BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana’s public colleges and universities will benefit from a major financial boost in the state’s newly approved 2025-26 budget, which dedicates over $685 million to construction, research, security, and special campus projects.

Of the total, approximately $610 million will go toward immediate construction needs, while an additional $75 million is allocated for academic research, campus safety upgrades, athletics, and other initiatives. This investment will support projects across all four of the state’s public higher education systems.

A key highlight includes over $30 million to kick off construction of a long-awaited new library at Louisiana State University’s main Baton Rouge campus next summer.

"The amounts universities receive fluctuate from year to year because their construction projects need more or less money, depending on what phase of construction their projects have reached," state budget officials noted, as construction appropriations ramped up compared to the previous fiscal cycle.

The LSU System will receive roughly $196 million, up from $186 million last year. In addition to $33 million for the first phase of the new library, LSU will also see:

• $28 million for a new science building
• $28 million for Medical Education Building Laboratory renovations at LSU Health Sciences New Orleans

The Southern University System is set to receive $144 million, a sharp increase from $67 million last year. The largest chunk, $47 million, will fund a new STEM complex at its Baton Rouge campus.

The University of Louisiana System will receive about $175 million, including:

• $17 million to renovate a major academic building at Louisiana Tech
• $15 million for improvements to the Health Science Complex at UL Lafayette

The Louisiana Community and Technical College System will get $31 million, a slight decrease from $34 million. Its biggest initiative is a $14 million investment in a new building and expanded campus infrastructure at Baton Rouge Community College.

Alongside core construction funding, the state also delivered “lagniappe” — one-time supplemental funds for research, athletics, and other campus needs.

• The LSU System is receiving $7.5 million to replace lost federal research funding.
• The University of Louisiana System includes $6.7 million for an athletic facility at Grambling State University, $250,000 for McNeese State’s baseball and softball programs, $225,000 more for athletics, $500,000 for Nicholls’ athletic department, and $2 million for UL Monroe’s pharmacy school.
• The Southern University System is receiving $1 million to expand night class offerings at Southern University New Orleans and $295,000 to deploy a mobile health unit at Southern University Shreveport.

This unprecedented investment, signed into law this week by Gov. Jeff Landry through three main budget bills, underscores the state’s renewed commitment to improving education infrastructure and enhancing the student experience.

The construction plan is detailed in House Bill 2, which outlines both current-year allocations and projected future investments, helping universities plan long-term facility upgrades.
This funding surge comes at a time when many campuses are grappling with aging infrastructure, growing enrollment, and expanding research ambitions. By targeting STEM centers, medical training, and research replacement funds, Louisiana is signaling its intent to remain competitive nationally in higher education development.

The allocation also continues a broader trend of using capital outlay bills to drive large-scale improvements without shifting base operational funding. While year-over-year funding for the systems remained relatively flat, these one-time dollars will help modernize facilities and launch overdue capital projects statewide.

Originally reported by Piper Hutchinson in Louisiana Illuminator.