LINCOLN, Neb. — The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) is implementing a $27.5 million budget cut this year, adding to a series of reductions that have totaled $102.5 million over the past five years. Despite these measures, the university continues to grapple with “structural deficits,” which some attribute to either poor financial forecasting or deep-seated revenue issues.
President Jeffrey Gold explained the situation, saying, “At the end of the day, if your expense base is larger than your revenue, you end up with what we would call a deficit. And if you carry that deficit year to year, it becomes what we call a structural deficit… State appropriations and tuition have not kept up with inflationary costs… That would be approximately between 150 and 160 million dollars that we have been short.”
Current records indicate that UNL has made significant cuts in recent years, including $10.8 million in 2022, $5 million in March 2025, and $12 million in February 2025. The latest reduction raises questions about the management decisions that have led to this cycle and the allocation of the $75 million already cut…