The state budget for fiscal year 2025-26, which starts this week, includes approximately $610 million in immediate construction for higher education and around $75 million for research, campus security and other special projects.
Funding for the state’s four higher education systems remained largely the same as what they received for the current school year, but each got at least a little one-time money in the three main budget bills Gov. Jeff Landry signed into law this week.
The state construction budget, detailed in House Bill 2, provides allocations for each state university system, including a significant investment for a new LSU library at its main campus. The bill includes more immediate money for campuses than the previous year, and it lays out promised funds for upcoming years.
The amounts universities receive fluctuates from year to year because their construction projects need more or less money, depending on what phase of construction their projects have reached.
Projects in the LSU System are slated to receive about $196 million next year, up from $186 million this year. In addition to about $33 million for the first phase of construction of its library, which should begin next summer, around $28 million has been allocated for a new science building, and another $28 million was set aside for renovations at the Medical Education Building Laboratory at LSU Health Sciences New Orleans.
The Southern University System will receive about $144 million, up from about $67 million this year. The largest portion, $47 million, will be used for a new science, technology, engineering and math complex at its main campus in Baton Rouge.
The University of Louisiana System is slated to receive around $175 million, up from $136 million this year. That includes $17 million to renovate a major academic building at Louisiana Tech and $15 million for renovations to the Health Science Complex at the University of Louisiana Lafayette.
The Louisiana Community and Technical College System will receive around $31 million, down from about $34 million this year. Its biggest project is $14 million for a new building and campus development at Baton Rouge Community College
Lagniappe for Special Projects
Each system is slated to receive lagniappe for special projects, research, athletics and campus improvements.
The LSU System will receive $7.5 million to help replace lost federal research funding.
In the University of Louisiana System, Grambling State University has been allocated $6.7 million for an athletic facility, McNeese will get $250,000 for its baseball and softball programs and another $225,000 for its athletic department. Nicholls was budgeted $500,000 for its athletic programs, and the University of Louisiana Monroe will receive $2 million for its pharmacy school.
The Southern University System will receive $1 million for night classes at Southern University New Orleans and $295,000 for a mobile health unit at Southern University Shreveport.
This article was first published in the Louisiana Illuminator. Read the original here.
