Temple University announced new budget cuts for fiscal 2027 and plans to lay off about 40 employees as the public university tries to close an earlier projected deficit. Temple said its $1.3 billion operating budget raises tuition on average 3.4% for in-state and out-of-state students for the 2026-27 year while cutting $60 million in expenses. The deficit pressures stem from elevated costs and the ongoing impact of enrollment declines over several years. Temple President John Fry said in a community message that layoffs are part of a plan to address what had been projected as an $85 million budget deficit, with a previously larger layoff scope reduced by a voluntary buyout program. Temple’s fall headcount fell by about a quarter between 2018 and 2024, to 29,640 students, according to the university’s account. Leadership also pointed to recent stabilization and growth, including first-year undergraduate enrollment reaching 5,379 students for the class of 2029—up 9.2% year over year and the largest incoming class in recent history. The Temple update reflects a wider pattern in higher education budgeting, where lagging state support, enrollment fluctuations, and federal policy uncertainty are pushing institutions—public and private—toward workforce reductions as the academic year approaches.