If Louisiana continues to cut its public college and universities, state-supported schools could become a thing of the past, The Advertiser reports.
Six universities—LSU-Alexandria, Grambling State, Louisiana Tech, McNeese State, Nicholls State and Southeastern—already operate like private institutions relying solely on self-generated revenue.
Those institutions give 100% their appropriated funds back to the state in the form of mandated costs, ranging from employee retirement and insurance to Capital Park security.
LSU and Southern aren’t far behind, paying about 95% of the amount appropriated to them back to the state, The Advertiser reports.
“Some of our universities are basically private universities when it comes to state support,” says Louisiana Commissioner of Higher Education Joseph Rallo, who is traveling the state on an annual speaking tour.
LSU President F. King Alexander has expressed a similar sentiment, saying “we won’t be spending a penny on public higher education in 2025” if funding for colleges and universities continues to be cut.
“States are just getting out of the business of public higher education and doing so on the backs of students,” he said.
