http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/04/lsu_academic_bankruptcy.html
Hopefully their legislature comes through.
Ouch…
The Louisiana Legislature is closing out its meetings this week without having made much progress in finding more funding for universities, colleges and others. Louisiana’s higher education community is facing an 82 percent funding cut if no extra state money is found.
The change would bring state funding for LSU from around $3,500 per undergraduate student to $660 per undergraduate student next year.
“States around the country spend more than that on their community colleges,” Alexander said.
We’re starting to feel a bit panicky
here in LA. Jindal might be the most abhorred governor since Edwards.
This is terrifying. Government does not feel like a positive force for education recently.
Article indicates that state funding would go from $3,500 to $660 per undergraduate student. For comparison, LSU’s yearly tuition and fees are $8,758 in-state and $26,476 out-of-state ($27,288 and $45,006 for total cost of attendance living on-campus). About 19% to 25% of LSU’s students are out-of-state (depending on which source).
The article also mentions that raising tuition is difficult, although there is a bill in the legislature to make it less difficult (but similar bills in the past have failed).
Anyone have ideas on what LSU can cut to save $2,840 per undergraduate student?
Um, @Booajo, state governments haven’t been a positive force for higher education in the US for decades now.
ucbalumnus LSU can cut its governor and the the ties to the evil brothers for starters
My D was applying for PhD programs this year and was informed that there was no funding available candidates at LSU. So sad, as she would have loved to study there.
They could raise taxes on the rich but that is likely a big no no in LA. I don’t see any solution for the public universities in LA until the citizens of LA decide they have had enough.
Not to get political, but this is why everyone should vote. Local and State elections are just as important as the general election. I am sure a lot of folks are screaming who didnt bother to vote for state legislators. I hope they can come to some sort of an agreement on funding. I cant imagine how the schools in LA are going to make up the shortfall.
What happened to create the funding gap this year? No cause is mentioned in the article.
"One constant that remains regardless of how the numbers are spun is that the state’s general fund has been cut significantly since Jindal took office. That means since the time Jindal became the state’s top executive, Louisiana has dedicated somewhere between 32 and 48 percent less of its state general fund dollars to its colleges and universities, according to the Louisiana House of Representatives’ Fiscal Division (the nonpartisan research arm of the House). Even according to the calculations Jindal’s staff provided The Fact Checker, the state general fund was cut by 39 percent. At the same time, tuition, fees and self-generated revenues for the schools have increased, and they have made up for the majority of the loss in state general fund money.
**The Fiscal Division’s analysis shows tuition and fees increased by 95 percent since Jindal became governor." **
the entire article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2015/02/11/jindals-claim-that-louisianas-higher-education-budget-is-slightly-higher/
A more balance view on why the Louisiana state budget faces a $1.6 billion dollar shortfall.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/04/louisiana_budget_how_did_we_ge.html
It’s complicated, but it’s linked to falling energy prices, significant increases in the state budget (started under Gov. Kathleen Blanco) and the repeal of the Stelly Plan (a tax program).
I am very skeptical either way of news agendas. Expect lots of slanted articles to come out on governors who may be expected to run in the presidential next year.
The current strategy to “fix” is based on repealing the inventory tax (which in a strange way would save the state government $400-$500 million dollars).
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/04/louisiana_inventory_tax_repeal.html
Is the point of the inventory tax to have the state government subsidize the local governments in a roundabout way (based on the amount of inventory that businesses in the localities hold)?
@ucbalumnus “The system was created a generation ago in order to wipe away an obscure property tax that is assessed by parish governments against “business inventory” held by companies in Louisiana.”
http://theadvocate.com/news/10764999-123/giving-away-louisiana-part-6
In so many ways, it’s just horrible policy…
“why I moved”
This is a trend in very red states. The public schools in Kansas are being decimated by budget cuts.
Shame on conservatives. My Dad dad got his physics degrees at LSU. LSU offered me the Tiger Pride scholarship out of high school (I’m a Californian), but I decided to stay home and stay cheap: community college. Meanwhile they have dramatically raised tuition costs, so I’m glad I stayed home. Today I might get into Berkeley, I got in UCLA last week. But deep in my heart I love the LSU Tigers, and feel terrible that the people of the state have failed to vote in long-sighted leadership. Jindal is throwing out the baby with the bathwater on this. Voter participation of the disenfranchised in LA need to increase, HUGELY.