While we are deeply disappointed that the Adequate and Equitable Public University Funding Act (SB13/HB1581) did not advance and Monetary Award Program (MAP) investments held steady, the Coalition for Transforming Higher Education Funding remains steadfast in our commitment to the institutions, students, and communities across Illinois who cannot afford continued inaction.

Degrees are life-changing for individual students who earn them, but the bigger picture is that the future of our state depends on turning around disinvestment. Illinois’ future economy will only be robust and inclusive if we can produce thousands more graduates from across the state and support our regional universities, which are economic engines that support local businesses, attract research investment, and prepare the skilled workforce Illinois employers need to compete in a global economy.

Proper investments in higher education are critically needed. Institutions have been forced to cut programs, reduce services, and increase tuition. This places immense financial burdens on students and their families, and puts public higher education out of reach for tens of thousands of Illinoisans. Furthermore, the failure to increase MAP appropriations means that more eligible students will be denied state aid. 

We are on the precipice of turning this around, and while being close to a solution will not help students enroll and persist, we have more legislative support than we ever have. Still, this outcome is an important reminder that meaningful change requires persistence and a willingness to meet the urgency of this moment. We want to extend our gratitude to Rep. Carol Ammons and Leader Kimberly Lightford for their fierce leadership to introduce and advance SB13/HB1581. We are eager to continue working with them to further this legislation.

Illinois’ students, institutions, advocates, and communities made clear what is needed, and we will continue advocating until those needs are met. Our advocacy is about more than policy–it’s about people. It’s about students completing their degrees, families investing in their futures, and communities depending on strong public universities to drive opportunity and growth.

We are grateful to the advocates, community members, organizations, unions, civic leaders, and lawmakers who stood behind students and the simple truth that quality higher education should be affordable and accessible. That camaraderie and determination reflect the growing momentum behind SB 13/HB 1581 statewide.

At the same time, we are calling on elected officials to listen closely to the students and institutions most impacted by this continued disinvestment. We appreciate the General Assembly’s commitment to education and understand the enormous difficulty in making budgetary decisions during a time of federal instability. However, delaying action has real consequences for those already carrying the weight of inequity in Illinois’ higher education system. We cannot forget what lies on the other side of equitable, accessible postsecondary education: an educated, civically-engaged workforce who can drive innovation and secure economic prosperity for Illinois.

The Coalition is not backing down. We will continue building power, strengthening partnerships, and returning to Springfield until higher education is affordable and attainable for every student. Illinois deserves it.