IL lawmakers have agreed to funnel $600 million into the state’s public colleges and universities to keep them afloat through the summer, but after 10 months of starving the schools of money, it may be too late to reverse some of the damage. The $600 million approved last week came from unused money in special funds. The aid was passed to the Senate after a 106-2 vote in the House.
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Numerous state’s colleges and universities have been struggling without state funding during the 10-month budget stalemate.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is expected to sign the bill, which is a one-time deal and includes almost $170 million in tuition grants for low-income students.
The fund is for public schools and higher-education institutions.
Not everyone was happy with the higher education deal.
“The negative outlook reflects pressure on the community college sector in IL as a result of the state’s budget impasse and ongoing fiscal challenges”, Moody’s said. “This stopgap funding will help keep the doors open at all of Illinois’ universities and community colleges this fall”.
State appropriations, for things such as higher education, have not been made due to the lack of agreement on a finalized budget for Fiscal Year 2016.
“I don’t have the crystal ball of what happens from here in budget negotiations”, Brady said.
Even with the funding, it is likely that few of the already announced cuts will be reversed.
University of Illinois President Timothy Killeen echoed Chicago State’s comments, arguing that the $180 million allocated to the university – compared to the $647 million it received in 2015 – won’t be enough.
Rauner and Democrats who control the Legislature still have been unable to agree on a full-year plan for the budget year that began July 1. Rauner has proposed changes to the state’s procurement system that he says can provide $500 million for higher education.
When asked this morning if she thought Governor Rauner would sign the bill today; Representative Mayfield resounding said “Absolutely”.
Madigan said he hopes Rauner sees the funding for higher education not as a solution, but as emergency assistance. The vote sent the bill to House, which has adjourned until May 3.
A longtime statehouse source said there was some uncharacteristic “chaos” in the House Democratic caucus.
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The funeral and burial program wasn’t funded in Rauner’s proposed budgets for fiscal 2016 or 2017 “in order to preserve core services for the state’s most vulnerable citizens”, Manko said.
