* Tribune the other day…

A second federal stimulus package offers some financial support for Illinois colleges and universities, but the money falls far short from covering the pandemic’s sweeping economic toll on higher education.

Public universities, community colleges and private institutions in Illinois stand to receive an estimated $718 million from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriation Act, according to figures released by the U.S. Department of Education. Former President Donald Trump signed the law in late December.

Schools can put the money toward emergency aid grants for students, remote learning technology and personal protective equipment, among other approved uses. In all, the legislation provides $21.2 billion to institutions of higher education nationwide — more than the $14 billion in the first relief bill.

Still, the Illinois Board of Higher Education estimates the most recent stimulus package will offset only 27% of pandemic-related costs at the state’s 12 public universities.

* Press release…

The following letter was sent to Illinois’ federal legislators today by presidents of the state’s public universities, seeking additional relief to offset costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dear Senator/Representative:

We write on behalf of Illinois’ public universities to thank you for the pandemic relief Congress approved in December, and to request additional urgent assistance, as President Biden has proposed in his American Rescue Plan.

COVID-19 continues to have a devastating impact on higher education. Our universities have taken extraordinary measures to continue operating during the pandemic, such as purchasing hardware and software for students to take online courses and providing COVID-19 testing for students and employees. At the same time, we have seen significant revenue declines due to closed facilities and room and board refunds, among other issues. All told, the financial impact of the pandemic on Illinois’ public universities through December 2020 was over $533 million, and that figure is estimated to reach $819 million by the end of spring semester.

We are grateful for the support Congress has provided, most recently in the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA). Our universities will receive $147 million from CRRSAA’s higher education relief fund, with an additional $69 million in emergency financial aid grants for our students. This support is vital, but further relief is needed.

Specifically, we request:

• Further financial assistance for institutions of higher education and students, for costs incurred since the beginning of the pandemic. We support the request made by the American Council on Education (ACE) and leading higher ed associations for an additional $97 billion in emergency funding.
• Funding to make up for disruptions to research grants, which have been particularly harmful to early-career and female researchers. We support ACE’s request for $26 billion in emergency funding for federal research agencies.
• Funding for state and local governments, so that they can continue to provide essential services.
• Temporary and limited liability protections to help ensure that universities acting in good faith and following applicable public health standards do not face expensive and time-consuming litigation, as detailed in the May 28 letter from higher education associations.

We thank you for your continued advocacy on behalf of Illinois at this challenging time.

* Meanwhile, from the IFT…

With Illinois now in Phase 1B of COVID vaccinations, we applaud the prioritization of PreK-12 employees and teachers by the State of Illinois and the CDC.

However, with a high likelihood of COVID-19 outbreaks at colleges and universities, along with reported community spread associated with these outbreaks, it is necessary for the safety of our students and communities that higher education faculty and staff also be included in Phase 1B. Despite CDC guidance, higher education employees in Illinois are currently left out of this category.