THIBODAUX, La. (AP) – Nicholls State is the sixth most expensive of the nine University of Louisiana System universities – down from third most expensive – after being the only one to not raise tuition this year.

Only student fees for select programs are increasing an estimated 1.6 percent at Nicholls, while increases at other universities range from 20.2 percent at Louisiana-Lafayette to 8.2 percent at Grambling State.

In-state students at Nicholls will pay $3,674 per semester, while out-of-state students will pay $9,139.

The Daily Comet reports Nicholls President Bruce Murphy has criticized the practice of raising tuition and fees to offset fewer state dollars. Murphy has instead turned his focus to increasing the university’s declining enrollment from about 6,300 last fall to 8,000.(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)