SPRINGFIELD — House lawmakers failed to vote on legislation that would have revised Illinois’ public university funding formula ahead of last Friday’s crossover deadline.

Hundreds of students and educators rallied at the Statehouse last Thursday in support of the Equitable Public University Funding Act. The group, representing universities from across the state, backed legislation that would replace what advocates describe as an “unpredictable” and “insufficient” funding model with one based on institutional and student needs.

Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, D-Maywood, called the bill a necessary reset for a system she said has leaned on the backs of students for too long.

“Over the last 15 years … without state funding, the financial burden has fallen on students,” Lightford told the crowd. “When institutions are underfunded, they are unable to provide the necessary resources and support to all students. It perpetrates a cycle of inequalities where those from affluent backgrounds have access to better education … while others are left behind.”

Though the deadline has passed for lawmakers to approve the bill this spring session, supporters and advocates are hoping to revive the proposal during the fall veto session or the 2027 session of the General Assembly.

 

Proposed funding overhaul

 Senate Bill 13 and House Bill 1581 would establish a funding model tied to student and institutional needs while creating new accountability measures for how funds are spent. 

Jennifer Juarez, director of higher education policy at the Latino Policy Forum, said the bills would provide clearer expectations for both taxpayers and universities while encouraging schools to freeze tuition. She listed services like mental health support, tutoring, career programs and staffing as essentials that underfunded institutions are often forced to cut.

For alumni like Cynthia Jenkins Powell, who graduated from Chicago State University in 1991, the current system reflects a long-term decline in public investment. According to a 2023 report by Under Represented Groups, institutions like Chicago State serve a high percentage of low-income and first-generation students but have historically received lower per-student funding compared to the state’s flagship campuses.

“When I was going to school … there was funding coming because [they were] trying to support people of color,” Powell told IPM News. “As time has gone on, those monies have just gone away … a lot of children are no longer seeing the avenues they need.”

 

The Cost of scarcity

Advocates say the lack of resources is visible in the daily navigation of campus life. Christy Barnwell, a history professor at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) and past president of UIS United Faculty, said underfunding creates a “cycle of doubt” for first-year students.

Barnwell, who was one of the faculty on strike at UIS before organizers reached a deal, said the satellite campus has operated at a deficit for years because the University of Illinois system does not distribute money at an equitable rate. 

“We don’t have enough money to have staff members at departments sitting at the desk to help direct students when they’re trying to find an answer,” Barnwell said. “That’s the first place where students start to get lost and doubt themselves … when they can’t print out enough of their homework because they’re e printers aren’t working.”

The University of Illinois system has lobbied against the funding reform bill, arguing it would not benefit from the proposed formula.

 

Student Life and the reality of debt

Current students calling for the bill’s passage said their college experience has been shaped by financial pressures and limited campus resources.

Nathaniel Concepción and Precious Ogundiran are undergraduates at Chicago State University.

Concepción, a first year English major, said a lack of financial support has lead some students to question whether taking on debt through student loans is worth the degree. 

Ogundiran, a public health major, said the lack of resources extends beyond the classroom. She said her desire to “dive into research” has been stalled by a lack of grants, and campus life is limited because there is not enough money for student events.

“You barely see students on campus because there’s nothing to do,”Ogundiran said. “We want to be proactive and live life outside of the classrooms.”