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http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/ne...na-universities-bad-financial-shape/89603640/
A committee of the Louisiana Board of Regents has placed four schools on “fiscal watch” based on low scores on a 0-to-5 scale for fiscal health. One school scored a zero.
Regents staff examined the most recent state audits for 36 public institutions in Louisiana’s four higher education systems. The scores range from 0 or "poor financial health" to 5, which is "excellent financial health."
The four lowest-scoring schools were:
Looking statewide
Not all Louisiana schools are in bad fiscal shape. The Louisiana Community and Technical College System is in the best financial health and boasts schools with the highest scores. The only two in the state to receive a score of 5 were South Louisiana Community College and Sowela Technical Community College.
The system averages ranked as follows:
A closer look
Southern President-Chancellor Ray Belton told a committee of the Board of Regetnts that recurring cuts from the state, drops in enrollment from higher admissions standards from the GRAD Act and higher tuition have "wreaked havoc" on Southern institutions. SUNO has experienced all that while "still being in a state of recovery" from Katrina, he said Aug. 24.
The system's 2014-15 state audit also notes such factors, such as $7.1 million in continuing construction projects for buildings damaged by Katrina.
The audit showed total revenue decreased $19 million (8.1 percent), while total expenses decreased only $3.9 million (1.6 percent).
Operating revenue decreased by $1.6 million or 1.3 percent, primarily from decreases in net tuition and fees, federal grants and contract revenues, and other sources of operating revenue.
Non-operating revenue was down, too — $17.4 million or 15.4 percent — primarily because of a 20-percent decrease in state appropriations and 3-percent decrease in federal funds, according to the audit.
The LSU System did not have the same problem as Southern when it came to revenue and expenses. It did lose a lot of revenue — a decrease of $114.6 million — but operating expenses declined by more, $195.2 million. And while Southern's schools saw a decline in enrollment from fall 2013 to 2014, the state's flagship system saw its student population grow.
A committee of the Louisiana Board of Regents has placed four schools on “fiscal watch” based on low scores on a 0-to-5 scale for fiscal health. One school scored a zero.
Regents staff examined the most recent state audits for 36 public institutions in Louisiana’s four higher education systems. The scores range from 0 or "poor financial health" to 5, which is "excellent financial health."
The four lowest-scoring schools were:
- 0: Southern University at New Orleans.
- 1: Louisiana State University Health Sciences-Shreveport.
- 1.3: Grambling State University.
- 1.4: Southern University at Shreveport
Looking statewide
Not all Louisiana schools are in bad fiscal shape. The Louisiana Community and Technical College System is in the best financial health and boasts schools with the highest scores. The only two in the state to receive a score of 5 were South Louisiana Community College and Sowela Technical Community College.
The system averages ranked as follows:
- 1.8: Southern University System.
- 2.9: LSU System.
- 3.01: University of Louisiana System.
- 3.96: Louisiana Community and Technical College System.
A closer look
Southern President-Chancellor Ray Belton told a committee of the Board of Regetnts that recurring cuts from the state, drops in enrollment from higher admissions standards from the GRAD Act and higher tuition have "wreaked havoc" on Southern institutions. SUNO has experienced all that while "still being in a state of recovery" from Katrina, he said Aug. 24.
The system's 2014-15 state audit also notes such factors, such as $7.1 million in continuing construction projects for buildings damaged by Katrina.
The audit showed total revenue decreased $19 million (8.1 percent), while total expenses decreased only $3.9 million (1.6 percent).
Operating revenue decreased by $1.6 million or 1.3 percent, primarily from decreases in net tuition and fees, federal grants and contract revenues, and other sources of operating revenue.
Non-operating revenue was down, too — $17.4 million or 15.4 percent — primarily because of a 20-percent decrease in state appropriations and 3-percent decrease in federal funds, according to the audit.
The LSU System did not have the same problem as Southern when it came to revenue and expenses. It did lose a lot of revenue — a decrease of $114.6 million — but operating expenses declined by more, $195.2 million. And while Southern's schools saw a decline in enrollment from fall 2013 to 2014, the state's flagship system saw its student population grow.