Site Selection Magazine just ranked Illinois as the best state in the Midwest, and third nationally, for workforce development because of critical investments in higher education, apprenticeships and skill development. We need to build upon this success to ensure that the state’s higher education system can support our economy and jobs of the future for every Illinoisan.

Expanding opportunity for students across Illinois is essential to strengthening our workforce, supporting innovation, growing the economy and creating job opportunities in every part of the state.

Public colleges and universities play a vital role in preparing the next generation of workers and leaders who will drive economic growth in communities throughout Illinois. Manufacturers and employers across diverse industries throughout our state rely on these institutions to educate engineers, health care professionals, teachers, data scientists and other skilled workers emerging from this talent pipeline.

That is why we have serious concerns about legislation currently under consideration by members of the Illinois General Assembly that would dramatically change the way public universities are funded.

Illinois should examine how it invests in higher education, particularly when it comes to improving affordability and expanding access for students. But reforms of this magnitude should be thoughtful, data-driven and carefully evaluated to ensure they strengthen the entire system. There should not be winners and losers.

The University of Illinois System illustrates the scale of impact universities can have across the state. The system and its campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield drive groundbreaking research, innovation and economic development with a multibillion-dollar impact that benefits communities and residents throughout Illinois. The system plays a major role supporting Illinois’ leadership in quantum technology and other emerging industry sectors. Through initiatives such as the U. of I.-led Illinois Innovation Network and Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, the system connects public universities, industry partners and communities across the state to advance entrepreneurship, research collaboration and workforce training programs.

Eighty percent of the system’s undergraduates are in-state students, and it enrolls more than 53% of Illinois’ public university undergraduates, meaning any financial pressure on that institution doesn’t stay within its walls, but flows directly into the workforce pipeline on which Illinois employers depend. If a significant percentage of new state funding shifts away from the U. of I., then tuition rises, class sizes grow and course offerings shrink — not for a small slice of students but rather for the majority of Illinois’ public university talent pool.

That risk compounds when you consider what’s already working. State appropriations to the U. of I. help fund scholarship and free-tuition programs that have made real progress on affordability and talent retention — progress Illinois employers need to continue. In 2025, the system provided $318 million of institutional aid applied to undergraduate tuition and fees. At a moment when states are competing aggressively for talent, a funding formula that destabilizes the state’s highest-enrollment institution doesn’t just hurt students but also puts Illinois at a disadvantage in a competition we can’t afford to lose.

Illinois taxpayers and students should expect strong outcomes from public investment in higher education. Any new funding formula should include academic accountability measures, so that public investments are tied not only to access, but also to meaningful student outcomes and institutional performance.

Each of Illinois’ public universities contributes in different ways to student opportunity, workforce development, research and regional economic growth. Major changes to higher education funding should reflect the different roles institutions play in serving students and the state’s economy — and such significant revisions must be studied, piloted and refined, not rushed. Independent fiscal modeling, student-level impact analysis and a comprehensive economic impact study are essential before making decisions that could reshape higher education for years to come. And we highly recommend a phased-in implementation plan, so that outcomes can be reviewed and properly evaluated.

Illinois’ public universities have reached a 10-year high in enrollment, and that is no accident — it is a direct result of deliberate investments in the state’s higher education system and strategic policy initiatives over the past several years. Illinois has an opportunity to further strengthen its higher education system in ways that expand opportunity while supporting economic growth in communities throughout the state. Thoughtful policymaking requires time, careful analysis and collaboration among legislators, universities and the communities they serve.

For something as important to the future of public education in Illinois — and the students, families and employers who depend on it — we strongly encourage the General Assembly to hit pause on this proposed piece of legislation and take the time to get this done right.

Mark Denzler is president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, and Jack Lavin is president and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.