's agenda isn't good for LSU as a institution.

The more difficult question is -- are these policies good for LSU students?

The mantra of Jindal's proposed legislation is "granting institutions more independence." While that frequently-used buzzword means cutting down on bureaucratic waste, it also means giving universities "independence" to raise tuition and fees.

Martin, for his part, isn't shy about saying increased tuition is better for students. He routinely argues that, if the University relied more on tuition than on state dollars, students would see a less volatile budget.

And let's be clear here -- raising tuition is good for Martin and the rest of LSU's administration. It takes a lot more effort to battle the state for funding than it does to simply raise tuition on students.

Increased tuition is also better for the state. If the state bears a smaller funding responsibility, it has more money to spend on other things probably tax cuts.).

But students (and their parents) need to look hard at these proposals and ask the question most relevant to them -- is increased tuition actually better for those that have to pay it?

That's a whole different column for a whole different day. But, unless tuition is increasing significantly more than state funding is decreasing, it seems unlikely that students will be getting much more value for their increased costs.

Arguments exist that tuition increases are beneficial to students in the long term. But it takes one hell of an argument to convince somebody paying more money is in their best interests, especially if there's no clear sign they're going to be getting a better product.