LSU's enrollment increase softens budget-cut blow
by Jan Moller - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Louisiana State University will cover a $2.2 million mid-year budget cut with tuition and fee dollars gained from higher-than-expected freshman enrollment, the school announced Friday. The fall freshman enrollment was 5,481 students, up from 4,789 last year, making this year's class the second largest incoming class in school history. Meanwhile, other institutions that make up the LSU System are still awaiting word on what might get chopped in the days ahead, as Gov. Bobby Jindal moves to cut state spending by $108 million to make up for a budget deficit in the fiscal year that ended June 30. While enrollment is up in Baton Rouge, some other schools, including the University of New Orleans and LSU-Shreveport, have experienced an enrollment decline since last year. Although the governor has until the end of the current budget cycle next June to patch the deficit, Jindal is expected to announce the cuts late next week via executive order. About $34 million of the cuts are expected to come from public colleges and universities, with about $21 million of that amount coming from the LSU System.