Louisiana college master plan could help state credit rating

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana’s new master plan for its colleges and universities could help the state’s credit rating, if the state stays on track with the roadmap to boost educational attainment.

National credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service released a statement about the higher education master plan Wednesday.

The statement said that the master plan, if accomplished, would be a “credit positive” for Louisiana because it would improve economic competitiveness.

The master plan approved last month by the Board of Regents strives for a high achievement goal. It aims for six in 10 working-age adults to hold a college degree or other employment credential beyond a high school diploma by 2030.

Fewer than half of Louisiana’s adults aged 25 to 64 currently have achieved that benchmark.