Advance Illinois Full Statement on Equitable Funding Commission Recommendations

Advance Illinois applauds the Commission on Equitable Public University for releasing a blueprint for how Illinois can realize an adequate, equitable, and sustainable approach to support its public universities.  

“This blueprint represents more than two years of analyzing the complexities of higher education funding,” said Robin Steans, President of Advance Illinois and a member of the Commission. “These recommendations reflect deep research, analysis and listening to the field undertaken by Commissioners, and we think this charts a strong, equitable path forward for students and the institutions that serve them.”  

Established in 2021, the Commission was created by PA 102-0570 in response to significant disparities in college access, affordability, and degree attainment that exist across universities, and across demographic lines of geography, race, ethnicity, and income. The 33-member Commission of agency heads, legislators, university leaders, and community partners were charged with developing a model for funding the state’s public universities in an adequate, equitable, and stable manner. As rightly highlighted in the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s strategic plan (A Thriving Illinois), such an approach is fundamental to cultivating a healthier university system where strong outcomes follow sufficient, equitable, and predictable state investment in institutions. 

Under the proposed new approach, the state would use a new methodology to determine how much funding each institution needs to serve its student population and run its unique set of programs. Once this “adequacy target” has been identified, new state funds would be directed to the state's public universities in an effort to help those institutions furthest from adequacy close those gaps. According to the report, this new approach: 

• Determines for each institution a unique funding level based on its students' needs, mission, and variety of programs. 

• Encourages greater access and success for historically underrepresented students. 

• Provides a funding increase to every institution when new dollars are invested. 

• Ensures institutions have flexibility to invest in ways that best serve their students.  

• Incentivizes institutions to reduce reliance on student tuition and increases state investment.  

• Distributes new funding equitably and according to need. 

• Calls for transparency and increased accountability as institutions get closer to adequate funding. 

With the Commission recommendations now submitted to the General Assembly, the next stage of this work begins. Higher education continues to create powerful opportunities for students and for states.  Advance Illinois urges Governor Pritzker and legislators to move with intent to translate the Commission’s recommendations into action. In doing so, Illinois will set the standard for investing in its people and its future.  

“The research continues to affirm that earning a college degree is a game changer for families, communities, and the state,” Steans said. “Supporting investments and evidence-based policy actions that allow every student, regardless of race and income, to access the intergenerational benefits of a college degree is an investment our state cannot afford not to make.” 

Visit here to read the full recommendations from the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding.

Advance Illinois Statement on Commission on Equitable Public University Funding’s Release of Recommendations

For decades, Illinois’ status quo funding approach to higher education has lacked a coherent, equity-driven methodology, overlooking what students and institutions actually need to be successful. The result of this has been decades of lost opportunity for students, and for the state. So today we applaud the Commission—made up of agency heads, legislators, university leaders, and community partners—for analyzing Illinois’ current approach and proposing strategies that put our institutions – and our state – on a path to a funding system rooted in equity, adequacy, and stability. After two years of research and discussion and listening to experts and students, Commissioners have developed a blueprint designed to ensure every public university student in Illinois has the resources they need to earn a college degree. That is an outcome that benefits our young people, our communities, and the state as a whole. 

Advance Illinois will provide a full analysis of the recommendations in the weeks ahead.