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LAKE CHARLES – Today Governor Bobby Jindal announced ways in which the State of Louisiana will address a budget shortfall of $319 million.�� The University of ������ο��Ƶ and its eight universities will undergo an additional $14.2 million reduction of state funding for Fiscal Year 2009-10 as part of the $29.5 million cut to all of higher education.

������ο��Ƶ System campuses have frozen spending and personnel hires since March due to the Governor’s Executive Order.�� These actions will allow the system to meet its cut primarily through efficiencies and savings resulting from the spending freeze.

“Certainly, further reduction of funding is challenging for our universities, but the state as a whole is facing significant budgetary issues, and we will continue to do our part.�� The Governor’s quick action to freeze spending for all state government minimized the preliminary estimates of an end-of-year cut to higher education.�� We appreciate those efforts, as higher education is part of the solution to long-term economic stability for the state,” said ������ο��Ƶ System President Randy Moffett.

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EIGHT UNIVERSITIES STRONG: The University of ������ο��Ƶ is the largest higher education system in the state, enrolling almost 82,000 students at Grambling State University, Louisiana Tech University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of Louisiana at Monroe.