La. state-run colleges consider cuts, tuition hikes

State-run college systems will receive nearly $66 million less from Louisiana’s general fund in the fiscal year starting July 1, prompting administrators to consider remedies such as bigger classes, higher tuition and even layoffs to ease the financial pain, The Times-Picayune reports. “It’s hard to make these decisions,” says Victor Ukpolo, Southern University at New Orleans’ chancellor. “I don’t sleep nights.” Massive across-the-board cuts aren’t the solution, University of New Orleans President Peter Fos says. “They cause an institution’s slow death. We’re going to try to do it strategically.” Some schools will raise tuition by as much as 10% in the fall in an attempt to generate more revenue, but that won’t close the gap as state support for higher education continues to drop. The looming cuts stem from the state operating budget adopted by the Louisiana Legislature and signed by Gov. Bobby Jindal this month. The higher education allocations are based on the financing formula developed by the Louisiana Board of Regents, which makes its recommendations based on factors such as enrollment and the types of courses each institution offers. The board, which has oversight authority over Louisiana’s public colleges and universities, convenes today to give its final endorsement to the Legislature’s spending plan. Get the full story here.