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Board approves FY26 preliminary funding recommendations; staff highlights standstill executive budget and advocacy targets
Summary
The Board of Regents approved the FY 2025-26 preliminary funding distribution based on the governor’s standstill executive budget and staff briefed Regents on specific program adjustments and advocacy priorities to seek added funding during the legislative session.
The Louisiana Board of Regents on March [date not specified] approved preliminary fiscal-year 2025-26 funding recommendations to be transmitted to the legislature, based on the governor’s standstill executive budget.
Board staff said the governor’s FY26 executive budget was a "standstill" proposal with no substantial cuts for higher education; staff recommended approval of the distribution that must be submitted to legislative budget committees by statute.
Key details and context Miss Bentley Smith (Board staff) reviewed the executive budget and preliminary allocations. She noted several adjustments highlighted in staff slides: an increase in LSC First (the system health insurance program), an increase in the Patriot Scholars Program to $6,000,000, an inflation adjustment for the Shreveport cancer center, and nonrecurring adjustments being removed as part of the traditional budget process. Staff reiterated the state's growing reliance on tuition and fees and said statewide higher education funding has shifted such that tuition/fees now represent roughly 60–65% of operating budgets, with state support near 30%.
Regents and thresholds Board leadership told legislators that staff needed explicit dollar estimates to run the funding formula if additional appropriations become available. The board chair and staff reported that a minimal additional allocation of about $5,000,000 would prevent negative distributional impacts across systems; larger amounts would enable larger formula adjustments.
Board action Regent Hixson moved and Regent Creed seconded approval of the preliminary FY26 funding recommendations; the motion passed on a voice vote. Staff said they will continue advocating for increased legislative funding, provide formula scenarios tied to different appropriations, and run the formula if lawmakers secure additional dollars.
Ending With the board’s approval, staff will submit the preliminary formula distribution to the House and Senate education and appropriations committees as required by statute and will present updated formula runs if and when additional legislative funding becomes available.
