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Two years of a budget impasse in Springfield that included cuts to state universities made the state’s graduating high school seniors a tempting target for out-of-state universities.
In that time, Northern Illinois University saw a decline in undergrad enrollment of 5 percent, and most state universities have suffered similar or greater declines in enrollment. At the same time, a network of recruiters in Chicago works to recruit Illinois’ best and brightest to other schools.
Tiffany Dallas, a Colorado State University admissions recruiter based in DeKalb, said a lot of the students she recruits from Illinois – specifically the area around Chicago – leave because it’s Colorado, although the uncertainty in state higher education plays a factor.
“Colorado is absolutely amazing and blows the state of Illinois out of the water,” Dallas said. “But the next step is the students don’t feel like their education is necessarily stable here. They’re just sick of hearing, ‘Yeah, there’s no budget; we don’t know if we have money; we have to cut programs.’ ” […]
The Chicago Area Regional Representatives, a professional group for college recruiters in the Chicago area, has more than 90 member schools and more than 100 recruiters in its ranks, and includes schools from across the country and Illinois.
More on that group is here.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:16 am
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A view of mountains or a view of corn? If only Madigan would let the TA pass . . .
Comment by Skeptic Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:20 am
Legal pot, too. That’s a big one. Might be the biggest.
Of course, Rauner has a thing about thing. Not a thing about making a budget. But a thing about pot.
Go figure. Clearly, Rauner writes his social agenda carefully.
Comment by Bobby T Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:22 am
The college recruiters based here in Illinois are also very savvy at understanding the students and making parents at ease that their students will be just as fine hours and hours away.
It’s like sports, however these recruiters, instead of looking st game tapes, they focus on transcripts and test scores..,
“With your grades and your test score (insert school) can guarantee you will get a full academic scholarship, and we can throw in room and board, something you and I know UIUC will not do for you here, even as a resident”.
Illinois students are prime, sweet spot targets, “all we ask is that you visit (insert school) and let the university sell itself, and know you won’t get a better deal back home”.
That’s real.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:25 am
Starving public colleges is a…puzzling choice, and arguably one of the worst places to cut public spending.
We still spend money to make sure students are housed, clothed, and fed for 18 years; we spend a good amount of money on their K-12 education; and then we give the best students (i.e. those bound for college) a compelling reason to get their degree (and start their career, and pay their taxes) elsewhere.
If anything, we should aim to have a standout public university system that attracts students from other states/countries. This would produce more college graduates, earning more money and paying more taxes, with no need for Illinois to cover their K-12 education.
Comment by AuH20 Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:28 am
==“But the next step is the students don’t feel like their education is necessarily stable here. They’re just sick of hearing, ‘Yeah, there’s no budget; we don’t know if we have money; we have to cut programs.’ ==
I’m sure all the parents whose kids went to Colorado state because of the budget hostage-taking can’t wait to elect bruce for another four years.
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:30 am
UIUC is raising their standards for in-state students as well. Not top 10%? ACT below 25?
Sorry Charlie.
Comment by Dee Lay Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:34 am
Rauner really hurt higher education in Illinois over the past two years. Even with the budget, the public regional universities are coping with the aftermath of not having budget.
BUT, the Democrats are also guilty of neglecting higher education in Illinois. If the Republicans and Democrats want to stanch the outflow of people from Illinois, reinvest in higher education and make it price competitive. Illinois public universities are better than those in Colorado. Play to our strengths. We don’t have mountains. Fine. So, strengthen, don’t weaken, higher education. Young people will stay if there are good, affordable schools to attend.
Comment by Scamp640 Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:35 am
I’m sure a lot of high school seniors look at out of state colleges because Madigan, but she just forgot to say it because it’s so obvious.
Or maybe she did mention it but the reporter cut it from the story because Madigan.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:35 am
This group has been at work for over a decade. IL colleges and universities have been very slow to catch up and GovJunk starvation campaign was/could be the final nail.
It will be interesting to see how the directional schools try to come back from the starvation and how long they have.
Comment by Annonin' Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:36 am
If we could take all of Rauner’s false statements and built hills with them, we could compete with the Colorado slopes.
Comment by Norseman Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:40 am
I thought this would be another legalized marijuana post.
