Louisiana Higher Education Funding

[Hammer58]

_ ljr3721:

Those are the types of documents I am looking for, appreciate you posting them. But I think Cajun Express pointed an important caveat to the data. In addition to his comments, it should be noted that LSU's numbers probably includes the medical research center, hospitals, etc...

Kawlija1:

The parable that you provided is a good example of why I started this thread. I know the perception of many is LSU=Goliath, what I would like to find is the data that warrants this perception. I don't get how the state legislature = LSU..."LSU&AM@BR" suffers from them just as much as everyone else. Hell, many in the capitol have not even been to college.



If you don't mind, show me. I checked that out before my post to confirm what I remember reading when looking into graduate school at both universities. I simply don't see where LSU's tuition is higher... _

Here is what I found on the recent "streamlining " of the legislative approval process for setting or raising tuition. Note that State gets to set their tuition based on a percentage of the average at "flagship" institutions while everyone else has to base theirs on a percentage of the SREB average. Since the SREB average will factor in a number of smaller universities and colleges and the"flagship" averages will be a smaller group with normally higher tuitions I thin it is safe to assume even without finding the exact figures that the increases allowed for State will be higher than what UL and the other LA universities will be allowed to charge. The system is set up to allow State to charge more money for tuition thus getting more taxpayer money through TOPS.

http://www.regents.state.la.us/pdfs/...tg04-27-05.pdf

[Just1More]

Glide, with this blessed ability to both debate every point provided, render some facts and opinions of your own, with skillful prose, could you not find it within yourself to research this subject? If you failed on Google, then go to the library and start researching. This is a Cajun fan forum, packed with sentiment of its own. This is a divisive topic, regardless if presented in ernest. You are cleverly masking your sentiment on this topic, but I do not believe you are a neutral inquisitor.

You know in your heart of hearts that there is a disparity in the past and present funding between LSU, UL, and other state institutions. Do you believe that the tooth fairy built LSU and simply overlooked everyone else? The state not only singled out greater funding, but special cased rules to support the flagship status of LSU. Absolutely do not take my word for it or anyone else on here... go research it if you truthfully really care.

Any mention of private funding supporting/building anything at LSU has to be qualified. LSU is a public institution, first. If you first build a much bigger and elaborate theme park with public funds, it stands to reason that you would attract all the kids, their parents and relatives. Eventually, you can start counting the tickets at the door as private donations, start building community sentiment and presto... private funds start coming in for everything that can be made private. That is the basis for what we see at LSU. A focused channeling of public funds for many years, a well orchestrated building of sentiment in the process (mostly thru athletics) and THEN the storm effect of private funds. You put the public and private funding engine together and you get a monsterous result... LSU.

This also goes for research funding and grants. If I get state funds to build a testing lab, then go out and market a partnership with private industry for use of my lab, faculty, students, etc... in come the private research funds. I think is highly disingenuous to then tell everyone that "we are funding this lab thru large private grants and are not asking the state for a penny"... snicker snicker chuckle chuckle.

Most LSU friends of mine completely agree with me. Of course, they are the rational ones. I only find an occasional ignoramous that does not (they prove ignoramous in many other ways as well). I am not one who argues that it isn't the right of the state to do so, or that it must be discontinued, or anything of the sort. The king has spoken and the troops are lined up behind him. My request is that when UL is making strides or launching its own initiatives, stay out of it.

I am sick and tired of the low brows that think that the guy who wins the blue ribbon with the fattest pig in this state did not get the greatest help. We are talking about PUBLIC institutions. It ain't much to beat your chest about.

You are not going to find the bible on funding on this forum or on any simple link. That is by design as well. You are going to have to go dig it up yourself. Have you shown up on the LSU fan forums to find out how incredibly informed these individuals are on this subject? And no, they do not care or argue about who's getting the line share of the cheese... they can't swallow fast enough to get a word out edge-wise. And I do not have any sympathy for the likes of "we are hurting too... we needed 100 million for a new complex and the state has only granted 75 million and has delayed the gold plating by another 6 months... we're hurting too".

Write a letter to the Advocate and ask a staff researcher to provide you with the funding methodology in this state for higher institutions starting from the beginning. But please ask them to spare you of the private funding follow-ups. Back to the theme park... you can't take credit for building a private monster roller coaster that was originally funded by tickets sold on 8 prior publically funded roller coasters. A 6th grader understands that concept.

[Hammer58]

_ Your numbers are not valid. IMO you cannot count the total because the total represents all colleges within a university, and all post graduate courses as well. Fair on not LSU has far more doctorate programs than UL. They also get far more research grants from Uncle Sam. I think for purpose of undergrad courses you will find that the tuition are very similar. LSU has greater fees, and according to their web site UL has a larger actual tuition for 15 under graduate hours. _

Here is a report I found from May 2007 from the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana. Note the table on page 8 that shows the median annual undegraduate tuition fand fees or each institution. State charges $4,316 while UL charges $3.258 (lower than many of the lower ranked institutions). Also, the reports states that following the Regents' plan to allow State to raise their tuition to 93% of the flaghsip average will require an increase in taxpayer funding of more than $14 milion for TOPS while raising the other instituitons to 93% of the SREB average would require only $10.6 million. While this has not been implemetned as of May 2007 it continues the practice of State receiveing more taxpayer funding.

http://www.la-par.org/Publications/P...ion%202007.pdf

[Turbine]

The problem goes back to the 1920's 30's and 40's when UL had the lowest funding per student in the state!

You still see the hamstring effects of that today.

ps I know nothing of todays situation.