Parking violation fines, excluding tickets issued for not displaying parking permit and handicapped parking, will increase to $50 beginning Oct. 1. The fine for permit violations will remain at $20, and handicapped parking violations will remain at $250, Tommy Ponson, director of Parking Services, said.

Ponson said one of the reasons the fine was raised was to bring Nicholls up to par with the other universities in the University of Louisiana System. He said at $20 Nicholls had the lowest fines.

“We hope to discourage parking guidelines violations,” he said.

The money collected from parking violations goes to the operating fund of Parking Services and assists with upgrading and maintaining parking lots, which is paid for mostly by permit purchases.

Students who feel a parking citation was unwarranted according to the parking guidelines, may file an appeal to Parking Services or online within 15 work days of receiving the citation.