The Board of Regents met and adopted on Thursday the formula to be used for allocating budget cuts to higher education next year.  Under Gov. Bobby Jindal’s proposed state spending budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, higher education would face a $219 million cut in funding to help make up for state revenue shortfalls. That means the LSU System would face about $102 million in cuts, according to the Board of Regents, Louisiana’s governing body for higher education. The formula for distributing the cuts is a combination of the new performance-based funding formula — originally designed for increases in state funding — and each institution’s funding base required by the executive budget. The Board of Regents’ budget request for the performance-based funding element of the cut calls for the state to pay 56 percent of the University’s total budget, while the state would pay 60 percent or more for every other four-year institution. The remaining money would come from tuition, research, grants and other sources. “I think it’s been an exclusive group of officials that have put this formula together,” said Student Government President Colorado Robertson. “The information has not been broadcasted down to campuses, students and taxpayers in a very open and transparent form. It’s a complex issue, but it’s an issue that should be explained.” Robertson said the state should fund every four-year institution’s budget at 60 percent. Commissioner of Higher Education Sally Clausen said the performance-based funding formula is being “phased in” over a three-year period to allow systems to make strategic, performance-based decisions while avoiding permanently damaging smaller campuses during this budget crisis. When the Legislature approves a final state budget during the session beginning April 27, the Board of Regents will have the responsibility of distributing funds to each system. From there, system leaders will distribute the funds among their campus entities and make budget recommendations. The Legislature will make final appropriations. A $101 million cut to the System would result in about a $45 million budget reduction for LSU A&M in Baton Rouge. Campus budget plans will be discussed at the House Appropriations Committee higher education hearing on April 21, according to LSU System estimates calculated earlier this month.Robertson said his goal right now is to lessen the proposed $219 million, on top of now permanent $55 million mid-year cut, to higher education while being realistic about the possible implications if the cut became a reality. He said it’s important for students at all institutions to realize the detrimental effects the reduction in state support could have on their schools and Louisiana in general. The projected cuts to higher education are $219 million — or 15 percent of current state funding — only after including nearly $219 million in federal “stimulus” money. Without the federal money, spending could’ve been cut by more than $400 million. But the federal funds are only good for about two years, meaning higher education’s budget situation may be significantly worse come 2012. —-Contact Kyle Bove at [email protected]