Louisiana colleges, universities present stand-still budget, facing federal funding uncertainty
Louisiana college and university leaders have followed Gov. Jeff Landry's direction and presented a proposed budget to lawmakers that would effectively keep their state funding at current levels.
Lawmakers could choose to deviate from the governor's proposed budget, but it is unlikely higher education will get a significant boost beyond the proposed funding.
Landry's budget would decrease state funding for higher education by about $68 million, largely the result of one-time expenses from the previous budget cycle. The proposal also acknowledges an increase in tuition and fee revenue, meaning the overall budget for higher education would increase just over $4 million.
Lawmakers could have had more money to allocate if voters had supported Landry's proposed Amendment Two in the March 29 election. It would have reworked the state's tax structure and moved hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue from state savings accounts into Louisiana's general fund, where it could have been more easily spent.
Landry's budget plans come amid uncertainty in federal funding for higher education and other state government entities. As President Donald Trump's administration seeks to shrink government spending, universities are preparing for the possibility of substantially slashed federal research grants.
Under the proposed budget, the Southern University System, the nation's only system of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, would see a budget decrease of about $33 million, primarily from decreased tuition and fee revenue as well as a small dip in state appropriations.
The LSU System would experience a budget increase of about $46 million, driven by a boost in self-generated revenue from record enrollments at its campuses. The University of Louisiana System, which enrolls more students than any other system, would also see a budget increase from raised revenue. Its overall budget would increase about $14 million.
The Louisiana Community and Technical College System would also see a slight boost of $3 million.
When the legislature convenes for its annual session next week, lawmakers will consider what changes they will make to the state budget. Both House and Senate members will get a chance to make adjustments.
In addition to the primary state government operations bill, higher education receives money in the state construction budget and in a supplemental bill that covers a lesser amount of one-time money. Colleges and universities typically receive a substantial chunk of this funding.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Metco, nearly 60, at crossroads amid search for next leader
Advertisement There also are growing parent demands for Metco to hold accountable its participating districts, following a number of allegations of 'We need someone that can speak out against the things that are being done that are wrong, and speak out against things that don't promote education,' said Dorchester mom Vanesa Morales, whose two children have participated in the Metco program. State Representative Christopher Worrell, who graduated from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School through Metco, said he wants to see the nonprofit and its next leader play a larger role in breaking down racial barriers in the state. 'Metco could be, and should be, bigger than just busing inner city kids to the suburbs,' said Worrell, who has two children attending Newton schools through Metco. 'It should be the main focal point of race relations and be a leader on race relations.' Advertisement Metco (officially the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity) began in 1966 as a coalition of Boston parents and a handful of suburban school districts who agreed to bus predominantly Black children from the city into wealthier, suburban communities in hopes of obtaining a better academic experience. Today, the Metco program spans 33 communities around the state and enrolls about 3,000 students. (There is also a separate Springfield program for that sends about 100 students to four Western Massachusetts communities.) Since its inception, Metco has had two leaders, including Jean McGuire, who helped found Metco and served as CEO until late 2016, when she said she During Arbaje-Thomas's tenure, the state added about $8 million to the program's annual budget, for a total of nearly $30 million per year in state funding, and changed its enrollment process Related : That plan includes several commitments by member districts, including offering inclusive, antiracist school environments, personalized support for academic and postgraduate success, and equal inclusion in extracurricular activities. A search committee is working with a Advertisement Darnell Billings, 'At this time, no decisions have been finalized regarding the hiring of a new President & CEO. We are continuing to follow a deliberate and thorough process, and additional information will be shared publicly at the appropriate time,' Billings said in a brief email. By several measures, the Metco program is successful. Researchers in separate studies have found students enrolled in suburban districts through Metco perform better academically than their peers in Boston Public Schools. Metco students have had a higher graduation rate than their Boston peers, or the state as a whole, state data show. A greater percentage of Metco students also plan on attending college. A The program 'brings much-needed diversity to suburban districts and makes friendships, dialogue, and learning across race more possible,' the committee's report said. Meanwhile, in suburban districts, achievement gaps among Metco students persist, state testing data show. Domingos DaRosa, a Boston resident whose daughter attends high school in the Concord-Carlisle regional district, resigned last November as the School Committee's Metco parent representative, he said, after administrators and the board failed to listen to Black and Latino students, and didn't address his concerns about achievement gaps. 