By James Oatis

Published November 20, 2025

The University System of New Hampshire is dealing with a funding problem. New Hampshire ranks dead last in spending on higher education, and has recently faced even more budget cuts. The impact is felt hardest at Plymouth and Keene State. The most telling sign being that President Donald Birx is currently working double duty as president of both universities. One of the plans to solve this budget shortfall is for the unification with the University of New Hampshire into UNH-Plymouth and UNH-Keene.

This idea of merging the universities into UNH should be considered, as there will be a case study 1,600 miles away in Louisiana. The University of New Orleans is a public 4-year university in Louisiana. It has announced it is joining the Louisiana State University system. The school reported financial issues as in January 2025. They faced a $10 million budget shortfall and other funding issues after the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The school, much like Keene and Plymouth, is also seeing declining enrollment. The LSU system claims integration of the University of New Orleans will be “a unique opportunity to revitalize enrollment, recalibrate academic offerings for present-and-future workforce demands, and fully leverage the campus’s exceptional lakefront footprint.” Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry approved the merger in June, and the University of New Orleans plans to become LSU-New Orleans on July 1, 2026.

While this process unfolds over the next few months, USNH administrators should keep an eye on the transition, as it could prove a valuable example of if the merger of Plymouth and Keene State into UNH could keep both colleges afloat. If results in the Pelican state prove positive enough, USNH should consider following suit. If the LSU-New Orleans plan fails, then it should serve as a warning sign for how USNH should proceed.