Comment by Grand Avenue Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:40 am
I wonder how many students from Ford County go to college in Colorado? /s
Comment by Curl of the Burl Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:41 am
==I’m sure a lot of high school seniors look at out of state colleges because Madigan, but she just forgot to say it because it’s so obvious==
“Well, see, uh I been a talkin’ to lots of seniors at these high schools I been going to so much in the last couple years and they tell me privately ‘Governor, we’d love to stay in Illinois but Mike Madigan and his corrupt machine make it impossible for us to stay’. They uh, they can’t say that publicly of course cause they’d get in trouble, but that’s whats goin’ on here with these numbers”.
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:43 am
Yeah Tiffany, I hate it break it to you but they only go to Colorado so they can get high as a kite without consequence.
Comment by Lakeview Moderate Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:44 am
When the time comes, I will encourage my kids to attend out-of-state school, not because of the quality here, but to experience a different area of the country for 4 years. They might never have that opportunity again.
Southeast, TX, CO, West Coast…pretty compelling choices for an 18 year old. Every time I visited a relatives/friends attending universities around the country, it made me wonder why I didn’t expand my search further than I did. Besides, if you’re going to be saddled with college debt, why not do it somewhere else?
Comment by City Zen Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:47 am
What does a college or university outside of Chicago offer?
1. Is it less expensive?
2. Does it offer a good education, i.e. strong job placement, and a higher starting income?
3. What recreational activities exist?
4. What cultural activities exist?
Denver is a rapidly growing city. It’s more expensive than Chicago, but there are lots of entry level jobs available.
It still amazes me that there are TWO higher ed educational institutions in Lincoln, IL.
Comment by Kay-Ro Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:48 am
As someone whose family has been through this recently, the out of state schools are particularly aggressive. We received mail with offers like we’ll give you $80k, $100k over 4 years, etc. Some I had never heard of but that’s neither here nor there. Heck, a number of them are taking out billboards on Chicago expressways. If they are going to throw $ or in-state tuition at Illinois kids, they would be silly not to seriously consider it. Private schools have higher sticker prices, but they also give out more scholarship money. It’s the bottom line number that matters.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:48 am
it’s not just colorado that’s poaching…schools from iowa and other states are aggressively targeting illinois. universities in kentucky augment chicago-area recruiting with in-state tuition offers for many illinois residents…maybe worth a legislative inquiry if one hasn’t been undertaken already. also relevant are the investments in campus infrastructure other states are making, with new and high tech dorm rooms, research facilities, classrooms, etc., especially for universities that may not have robust almuni and corporate philanthropic support. also worth considering is the role online learning will play in the future.
Comment by go sox Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:49 am
“Colorado is absolutely amazing and blows the state of Illinois out of the water,” Dallas said.
And there you have it folks.
Comment by Ron Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:50 am
My senior has a 32 ACT, 3.65 GPA (had severe mono fresh yr and sports related concussion soph year; trashed his GPA), lots of honors/AP from one of the very top suburban high schools in the nation and Illinois. Oh, and outstanding EC’s, even started a charity. Got into several of the top business colleges in other states (some with nice merit $ and got into one very high reach) but didn’t get into Illinois direct admit. My husband was furious. My son was glad because he thinks Illinois looks like a prison camp. He didn’t apply to Northwestern or UofC because he probably wounldn’t get in and if he did, it would have been too expensive for us. My point is, he should have been a direct admit to Illinois business. His application should have been given preference above Chinese paying sticker. Just my opinion about where and why some of these kids are leaving Illinois.
Comment by Sands Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:51 am
Heres an idea. Lets ask college age young adults why they are not electing to stay in state.
Comment by Blue dog dem Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 10:54 am
Sands,
That story was amateur hour. Illinois Business and Engineering are extremely competitive degree programs. a 32 ACT and 3.65 GPA although good are not astounding. If your kid really wanted to go to Illinois you should have had him apply for the school of Liberal arts and sciences and then once he establishes a GPA transfer into the business school. How long have people been applying to the school of Ag at Illinois just to get their foot in the door. Play the system. keep up.
Comment by Iggy Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:02 am
It’s almost like these other states have realized these young adults spend lots of money while earning their education and treat higher ed as economic development.
Interesting theory.
I mean we’ve slashed higher ed funding here. And we’ve been told that our economy will boom if we spend less. So how’s that working out in our downstate college towns?
