Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford and Representative Carol Ammons announced today the filing of legislation aimed at advancing a student-centered funding approach for the state’s public universities that will make college more accessible for thousands more Illinois students aspiring to earn a degree.
This legislation comes after over two years of discussions with stakeholders, young adults, advocates, university leaders, and legislators, spearheaded by the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding. SB3965, the Adequate and Equitable Funding Formula for Public Universities Act, outlines a student-focused university funding formula that considers what each university needs to meet its unique mission and serve its unique student population. It also identifies what each university can afford to spend based on current state appropriations and an estimate of the tuition and fees a university can and should collect from its students, and other available resources. This process identifies an institution’s “adequacy gap,” or how far it is from full funding, allowing the state to allocate funding in an equitable manner.
“Ensuring our higher education institutions are equitably funded and can serve their diverse populations is critical to the future success of our students,” said Lightford, one of the co-sponsors of the new bill.
“I applaud the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding and advocates for their dedicated work over the last two years to design the equitable funding formula,” she added. “I’m proud to have drafted this legislation with my co-sponsor Representative Ammons, and am thrilled to see Illinois take charge and make history with a student-first funding model for higher education.”
At a press conference, lawmakers, university leaders, technical experts, and advocates provided insights regarding the bill and its anticipated implications for students, families, universities, and the state. Following the press conference, at a special roundtable hosted by the Coalition for Transforming Higher Education Funding, community partners, local business leaders, university leaders, and civic leaders discussed the proposed legislation. The roundtable outlined the critical issues the bill aims to address and guided participants through the bill language and proposed funding approach, designed to more adequately, equitably, and sustainably fund Illinois’ public universities. Additionally, Leader Lightford and Rep. Ammons discussed the urgency of advancing this work and what passage of the bill will mean for community members.
“Illinois has an opportunity to make a historic change in our higher education system. By investing more adequately, equitably, and sustainably in the next generation, we can change lives and positively impact Illinois’ future for years to come,” Ammons said.
Commenting on the proposed legislation:
Jorge Arteaga, Midwest Program Manager, Young Invincibles, said: “As we strive to enhance educational opportunities for all students in Illinois, addressing the higher education funding gap is imperative. Adopting the equitable funding formula will ensure that institutions statewide can serve their student populations according to their unique needs. Young Invincibles is thrilled to see the equitable funding formula legislation filed, bringing us one step closer to revolutionizing student-first funding of higher education in Illinois.”
For interviews with Arteaga, contact Emma Bittner, Emma.Bittner@younginvincibles.org
Lisa Castillo Richmond, Executive Director, Partnership for College Completion, said: “This is an incredible opportunity to transform how Illinois funds its higher education system. We are so grateful to have dedicated lawmakers like Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford and Representative Carol Ammons leading the way. By passing this historic legislation, we have the chance to create a higher education system that helps all students thrive while improving Illinois’ economic vitality in the years to come.”
For interviews with Castillo Richmond, contact Lauren Grimaldi, lauren@partnershipfcc.org
Cherita Ellens, President & CEO, Women Employed, said: “Advocating to pass equitable funding formula legislation is a critical next step to our service on the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding. This legislation will help ensure that all of our state’s public universities have what they need to support their unique populations, and is a critical measure to enable more women and students of color to enroll, persist, and attain their degrees. Women Employed applauds Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford and Representative Carol Ammons, and is proud to join our partners in this work.”
For interviews with Ellens, contact Racquel Fullman at rfullman@womenemployed.org
Robin Steans, President, Advance Illinois, said: “We applaud Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford and Representative Carol Ammons for their continued leadership in imagining a better future and in holding our state accountable for how well and how justly it supports its public universities and in turn, our students. It was an honor to serve on the Commission, but the work will not be done until Illinois adopts a new, more adequate, equitable and sustainable formula.”
For interviews with Steans, contact Bravetta Hassell at bhassell@advanceillinois.org
Ralph Martire, Executive Director, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, said: “The correlation between economic viability and educational attainment is stronger now than ever before. Yet for over two decades, state funding for higher education not only vacillated, but was actually cut by over 40% in real, inflation adjusted terms, which has forced tuition to increase at rates most families can’t afford. This legislation takes a strategic and evidence-based approach to funding higher education that
will remedy shortcomings in college access and affordability and provide each public university the resources needed to satisfy its mission, meet the educational needs of its current student population, and enroll and graduate a more diverse student population in the future.”
For interviews with Martire, contact Tracy Schonberger at tschonberger@ctbaonline.org