Illinois now has a road map to better funding for public universities

As Illinois students make the trek to college campuses this fall, it is impossible to forget the students who could not be there.

Myriad challenges prevent young people from earning a degree, or pursuing a college education in the first place. The hopeful news is that some of these challenges are in the state’s control, and we can and must address them.

Right now, 68% of jobs — a percentage that is rising — require a post-secondary credential, and workforce data shows that Illinoisans with college degrees contribute more to our local and state economy. So it is critical that we ensure every interested student can pursue and earn a degree.

In 2021, with COVID disruptions wreaking havoc on schools and universities, Illinois created the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding to address significant disparities in the college-going experience across lines of geography, race, ethnicity and income. Despite Illinois' efforts in recent years to increase higher education funding, this work was necessary and urgent after nearly two decades of disinvestment in our four-year institutions.

The 33-member commission of agency heads, legislators, university leaders and community partners was charged with developing a funding model for public universities that would be adequate, equitable and stable. Such an approach is fundamental to cultivating a healthier university system, where strong outcomes follow sufficient, equitable and predictable state investment.

The commission has released a set of recommendations that can and should serve as a blueprint for how Illinois can make quality higher education a reality for every student.

Putting student needs first

Specifically, the commission recommends Illinois adopt a student-focused university funding formula. The proposed formula first calculates what each university needs to meet its unique mission and serve its unique student population. This involves acknowledging universities will need to invest in evidence-based strategies to better recruit and support some students — those who attended poorly-funded high schools, are returning to school as adults, are first-generation or low-income students, and other students from underrepresented groups.

The formula then identifies what each university can afford to spend, based on current state appropriations, a reasonable estimate of tuition and fees that a university can and should collect from its students, and other resources that may be available to them. The difference between what each university should be spending and its available resources represents how far each institution is from full funding – its "adequacy gap."

Once the state understands this gap, it can prioritize how best to distribute new funds to ensure additional state dollars are directed most heavily to the institutions and students furthest from full funding.

Higher education funding in Illinois has been notoriously erratic and untethered to student and institutional needs or state priorities. The proposed formula would squarely address these issues with a data-driven, student-centered formula that creates a clear, steady path to a fully-funded public university system.

Of course, the impact of any new formula will depend on whether and how much we invest in it. The commission’s recommendations would bring all Illinois universities to full funding over the next 10 to15 years, so that over 29,000 more residents can earn a college degree, access a wider range of job opportunities, earn enough to support loved ones and contribute more to the state’s economy. That is a win all around.

This summer, we introduced SB3965, the Adequate and Equitable Funding Formula for Public Universities bill, that would make the commission recommendations a reality. This legislation moves Illinois away from a politically driven funding process and puts in place a new, student-centered formula and approach.

Done well, this has the power to transform access and outcomes. With so much at stake, the legislation contains important accountability and transparency measures to ensure universities spend new state dollars in a way that better supports students to and through college.

Illinois has been working to make college more affordable and more accessible. To ensure a strong future, let us take advantage of this historic opportunity to invest in the next generation. That's a win for our students, and for our state.

State Rep. Carol Ammons represents the 103rd District. State Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford is the Senate Majority Leader for the Illinois General Assembly and represents the 4th District.

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