Student Aid

The average cost of tuition for a full-time undergraduate student from Louisiana is $3,940. For out-of-state undergraduate students, the average cost of tuition is $12,899.

For a detailed list of cost of tuition, fees, and room and board expenses, please visit LSU Financial Aid and Scholarships. Financial aid for undergraduate students includes grants, loans, work study and scholarships. Visit  for more information.

For in-state graduate students, the average cost of tuition is $4,608. Out-of-state graduate tuition is $13,735.

G&A currently funds 20 graduate students through departmental teaching assistantships. Additional graduate assistantships are funded through research grants funded by the NSF, NOAA, MMS, EDA, and others. Others are funded by allied units in the university.

A limited number of highly-competitive scholarships are available.

LSU offers tuition waivers for graduate students funded by assistantships. These waivers do not include fees, however, which cost upwards of $900 per semester.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the application for all federal and state aid programs. You will need to indicate Louisiana State University (school code #002010) in the school release section of the application so that the LSU financial aid office may receive your file. In most cases, you and your parents will need to complete the application together. The FAFSA is available online at www.FASFA.gov.

Students apply for consideration for Federal Direct Loans and Federal Perkins Loans by completing the FAFSA.

LSU’s Student Financial Aid office provides affordability and access for all students to obtain their educational goals. LSU financial aid is dedicated to helping students finance their education through federal, state, and institutional dollars.

The financial aid office strives to provide you with a quick and efficient, user-friendly site. We welcome our entering freshmen, transfer, and continuing undergraduate, graduate/professional, law, and veterinary medicine students and hope that as you navigate through the financial aid application process we are helpful in finding ways for you to finance your education.

The office is staffed with professionals to provide excellent service to you. They are available Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please feel free to visit financial aid in Pleasant Hall. You may also contact financial aid via email by writing to financialaid@lsu.edu or by phone at 225-578-3103.

The Robert C. West and R.J. Russell Field Research Awards

In April 1981, the Department of Geography and Anthropology established the Robert C. West Graduate Student Field Research Fund to support worthy M.A. and Ph.D. projects that require field research and to honor Boyd Professor Robert C. West.  Likewise, awards are also made from the R.J. Russell Fund to defray expenses for field work, in honor of Professor Russell.  Over 200 awards, averaging about $600 each have been awarded. West/Russell Grants fund travel and subsistence expenses only. They are directed toward thesis research and preliminary investigation of dissertation projects.

See the application guidelines for more information.