Officials from colleges throughout the state were in Springfield Thursday for the House Appropriations-Higher Education Committee hearing on the equitable funding formula. Earlier this spring, the Illinois Commission on Equitable Public University Funding submitted its recommendations report to the Illinois General Assembly. The Commission had been tasked with developing a structure that funds the state’s public universities in an adequate, equitable, and stable manner.
During the hearing, following much talk about what is needed by the colleges, State Representative Brad Fritts (R-Dixon) broached the subject of college tuition costs, asking a panel of college officials, when was the last time that tuition costs were reduced at their schools. Fritts said over the years the General Assembly has seen appropriation increases to the schools but at the same time, there are no tuition decreases.
Illinois currently spends about $2.5 billion annually on its 12 public universities.
