The Cypress Lake Wire

By Saylor Comeaux

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette will condense its fall 2025 undergraduate commencement into a single day to help cut costs following the announcement of a $25 million budget deficit. The change is a part of a series of cost-saving measures the university is implementing to close the financial gap.

UL Lafayette students received an email on Oct. 6 regarding changes to the graduation ceremony schedule. Commencement, typically spread over two days with four ceremonies, will now take place in a single day with two events. The university emphasized that the change was planned to maintain the honor of the event while also being mindful of budget constraints and looking forward to the future of the university’s finances.

Interim UL Lafayette President Dr. Jaimie Hebert explained that this measure is saving roughly $65,000 in rental, setup, and staff expenses.

In late September, Hebert announced the $25 million debt that requires budget reductions, but the university has pledged to keep campus life as usual and protect students.

Expenses currently exceed revenue at UL Lafayette. Hebert identified decreasing enrollment, rising costs and funding reductions as significant factors in the money gap.

There are approximately 1,700 fewer full-time undergraduate students now compared to a decade ago, and each student generates around $12,000 per year. The enrollment decline resulted in a loss of roughly $20 million in tuition revenue. Alongside this depletion, there were additions to staffing and faculty that resulted in $40 million in payroll, exacerbating the financial strain.

Hebert said plans are in place to address the financial gap, and divisions across campus are reducing operational spending. The President’s Office, Advancement, Athletics, Student Affairs, Research, Enrollment Management, and Administration and Finance have agreed to reduce operational spending by 10%, Academic Affairs will take a smaller cut to avoid disrupting students’ education.

“UL Lafayette remains strong, and we’re taking proactive steps to protect that strength,” said Hebert.

While many students may not notice changes in their daily campus life or classes, some set to graduate this fall said they were caught off guard by the sudden schedule adjustment. With graduation only two months away, senior Kalyn Fontenot said the date change caught her off guard.

“Since the date has changed, my nephew can no longer come,” she said. “I wish we had known sooner.”

With the strain on finances, university officials are making efforts to rebound from this shortfall without impacting the students’ college experience. Chief Financial Officer Edwin Litolff addressed the change in the commencement schedule, “It just made sense. If we set this in, we’re saving that every year.”

While it may cause some disruption, officials say it reflects the university’s effort to operate more efficiently. They emphasize that the ceremony will remain meaningful for graduates. “We can get this done – by working together, staying focused, and remembering why this place matters to all of us,” said Hebert.