“Simply throwing more taxpayer dollars at the problem rarely fixes it. We need to determine the root causes and develop a comprehensive plan to make our higher education system more competitive and affordable,” said State Representative Jeff Keicher.
From the Illinois Policy Institute: A new bill in Springfield calls for a study of Illinois’ higher education system and a 10-year plan to make it more competitive and affordable.
House Bill 5037, introduced by state Rep. Jeff Keicher, would require the Illinois Board of Higher Education to determine the drivers behind the rising costs at state universities.
After producing that study, the board would be charged with developing a comprehensive, 10-year plan to ensure the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the state’s public universities by the end of March 2027.
The plan would include assessing affordability, ensuring that state funding supports educational outcomes and supporting long-term economic and workforce goals.
Despite Illinois providing $24,562 per student in state funding for four-year public universities, second-highest in the nation and more than double the national average, in-state tuition is among the most expensive in the nation.
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