Illinois higher education leaders are reacting favorably to Governor J.B. Pritzker’s budget address.
The governor proposed a 7% increase in general operating funds for the state’s public universities. He also proposed a $100 million increase in funding for the Monetary Award Program, also known as MAP grants.
In a statement after the speech, Western Illinois University President Guiyou Huang said he was grateful for the recommendation.
He said a funding increase of that size would provide critical support for Western’s students and the campus.
“It will allow our University to continue to provide an accessible, quality education,” Huang said.
University of Illinois system president Tim Killeen also praised the proposed spending for higher education. He said it would be a “second consecutive year of needed reinvestment in our public colleges and universities.”
In his own statement, Eastern Illinois University President David Glassman called the governor’s budget proposal “a win for Illinois, for Illinois higher education, and the Illinois economy.”
Illinois Public Media’s Brian Moline contributed to this story.
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