Louisiana's higher education commissioner said all of the state's public colleges and universities will have to suspend classes immediately if the governor and Legislature don't find additional revenue by June 30.
Joseph Rallo said in a letter to Gov. John Bel Edwards budget chief, Jay Dardenne that the number of staff and faculty that would have to be laid off in the middle of the semester would result in the suspension of classes and a total shutdown of graduation this spring. The letter was sent Thursday (Feb. 11).
The letter comes as Edwards opens a special session aimed at closing a $943 million shortfall in the state's current budget year.
In the letter, Rallo goes on to say that the accreditation of all Louisiana public higher education institutions would be jeopardized and all campus construction projects would immediately stop. Students would receive "incompletes" on their transcripts for cancelled classes. College athletes, including football players, wouldn't be able to participate in sports next year because the NCAA doesn't allow students with "incompletes" to pay.
Rallo also said the loss of TOPS funding proposed by Dardenne would result in nearly every Louisiana high school student paying most of their tuition to attend a public college. Currently, high school students who receive TOPS don't have to pay tuition to go to a Louisiana public school.