Proponents Proclaim the Need for Higher Education Investment at 2025 Advocacy Day

On Tuesday, March 18, people from around Illinois descended upon Springfield to pressure state legislators to invest in higher education.

The Coalition for Transforming Higher Education Funding hosted the 2025 Higher Education Advocacy Day, an opportunity for advocates to meet with and educate senators and state representatives about the need for adequate and equitable funding for Illinois college students.

This year’s theme was “Degrees of Change,” as advocates focused on:

  • Prioritizing and increasing investments into the Monetary Award Program (MAP).
  • Passing a student-focused, university funding formula (SB 13 / HB 1581) to fix the inequities in how Illinois funds its four-year public institutions.

Midday advocates and legislators alike took to the streets for the Advocacy Day rally, where students shared their collegiate journey stories, faculty members shared the changes they’ve experienced at their institutions, and legislators called on their colleagues to act now in favor of higher education investment.

Providing their on-campus testimonies were:

  • Christopher Merchant, Associate Professor at Northeastern Illinois University and UPI Local 4100 member
  • Chana Staples, student at Chicago State University
  • Milan Taylor, student at Chicago State University
  • Mohammed Abdul Zeeshan Askari, student at National Louis University
  • Somayyah Austin, student at Western Illinois University
  • Elijah Davila, student at Western Illinois University
  • Jim Reed from the Community College Trustee Association
  • Jacob Fabiyi, student at Illinois State University
  • Cheryl Flores, Director of Community Engagement at Advance Illinois
  • Lisa Castillo Richmond, Executive Director at the Partnership for College Completion

Legislators who joined the Higher Education Advocacy Day cause were:

  • Representative Carol Ammons, 103rd District and HB1581 Bill Sponsor
  • Martin Torres, First Assistant Deputy Governor for Education
  • Senator Robert Peters, 13th District
  • Representative Marcus Evans, Jr., 33rd District
  • Senator Willie Preston, 16th District
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Higher education advocates must continue to raise their collective voice and call on Illinois legislators to invest in higher education. Illinois needs increased Monetary Award Program (MAP) dollars,and a new, more student-centered path forward when it comes to how the state supports its public universities (SB 13 / HB 1581).

The Coalition developed a toolkit to help guide advocates and ensure they have the resources necessary to reach lawmakers effectively. Advocates can:

  • Send a letter to lawmakers: Directly reach out to state senators and representatives to let them know why they must prioritize these investments.
  • Share on social media: Reference the bank of tweets and tag legislators.
  • Share the message widely: Share this toolkit and its messages with members of the community.

It is critical that Illinois advances strategies that increase student access to college, as well as provide the vital, evidence-based campus services and resources that will support their persistence to graduation.