Piper Hutchinson La. Illuminator
Louisiana’s colleges and universities are bringing home hundreds of millions for construction projects and other key priorities, including over $30 million to begin construction for the long-anticipated new LSU library.
The state budget for fiscal year 2025-26, which starts next 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 onetime money in the three main budget bills Gov. Jeff Landry signed into law this week.
Building boon 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 Monroe.
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
