LSAC's Explanation For Their Recent Price Increases Forum

[JonDenningPowerScore]

While LSAC didn't release a public explanation for the recent price increases, this is what they sent to the advisors on the pre-law listserv they maintain:

"At its meeting this past weekend, the LSAC Board approved fees for the next admission cycle. After careful consideration of the cost of new initiatives designed to better serve candidates, including increasing the number of test administrations, releasing score results more quickly than in the past, and moving to a digital version of the LSAT, the Board elected to ask LSAC to find ways to absorb most of these costs so that minimal increases would be made to candidate fees. As a result, the Board approved $10 fee increases for the LSAT, CAS, and school reports for the next cycle. These are now posted on our website for the candidates eager to register for the test in order to apply for Fall 2019.

Please note that the Board’s decision stands in sharp contrast to other fields, where moving to a digital format has meant steep price increases for candidates. We have maintained our fee waiver program for candidates for whom these fees are a burden, and we have collaborated with Khan Academy to ensure that all prospective LSAT takers have access to free, comprehensive LSAT preparation online. All of us at LSAC are and will remain committed to improving and expanding our services to candidates and to schools with the operational and fiscal discipline that delivers outstanding value."

As Dave Killoran has pointed out (https://www.reddit.com/r/LSAT/comments/ ... increases/), "The thing is, they've been studying digital testing for at least 20 years now; this isn't some new cost they have, and of course the Digital LSAT format hasn't even been implemented yet [nor has LSAC mentioned when it will be]. And the cost of the additional LSATs is covered by the fees they charge, not to mention their vast reserve of assets (over $200 million). And the idea that releasing the tests more quickly is a significant cost factor is ridiculous. In the words of one advisor I spoke to about the whole thing, 'It's laughable.'"