University of Louisiana Reveals $25 Million Budget Crisis Despite Record Freshman Class

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — The University of Louisiana Lafayette has some major budget problems.

Interim President Jaimie Hebert told faculty and staff on Wednesday that the university has a $25 million budget deficit and needs major cuts across every department, according to The Current.

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What Lafayette Families and Students Need to Know

Every part of the university will feel the cuts, but administrators are trying to protect classrooms. Academic departments only have to cut 5% of their budgets. Everything else—the president’s office, athletics, student services, research—cuts 10%.

“Other divisions absorbed deeper cuts to ensure that the classroom experiences we provide our students are preserved,” Hebert wrote in a letter to campus.

The cuts won’t eliminate any degree programs, but students will notice changes across campus operations.

How UL Lafayette Got Into This Mess

The math is brutal. Over the past decade, UL lost 1,700 full-time undergraduates. Each one brought in $12,000 per year, so that’s $20 million gone, Hebert explained during a campus town hall.

At the same time, the university hired 600 more employees, adding $40 million to the payroll. Put those numbers together, and UL created a $60 million problem. They’ve managed to shrink it to $25 million, mostly by burning through reserve funds.

“We’ve exhausted all of our reserves, and we’re in a position where we have to address this $25 million,” Hebert told the campus community.

The University’s Plan to Stop the Bleeding

University bosses have been meeting daily for weeks to find cuts. They’ve identified $15 million so far but need another $10 million to balance the budget.

The athletic department has its own worries on top of this. The Cajuns face a $12.6 million deficit. Last year, athletics brought in $33.5 million but spent $46.1 million on sports programs.

What Happens Next for UL Lafayette

Here’s the weird part: UL just enrolled its biggest freshman class ever. This fall brought 3,214 new students, up nearly 5% from last year. Total enrollment hit 19,723 students.

But freshmen don’t fix the underlying problem. The university still loses money on graduate students and non-degree programs while making its real profits from full-time undergraduates.

Hebert says he’ll keep updating the campus as more cuts get finalized. The university set up an online form for people to suggest more ways to save money or bring in revenue.

“This is not easy work, but it is necessary,” Hebert wrote.