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:02 am
Good point Blue dog
Comment by Ginhouse Tommy Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:04 am
==My point is, he should have been a direct admit to Illinois business. His application should have been given preference above Chinese paying sticker.==
UIUC Enrollment:
1987 = 36,282 with 30,299 Illinois residents
2017 = 47,286 with 28,628 Illinois residents
Does that look like a state school interested in our children? 30% enrollment increase but less in-state students. Our primo state university is very interested in our tax dollars. Our children? Not so much.
Your son would be wise to take his business elsewhere.
Comment by City Zen Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:06 am
@Sands – It’s misplaced anger about Chinese students at the U of I. The economic fact is they pay way more than “sticker” and there fraction of the student body finances a much larger portion of the University than 1 bright kid from Illinois.
Should he be in? I’d actually say sounds like he should. But his admission or lack thereof has nothing to do with Chinese students.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:07 am
(Sigh)
===If your kid really wanted to go to Illinois you should have had him apply for the school of Liberal arts and sciences and then once he establishes a GPA transfer into the business school. How long have people been applying to the school of Ag at Illinois just to get their foot in the door. Play the system. keep up.===
No, no need to “keep up” here…
The issue is with those credentials, and being a resident of Illinois, out state universities will say, “why pay $20,000 for room and board and school to not even be in your major. We’ll give you a full academic scholarship with those grades, and help you succeed when someone else is stuck taking and paying for classes they don’t need or want.”
Then put the school in Colorado, a warm climate…
Cost and taking your needed classes is the issue, not gaming the system to have the pleasure of paying.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:11 am
Ron,
Matches our experience two years ago. I have written before the horrible experience we had with U of I Springfield.
Starting it now with the youngest, U of Iowa would be a wash with him vs U of I (a bit better ACT will make it cheaper than U of I ), Nebraska would be 6K cheaper per year than U of I. Iowa State cost of attendance is only 2K more before anything is applied, after what he qualifies for there it is 7K a year less…
There is some appeal there alone.
Also, it seems, in general, the Illinois schools don’t seem to try to recruit much. Was a robotics competition in Peoria last year and they had a college fair as part of it. Don’t recall a single state public U being there. Heck, my alma mater didn’t make any efforts to reach out to my kids.
Comment by OneMan Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:12 am
Blue Dog does make the best point. Instead of pretending we know everything, we should be asking students why they W as my to leave.
Comment by 33rd Ward Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:13 am
–UIUC Enrollment:
1987 = 36,282 with 30,299 Illinois residents
2017 = 47,286 with 28,628 Illinois residents–
Way back then, UIUC was being criticized for having too many IL residents and not bringing in more out of state and international students to diversify the campus community (and get more tuition). I remember they had the highest % of in-state students in the whole Big Ten. They certainly overcorrected on that, largely for financial reasons. With sufficient funding, one would hope they would find a happy medium. Having several thousand international students all from the same country is questionable as far as promoting diversity. But, high achieving HS students were declined from Engineering and other highly competitive programs even back then, and that will never change.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:15 am
As the funding for higher ed as decreased over the last decade, U of I (my alma mater) and the rest of our state universities have had to increase tuition to compensate. During that time both the federal and state governments added numerous unfunded mandates
Comment by Illdoc Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:16 am
@Sands - I will add I was in the same boat as your son many moons ago with similar credentials. I chose an out-of-state university because I didn’t want to jump through the same UIUC hoops you mentioned when I already identified my major. Tens of thousands of dollars lost, no alumni connection, and zero desire to promote the school to my children as many alumni are wont to do.
I’m sure the state university system will gladly direct your son to one of the directionals. But the slight from UIUC sours parents like you on ALL Illinois schools.
Comment by City Zen Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:27 am
The difference is in Illinois 50 percent of state higher education dollars fund pensions. Colorado also has a flat income tax but spends their tax dollars on students so their state is booming and ours is in decline
Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:31 am
===but spends their tax dollars on students===
Right. But the universities have to pick up their own pension tabs there.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:32 am
Thank you @OW and @coolpapabell. I appreciate your input. I really do.
@Iggy, maybe you are the one that needs to “keep up.” My son was automatically admitted into the liberal arts college. In looking at the statistics (number of spaces dedicated to kids transferring into business from liberal arts) the spaces are very few and you only have one shot as a second year student. We wouldn’t want him to take that risk. We have seen how that played out with a neighbor’s son for engineering. He had to transfer to a different school. After going through a 2 year grueling college process with my son, I would hardly call myself an amateur. And while not perfect, his ACT is in the 97th percentile, grades reflect a upward trend (it counts) and that GPA is unweighted.
