Funding for higher education institutions such as LSU remains unchanged in Gov. Bobby Jindal’s recently proposed executive budget for the 2014 fiscal year, according to officials within his administration.

While the numerous budgets under the higher education designation total to $209 million less than the previous year, Assistant Commissioner of Policy and Communications Michael DiResto said this is because of the public-private partnerships pursued by the state for many of its public hospitals, including two within the LSU System.

“In a nutshell, what you’re seeing there is the result of about a $223 million reduction in total interagency transfers,” DiResto said.

This $223 million would have gone through higher education to funding the public hospitals, but with the pending public-private partnerships, that money has been reallocated to the Department of Health and Hospitals.

This transfer does not signify a change in funding to higher education institutions like LSU, said Sean Lansing, press secretary for the governor’s office. The University’s Director of External Affairs Jason Droddy did not return calls Monday.

Higher education institutions will see no change “after adjusting for items such as the $22 million annualization of the [fiscal year] 2012-13 mid-year budget reduction,” according to the budget.

“The executive budget reflects $209 million less, but that is not a reduction to higher education schools,” DiResto said.