32 Comments - Smalls - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 11:43 am: It is less expensive to send my kids out of state for college. And they likely will not come back to Illinois after college. Brain drain. Not good for Illinois. - Sue - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 11:50 am: Anyone remember Sqeezy? - Mugs - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 11:55 am: Students with the least resources tend to attend our public universities with the least resources. This is why this week’s Senate passage of SB 815 to create a commission to devise an equity-based funding formula for Illinois higher ed is a big deal—as is the IBHE draft strategic plan which has affordability, attainment and equity as its cardinal principles. - Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 11:56 am: My apologies, but this is behind a paywall so I don’t know what Crain’s editorial board solution is. So… Are they advocating for higher property taxes, higher income taxes, higher user fees, cutting anything from the budget? I am almost asking in jest. But not quite. - Rutger Hauer - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:16 pm: Illinois universities can no longer compete with out-of-state schools who poach Illinois’ brightest young people. Both my children received better financial offers to attend Big 10 schools in neighboring states than any public university in Illinois. Now that the kids have lived elsewhere, it’s highly unlikely they’ll be returning to work in Illinois. The state’s long term loss of smart talented young people and their earning power has to be addressed. - JS Mill - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:18 pm: =Anyone remember Sqeezy?= Is that when Rauner zero budgeted the universities? Asking for a friend. - Annonin' - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:23 pm: Slamming some more dough into higher ed is the single easiest thing to do to eaase the outmigration. But the $$ needs to be spread beyond the city limits of Cham-bana. - Derek Smalls - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:33 pm: For non-flagship state universities the Midwest (i.e. not Big Ten) it is significantly cheaper for an Illinois resident to attend an out of state Midwest college that participates in the Midwest Student Exchange Program than attend an Illinois state university, the difference is in the thousands of dollars per year range before any scholarship offers come into play. That is a major problem for Illinois and for every Illinois state university that is not UIUC. - Steve Rogers - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:36 pm: I kept a spreadsheet of all of the scholarship offers my daughter received from universities–she had applied to about 10 schools, 8 out of state and 2 in state, and the in-state awards were not even remotely close to the out-of-state awards. I almost felt that Illinois and SIU wanted them to go beyond our borders. - West Sider - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:46 pm: —-this is behind a paywall so I don’t know what Crain’s editorial board solution is—- Crain’s advocates for taxing their readership, in order to build a well prepared labor force, and expand prosperity throughout the State of Illinois….. in my dreams. - Anon - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:52 pm: 3 intelligent/successful children with multiple college offers in-state and out. Outcome: 1 - Indiana 2 - Wisconsin 3 - Iowa Better fit and better economics. - RNUG - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 1:09 pm: Maybe the appropriate question is WHY are Illinois public colleges so much more expensive? - Friendly Bob Adams - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 1:09 pm: This situation is based on a long-term defunding of state universities, implemented by governors from both parties going back to Thompson. It is shameful and depressing to acknowledge this reality. In terms of a solution, unfortunately there’s no obvious source of revenue to reverse the trend. And probably more important, no leader in either party is even addressing the problem. Our sorry state, indeed… - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 1:15 pm: Folks like Barickman and Demmer refused for a whole General Assembly to fully fund Higher Education. It was folks like Barickman and Demmer helping Rauner’s want to close state universities. Both Barickman and Demmer gleefully helped, and we should be reminded of that come 2022. To the post? When Kentucky, Mizzou, Alabama, Tennessee… when those schools are cheaper than Illinois State or Northern, or SIUE… Our talent is leaving the state for the opportunities that being part of the SEC, (as merely ONE example) can mean. Now talk, Iowa, Iowa State… Western Michigan… I mean, Illinois State and Northern Illinois are losing out to Western Michigan? Thank Barickman and Demmer. They may be doing fly arounds… ask them. - Amurica - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 1:29 pm: For comparing to these out of state schools, are they spreading available state funds over the same number of public institutions? - Simple Simon - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 1:38 pm: The Illinois Math and Science Academy just announced the locations where graduating seniors will be going for college. 101 students are staying in Illinois, and 98 are going elsewhere. The largest two are UIUC and UIC (54 and 14), followed by Purdue (10), IIT (7), University of Chicago (6), NU (4), Carnegie Mellon (4) and SLU (4). Seven are tied at 3 each, and the rest are two or less; of these unnamed places, I tally about 29 being “premier” colleges like Harvard and UCLA, where the student is not likely to return. The University of Iowa/Wisconsin/Michigan had 2 each. Of those 103 students in the named locations above, I’ll guess that none of these are likely to be a location where students will live forever (unless they are in Chicago) The biggest draw will be where they get a job after college. Therefore, the brain drain seems to be somewhat overblown, especially given the articles from Iowa lamenting the fact that they can’t keep their college graduates in Iowa. - Birds on the Bat - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 1:39 pm: currently ranks 47th Pritzker is currently Governor, not Rauner. Has been for a while now. Just sayin… - Mugs - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 1:57 pm: RNUG, the end of the “system of systems” gave each public university its own board of trustees and rendered IBHE a toothless tiger. Higher ed being the balance wheel in state budgets, its approp was cut for a decade. Schools responded by hiking prices. - Skeptic - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 2:04 pm: “WHY are Illinois public colleges so much more expensive?” Madigan of course. Oh wait. Maybe it’s Right-to-Work laws. Hmm, that can’t be it. Redistricting? No. Probably term limits /s Anyway, that’s a valid question. We’ll get there eventually. - DuPage - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 2:27 pm: @- Skeptic - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 2:04 pm: ===“WHY are Illinois public colleges so much more expensive?”