'The face of Metco Inc. has to be the individual who represents the students' interests,' DaRosa said, referring to the organization by its formal name. Advertisement Daniel Gutekanst, the superintendent in Needham and a member of the Metco Inc. board, said school administrators in member districts are taking reports of racist harassment seriously, and are working to address achievement gaps through the Metco 2.0 effort. 'I acknowledge there are problems, and there are problems in Needham,' said Gutekanst, who declined to speak about the search process. 'I also know there is a commitment among superintendents and Metco directors [in school districts] to really move the ball forward, and really make sure our classrooms are inclusive, that kids feel welcomed, and that they're achieving at high levels.' Several of Nita Holder, who sent her then-13-year-old son to Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School through Metco in 2023 and 2024, The purpose of Metco is 'not only to support the families of Boston,' Holder said, 'it's to educate the suburban towns and cities about what it means to be a young Black boy, a young Black girl, coming from the city of Boston, and trying to navigate a whole other culture.' John Hilliard can be reached at
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Here's what you need to know about Louisiana's new cell phone law
Louisiana drivers have to put down their cell phones while in motion under a new law that took effect last week. Gov. Jeff Landry believes the new law will help lower the state's auto insurance rates, which are the most expensive in the country. Republican Slidell Rep. Brian Glorioso's Act 288 makes handheld cell phone use illegal while driving, including talking, texting and engaging in social media or apps. Drivers can still operate their phone using hands-free technology. They can also hold their phones while parked or stopped at red lights. "This is one of the great pieces of legislation that has evaded us at this Capitol," the Republican governor said while signing Glorioso's bill into law. "Finally this year we were able to pass a distracted driving (law). "If you quit texting and driving it's less accidents and if there's less accidents there's less lawsuites. It's a great bill." More than 30 states have enacted bans on hand-held cell phone use while driving. Though the law took effect Aug. 1, police officers can only give drivers a warning until Jan. 1, 2026. And the law prevents officers from conducting a traffic stop based only for violating the cell phone ban. Drivers can only be ticketed for violating the ban as a secondary offense, which means they were pulled over for another primary violation. But current law does allow officers to pull drivers over for violating the ban in school and construction zones. The penalty for violating the new law will be a $100 citation, while the fine is $250 in school zones. More: Frog gigging law changes in Louisiana, home to Frog Capital of the World Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Will Louisiana's new cell phone law lower auto insurance rates? Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Speaker Mike Johnson, Jeff Landry tell Gavin Newsom to mind his own business after Shreveport insult
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom should focus on what they describe as his own broken state rather than insulting Shreveport about its crime rate in what they say is a false narrative. During an interview this week with Brian Tyler Cohen, Newsom criticized President Trump's police takeover in Washington, D.C., and previous National Guard activations in Los Angeles while invoking Johnson's hometown of Shreveport as an example of crime chaos. 'I think (Trump) should start with Shreveport, La., and Speaker Johnson's district that has six times plus the per capita murder rate of Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco," Newsom said in the interview. What about the carnage, Mr. President, in Shreveport? Why aren't you protecting the folks there?" In a text to USA Today Network Saturday, Johnson said Newsom "should spend less time commenting on national affairs and trying to subvert state laws for a blatant power grab, and much more time working to change the disastrous, far-left policies that are destroying his state." "Republicans will not be lectured about what makes the American people safe by a man who has repeatedly protected violent criminals and illegal aliens," Johnson said. "While Democrats have created crime crises through radical policies like defunding the police, President Trump and Republicans are serious about solving this scourge in America's capital city and across the nation." Most of Shreveport is actually represented in Congress now by Democratic U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, though Johnson still represents a small portion of his hometown. USA Today is seeking comment from Fields. Though Shreveport was considered one of America's most dangerous cities as recently as 2023, Landry, Louisiana's Republican governor, and Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said violent crime fell significantly in 2024 and so far in 2025. "Gov. Newsom may hold his own opinions but he is not entitled to distort the facts; homicides in Shreveport are down 40% this year, and we are continuing to see a significant decline in crime," Landry said Saturday in a text to USA Today Network. "Gavin has done a great job of wrecking California, we don't need him doing the same to the rest of the country," Landry said. Arceneaux said he doesn't want Newsom's comments to present a distorted picture of Shreveport to those who live there or would consider moving to the city or investing in Shreveport. "I would disagree with (Newsom's) assessment," Arceneaux said Saturday as he was conducting "block by block" engagements with Shreveport residents. "For a number of years were on the Top 10 (most dangerous cities), but we're no longer on those lists. "We've invested in police and technology and our officers are doing a good job." More: Louisiana attorney general says gaming site Roblox fosters environment for child predators Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Speaker Mike Johnson, Jeff Landry blast Gavin Newsom's Shreveport insult Solve the daily Crossword
