Analysis: Louisiana colleges off to shaky start in budget

BATON ROUGE — Although Gov. Bobby Jindal’s budget recommendations would keep higher education at status quo funding next year, public colleges are far from sitting pretty in the spending proposal.

Instead, Jindal’s $24.7 billion budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year positions Louisiana’s colleges as a pawn in an ongoing political chess match and continues to shift a greater cost-share to students and their parents.

The Republican governor and his advisers have repeatedly said Jindal’s budget proposal includes no cuts to higher education.

That’s true when all sources of funding are included.

What Jindal fails to note is that his budget cuts state financing for the colleges and universities — while offsetting that cut with $75 million in tuition increases already passed by lawmakers.

More at http://www.shreveporttimes.com/viewart/20130304/NEWS0402/130303019/Analysis-Louisiana-colleges-off-shaky-start-budget .