In reflection of the last several months of advocating for data-driven, student-centered postsecondary funding reform, we are grateful for the Coalition for Transforming Higher Education’s Funding fifth’s year of advocacy.
This year was defined by a surge of important activity and both new and familiar advocacy strategies, made possible by the students, faculty, staff, university leaders, and community members who championed the urgent mission of making public higher education accessible and affordable for every student in Illinois. Amid progressing federal instability and a difficult state fiscal landscape, we made significant strides that will undoubtedly continue to steer us closer to ensuring every student and community in Illinois is anchored by an educated workforce and thriving universities. Although we are disappointed that no action was taken on SB13/HB1581 and that funding for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) was held flat, thanks to the tremendous advocacy done by this Coalition, both are on solid ground, which we will continue to strengthen in the coming months. While we strategize for the year ahead, take a look back at the incredible progress we’ve made.
Listening Sessions + Community Convenings
We continued our series of community listening session events, The Time is Now: Equitably Funding Our Public Universities, bringing together higher education advocates to learn about SB13/HB1581 and the range of benefits made possible by equitable university funding.
Importantly, we instituted strategies designed to bring in a stakeholder group historically not part of the Coalition: university alumni. Coalition leads partnered with leadership at Chicago State University and the Southern Illinois University System to host alumni centered events, designed to engage alumni in advocating to ensure their alma maters receive the funding needed to sustain the programs that propelled their pathways.
To deepen connections with regions anchored by university success, we cultivated relationships with municipal and chamber of commerce leaders. In February we convened leaders in a virtual briefing to discuss how SB13/HB1581 can support long-term growth as regional institutions often serve as vital economic bastions of opportunities for community members.
Digital Advocacy + Storytelling
Digital advocacy played a paramount role in urging lawmakers to support the passage of SB13/HB1581 and a $71M increase in MAP appropriations. We launched various toolkits and letter campaigns targeting specific Illinois decision makers: Governor Pritzker, local legislators, and the Budgeteers, and the House and Senate Higher Education Appropriations Committees. Across our several letter campaigns, 1,064 letters were submitted to Illinois lawmakers advocating the Coalition’s priorities.
To further ground our advocacy in the experiences of advocates, we launched a blog campaign designed to uplift the perspectives of current students and alumni of public universities. Participants were invited to discuss how their respective universities were instrumental in shaping their personal and professional trajectories. Representing a breadth of backgrounds and geographic perspectives these blogs help magnify why it is essential universities have the resources required to serve their students. In the spring, the Coalition launched a SB13/HB1581-specific digital campaign in collaboration with Chappell Communications Group, featuring our use of video interviews, highlighting an array of university stakeholder and state leaders speaking to how equitable investments in higher education are critical at the individual, university, and state levels. We also published, “The Cost of Inaction: What Happens When States Underfund Universities” on LinkedIn aiming to spark dialogue on where long-term disinvestment in public higher education has landed us, and what is possible for all Illinoisans if we change course.
Press Conferences
In February and April, SB13/HB1581 co-sponsors Representative Ammons and Leader Lightford hosted press conferences urging Governor Pritzker and members of the General Assembly to understand how urgently higher education funding reform is needed. The cosponsors were joined by fellow lawmakers, university Presidents, and students. Learn more about the February press conference in this blog and take a look at this folder to revisit all the coverage of SB13/HB1581 from the past year. Across the coverage, featured voices include university presidents, community leaders, and community advocates.
2026 Higher Education Advocacy Day
One of the most powerful moments of this year’s advocacy campaign was our “Higher Education Works for Illinois” Advocacy Day in Springfield. Designed to elevate the importance of the Adequate and Equitable Funding Formula (AEF) and increased MAP funding, Advocacy Day brought together nearly 400 advocates from across Illinois including students, faculty, university leaders, staff, and community partners to speak directly with legislators about the urgent need for equitable investment in public higher education.
Throughout the day, advocates met with lawmakers, attended rallies, and shared personal stories about the impact higher education has had on their lives and communities. The strong turnout and statewide representation demonstrated the growing momentum behind AEF and MAP, while reinforcing that equitable higher education funding is not just a university issue, it is tied to workforce development, economic mobility, and the future of Illinois.
Advocacy Day served as a powerful reminder of what is possible when advocates across institutions and communities come together around a shared vision for higher education in Illinois.
Community Outreach
The Coalition continued expanding awareness of equitable higher education funding through community outreach and tabling opportunities. These events created meaningful opportunities to grow the Coalition by connecting with students, educators, and community members on our policy priorities. The Coalition attended Mikva Challenge’s Chicago Citywide Project Soapbox showcase and their Moving in the Moment: Helping Educators Empower Informed Action convening. These spaces allowed advocates to engage directly with young people and educators already deeply invested in civic engagement and educational equity, helping elevate conversations around college affordability, student success, and the future of public higher education in Illinois. In early fall, we visited Governor’s State University and Illinois State University to connect with students and gather their thoughts on how equitable funding would improve their campus experience. Students shared a range of ideas ranging from addressing housing shortages to strengthening building accessibility.
Legislative Milestones
One of the Coalition’s most significant legislative milestones this session was the advancement of HB1581 out of the House Higher Education Appropriations Committee. This important step forward reflects the growing recognition among lawmakers, advocates, and institutional leaders that Illinois must move toward a more equitable and student-centered approach to funding public higher education.
The advancement of HB1581 was made possible through sustained advocacy from Coalition members across the state, including students, faculty, university leaders, and community advocates who continued to elevate the urgency of equitable investment in higher education throughout the legislative session. This broad support was reflected in the 1,574 witness slips submitted in support of the bill, demonstrating growing strong statewide engagement and momentum.
While important progress has been made, conversations with lawmakers and key stakeholders remain ongoing as advocates continue working to identify a path forward before the conclusion of the current legislative session. The Coalition remains committed to building momentum around AEF and ensuring that equitable higher education funding remains a priority in Illinois.
This progress was not possible without your unwavering commitment to take action and uphold our shared conviction that equitable investments in higher education is paramount to the success of every student, and every community, in Illinois. We are grateful for every contribution to this work and are excited to continue our partnership in the years coming.
The road ahead will require continued advocacy, relationship-building, and collective action as conversations around AEF and MAP continue. The momentum built this year has laid an important foundation, but meaningful systems change takes persistence.
We encourage advocates to stay engaged, stay connected, and be prepared to continue elevating the importance of equitable investment in Illinois public higher education. Our students, institutions, and communities are counting on it.