=== Student cost shot up under Blago. Until then, all state employees, including state university employees, had their health insurance paid by the state. He changed it so the state universities had to pay the state for the insurance. A large tuition increase followed to cover the cost. - Ryan - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 2:29 pm: The school I work at is funded by the state at appx. 16.5%. The rest is tuition and other misc. revenue. Now, do you consider that a state school? I sure don’t. We’re not Illinois State University, we’re Illinois State-Located University. When I went to a community college, 28 years ago, it was $18 per credit hour. That same college, in Champaign, is $171 per credit hour today. When I graduated from ISU 24 years ago, it was $98.40 per credit hour. Today, it’s $384.13 per credit hour. Do better, Illinois. - Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 2:30 pm: “Pritzker is currently Governor, not Rauner. Has been for a while now. Just sayin…” Yeah who knew the damage of the Ryan, Blagojevich, Quinn and Rauner years was going so long to fix…. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 2:32 pm: ===Pritzker is currently Governor, not Rauner. Has been for a while now. Just sayin…=== … but the Rauner damage, accelerated damage… remains. Unless you want universities closed… - Birds on the Bat - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 2:50 pm: Gee, I thought I read somewhere that Governor’s owned. - Oldtimer - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 2:52 pm: Higher Ed had a great funding run from 1994 through 2001. At that time, the MAP program was the largest need-based grant in the country. The bad times of the last 20 years began in George Ryan’s last year when the economy tanked after 9-11. Ryan at least only cut Higher Ed because of the state’s budget woes. Then Blago offered six years of populist contempt for Higher Ed, eliminating ISAC, IBHE, and ICCB programs and repeatedly hammering the Public 4-years. Quinn, Rauner, and Pritzker to-date haven’t made Higher Ed a priority either. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 2:54 pm: ===Gee=== No gee, think on this; If you voted for Rauner when he refused to fully fund state universities, and were cool with that… how could this bother you? Plus, not only have I said that governors own, I’ve also advocated a realignment of all state universities. I think your birds left the bat and are in your belfry… “just saying” - Edutainment - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 2:59 pm: I feel for Illinois taxpayers who wanted to send their kids to an Illinois public college. But, public pensions are more important in Illinois than higher education. There’s only so much money to go around. Wisconsin is in much better financial shape. - Birds on the Bat - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 3:02 pm: Rauner was a catastrophe. Not denying that at all. Just pointing out Pritzker and his majority party continue to short change colleges and universities. I know you can’t see past you blue goggles though. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 3:04 pm: === Wisconsin is in much better financial shape.=== You’re adorable. Governor Walker cut higher ed, almost to its bone marrow. Link? http://alturl.com/attuw I mean… “amazing”. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 3:10 pm: - Birds on the Bat - (Sigh) I’m not a Raunerite, but as a Republican who is a huge booster of what higher ed should be, even showing what my thoughts are to make it better, if you voted for Rauner after his decimation of higher education, and now are “confused” about this current administration, clean out that belfry, you have no case. At least you didn’t say “Democrat Party”, you’re improving. Oh. If you can’t understand *this*, I’ll rewrite it with smaller words, maybe pictures, if that helps. Geez, Louise… === When Kentucky, Mizzou, Alabama, Tennessee… when those schools are cheaper than Illinois State or Northern, or SIUE… Our talent is leaving the state for the opportunities that being part of the SEC, (as merely ONE example) can mean. Now talk, Iowa, Iowa State… Western Michigan… I mean, Illinois State and Northern Illinois are losing out to Western Michigan?=== - Public University Grad - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 4:15 pm: I don’t recall Rauner proposing to close any community colleges or state universities, but we should. With all tbe population loss and tbe choice of remote learning, we simply don’t need all that space. And yes, pension obligations crowd out spending on social services and education. No disputing that any more. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 4:31 pm: === I don’t recall=== You’re not trying hard enough. As a public university grad you’d know, if you budget something at zero, you don’t want it to exist. Plus, no governor from She-Caw-Go is gonna say “I’m closing the university in your central or downstate towns.” === And yes, pension obligations crowd out spending on social services and education. No disputing that any more.=== It’s really about actual obligations you can’t cut versus where you can. As a public university grad you might’ve known that too. ===With all tbe population loss and tbe choice of remote learning, we simply don’t need all that space.=== Asked and answered above, governors open universities, not close them… “see above” Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.