LSU is one of several universities recently laying off staff to reallocate resources and cope with continuing budgetary pressures.gettyFinancial woes continue to plague the nation’s universities. Within just the past two weeks, several more institutions — including Louisiana State University, UCLA, Rutgers University and the University of Texas at Tyler — have announced that they were laying off staff, offering buyouts, or freezing new hiring as means of reducing their costs. Here’s a quick summary of the belt-tightening taking place at each of these schools.Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University fired 25 employees last week, according to the Louisiana Illuminator. Included in LSU’s terminations were high-ranking administrators such as its chief financial officer; its vice president for the office of engagement, civil rights and Title I; and several staff in marketing and other nonacademic departments. The layoffs are estimated to save the university about $3.7 million, reported the Illuminator.LSU President Wade Rousse indicated that the savings will be used to hire new faculty and support research. “Louisiana deserves transformational change from LSU,” Rousse said in a statement. “I committed to streamlining operations and finding efficiencies so the university can focus on, and afford, the faculty needed to become a top 50 research institution.” UCLAThe University of California at Los Angeles laid off 27 employees in its digital and technology services department in late June, according to a report yesterday in the Daily Bruin, UCLA’s student newspaper.The terminations are part of a larger reorganization effort being undertaken to reduce costs at the university, which faces what was recently estimated to be a $220 million deficit for the 2025-26 fiscal year.MORE FOR YOUHow much will be saved by the layoffs was not indicated, and the union representing some of the affected employees maintained that their contract guarantees that before layoffs occur, an alternative process is to be followed, including offering open positions to qualified employees.“We call on UCLA to quickly rescind these layoffs,” said Max Belasco, co-chair of UPTE-CWA 9119 at UCLA. “Thousands of IT employees recently joined our tech union because our contract requires alternatives to layoffs, providing them the security to do their best work.”Rutgers UniversityAs part of its $6.2 billion operating budget for the new fiscal year, Rutgers University will enact a university-wide hiring freeze. Rutgers President William F. Tate IV said the freeze was a "prudent measure" that would help control expenditures. "At a time when colleges and universities across the country continue to face significant financial headwinds and uncertainty, this balanced budget demonstrates disciplined stewardship and thoughtful planning, while ensuring our university does not sacrifice the high quality of education our students deserve,” Tate said, in a news release. “This budget positions Rutgers to move forward from a foundation of fiscal responsibility and strategic confidence and places priority on providing the essential resources, teaching, and research opportunities for our students to thrive and succeed.”University of Texas at TylerThe University of Texas at Tyler is reportedly offering buyouts to roughly a quarter of its employees, but additional details about the program have not yet been publicly provided.A university statement given to KETK News read: “UT Tyler has offered a voluntary separation incentive program to approximately a quarter of its employees to ensure the university remains affordable and prepared for the future while continuing to advance our teaching and research mission. This program is designed to recognize and honor the meaningful contributions and dedicated service of eligible employees and is not expected to impact our course offerings or student services.”The buyouts are meant to keep UT Tyler “affordable and prepared for the future while continuing to advance our teaching and research mission,” said Beverley Golden, the university’s associate vice president for strategic communications and media relations.Unlike many universities whose red ink has stemmed from declines in student enrollment, UT Tyler’s enrollment increased in the past year. Nonetheless, it faces a budget deficit of nearly $12 million this fiscal year. These latest retrenchments come on the heels of several major universities announcing budget shortfalls and personnel reductions in June. Facing a deficit projected to reach $85 million, Temple University President John Fry warned his campus that “some reduction in force is inevitable" for the university to close its budget gap. In addition, Johns Hopkins University recently announced it was laying off about 110 employees due to cuts in federal research spending, Syracuse University revealed that because of failing to meet its enrollment goals, it would run a deficit for the upcoming academic year, and a 20% enrollment decline has prompted The New School in New York City to lay off 19 faculty members and 68 staff.