LSU President F. King Alexander interviewed with VICE on Monday for an episode of its HBO documentary series addressing higher education funding throughout the country as schools grapple with substantial cuts from state government.
Hilke Schellmann, a reporter for VICE, told LSU officials the episode is about “how state universities are coping since state governments have cut a lot of funding” in an email requesting an interview with Alexander.
Schellmann said Alexander’s name surfaced numerous times during VICE’s research on the state of higher education.
“[The topic] is right up his alley,” said LSU Media Relations Director Ernie Ballard of Alexander, who has been vocal in his pleas for more state funding in recent years.
The organization also interviewed Gov. John Bel Edwards, who assumed office in January facing roughly $3 billion in state deficits for the current and upcoming fiscal years. Higher education took a roughly $28 million mid-year cut to mitigate a shortfall for the state’s popular tuition-paying scholarship, the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, or TOPS.
Edwards’ office confirmed the topic of the interview was higher education.
Higher education leaders are preparing for another round of cuts for the upcoming fiscal year, and TOPS is only scheduled to receive roughly 66 percent of its full funding, which would revoke the scholarships from more than 30,000 Louisiana students who are expecting them.
The show is produced by Bill Maher and Fareed Zakaria, among others. Other VICE on HBO episodes have tackled issues ranging from North Korean defectors to drug addiction.
The episode is slated to air mid-June.
Gov. John Bel Edwards delivered remarks to thousands of students from throughout Louisiana Wednesday on the Capitol steps during a rally for higher education.
