Jindal: Colleges Cuts Will Be Less Than 10 Percent

Gov. Bobby Jindal has told higher education leaders to plan for budget cuts of less than 10 percent in state funds next year.

That's far less than projections that had reached up to 32 percent.

LSU System President John Lombardi notified his campus chiefs of the information Monday, and Jindal's spokesman Kyle Plotkin confirmed it to The Associated Press.

Lombardi had asked administrators to submit plans Monday on which specific programs and jobs they would cut if colleges lose another 10 percent of their state funds in the 2011-12 budget year. But instead, Lombardi announced the deadline was scrapped, saying the reductions aren't expected to be that deep.

Higher education has been cut by $310 million in state funds since reductions began in 2008.