Rodrick Sims
Owner ofSubway Restaurant, Grambling, LA

$8 Return for Every

$1 Louisiana Invests in the UL System

The University of Louisiana System and its eight universities are essential economic drivers to the state and the communities they serve. With sustained expenditures by the institutions, their employees, and their students the eight campuses provide an economic benefit that is significant.

The impact of each dollar invested in our universities is multiplied by eight as it cycles through our state economy.

The eight universities have a total spending impact of $3.4 billion.

That includes a $334 million impact from university operating expenditures, $222 million from capital outlay and construction projects, $148 million from health insurance payments, $131 million from retiree spending, $101 million from university affiliated organizations, $487 million from visitor expenditures, $661 million from spending by faculty and staff, and $1.3 billion from student expenditures.

University of Louisiana System
Spending by Category

Job Creation

An additional benefit to UL System spending is the creation of 34,800 non-university jobs throughout Louisiana. These are full-time equivalent positions in industries such as construction, healthcare, retail sales and food services.

Students

The UL System is the largest system in the state with over 80,000 students. These students play an important role in supporting their communities. Their spending in areas such as housing, food, entertainment, telecommunications, and transportation generates an annual $1.3 billion impact on Louisiana’s economy.

Student spending in the UL System also supports 12,500 non-university jobs in Louisiana’s restaurant, entertainment and retail industries.

Faculty/Staff

There are over 9,500 faculty and staff employed by UL System schools. Their expenditures on items such as housing, food, entertainment, telecommunications, and transportation generate an annual $661 million impact on Louisiana. Those expenditures also support over 6,300 jobs.

University Operations

In 2007-08, UL System operating expenditures on items such as supplies, equipment, and services garnered an impact of $334 million on the state. Personnel costs are not part of this calculation. Over 5,000 community jobs were created as a result of university operations expenditures.

Construction

Between 2001 and 2008, almost 60 construction projects took place on UL System campuses. Those projects yielded a $1.78 billion impact on the state and created over 16,500 jobs.

An eight-year average of construction on the UL System’s campuses revealed an average annual impact of $222 million. Over 2,000 non-university jobs are tied to university construction projects each year.

Visitors

Each year, UL System universities host numerous visitors for cultural, sporting and educational events. Visitor expenditures on items such as transportation, food, and lodging impact the state economy by $487 million.

Visitor spending also accounts for over 4,700 jobs.

Health Insurance Payments

About 83 percent of employee and retiree health insurance payments are made to health care providers in Louisiana. Those payments generate an economic impact of $148 million and create over 1,500 jobs.

Nick Pollacia,
CEO, Natchitoches Chamber of Commerce

Retirees

Approximately 85 percent of UL System retired faculty and staff reside in Louisiana, adding $131 million to the economy after their employment at one of the eight universities. Their spending supports nearly 1,300 jobs.

Affiliated Organizations

Affiliated organizations are third-party entities that perform services on behalf of the university. This includes food services, bookstores, housing management, and foundations. Spending by these organizations generates an annual impact of $101 million. Those expenditures support 1,300 jobs.

Conclusion

Strong, significant, and symbiotic relationships exist between local businesses and the university communities they serve. UL System universities are economic engines in their regions. Business owner Cathy Douglas recognizes that relationship at Grambling State University.

“The University is a living force in the community. It is the main employer and economic driver to the community. The businesses are very dependent on the staff and student base to help maintain their businesses. The University provides jobs for all areas of North Louisiana,” said Douglas.

These study results demonstrate the extent to which Louisiana’s economy is tied to the eight institutions in the University of Louisiana System.