Comment by Sands Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:34 am
Well, I did ask mine and some of her friends.
For mine, as she put it. I didn’t work this hard in HS to go to NIU, UIS offered her program but the visit was such a disaster it was a non-starter. U of I didn’t have her program and UIC dropped it.
Friend 1 — Iowa
Cost about the same as U of I she preferred it over U of I.
Friend 2 - NYU
Wanted to go to school in NYC, ironically started by taking classes in Paris
Friend 3 - U of MN (National Merit Semi-finalist)
Prefered the program, better aid package.
I will say when it came up (at graduation parties a couple of years ago) that outside of Engineering there wasn’t a U of I advantage worth the cost and hassle in some of their eyes.
Comment by OneMan Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:34 am
As a recent out of state graduate (UIowa, go Hawks) the reason I left was 1) I tried and didn’t get into UIUC. It’s a challenging school to get into. 2) There is a decent drop off, at least on the surface from UIUC to the directional schools. For me it felt like I could get farther with an Iowa degree than a degree from Northern or Eastern Illinois.
In my opinion we need to put a hell of a lot more resources toward our directional schools. A state as a strong as Illinois should not have a drop off like that. Oh and at Iowa they complained all the time about how they had too many out of state students so this problem goes both ways.
==Legal pot, too. That’s a big one. Might be the biggest.==
Lol you can get any drug under the sun at college, no one is going to CO for just weed.
Comment by BucknIrish Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:36 am
At this time none of the budget for higher ed goes to pensions. That may change someday but the state covers health care and pension cost for university employees.
Comment by Illdoc Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:38 am
Anecdotally there is a factor of parents encouraging their kids to set roots in other states.
Comment by WIU Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:45 am
@Iggy Don’t be so sure about just waltzing in the College of ACES. Easier than Engineering? Probably. But among the 5 best Ag programs in the nation that encompasses way more than what you portray it to.
But we do need more ag majors. Friend’s daughter just landed an $80k a year job fresh out of ISU (Illinois State) as an agronomist and is moving to North Dakota. Agriculture is a great career field right now.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:47 am
“But the universities have to pick up their own pension tabs there.”
Makes sense.
Comment by Ron Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:51 am
Think of this way. Many Illinois college graduates will wind up in many other states anyways because job growth is greater in other states. So, why should Illinois taxpayers subsidize higher education for students who aren’t going to be working here??? Illinois should shut down a few public universities until the economy turns around here.
Comment by Steve Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 11:56 am
==So, why should Illinois taxpayers subsidize higher education for students who aren’t going to be working here???==
If they are coming from out of state, then their tuition isn’t subsidized or barely is.
==Illinois should shut down a few public universities until the economy turns around here.==
Yeah that’s how were gonna fix higher ed in this state, just giving up on schools. s/ Also lets see how Charleston, Dekalb, and other college towns do without these institutions, as if downstate needs anymore economic damage.
Plus a heavy majority of the kids that leave for out of state college end up coming back because of the Chicago job market, and almost any neighboring state school that has a lot of Chicago kids send a lot of their graduates to Chicago as well.
Comment by BucknIrish Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 12:09 pm
===Illinois should shut down a few public universities until the economy turns around here.===
Run statewide on closing universities. That will play well downstate…
Rauner already is trying to close universities, refusing to fund them for whole fiscal years. I’m sure Charleston, Carbondale, Macomb, they want to support someone who wants their largest employer and the economic engine of the region closed.
Do better, think about making things better, rationally.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 12:13 pm
Perhaps legal marijuana in Colorado is an attractive feature for some Illinois students
Comment by anon2 Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 12:16 pm
I know parents who’s son is going to UAB in Alabama. They said that their son attends 217 parties for all of the students at UAB who are from that area code. I had heard that Univ. of Missouri gives tuition discounts if an out of state student goes there more than 2 years but don’t quote me on that. It seems that the schools in Illinois aren’t trying to keep the best students here. Bad management I guess. Somethings wrong here.
Comment by Ginhouse Tommy Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 12:16 pm
SIUE gives Missouri residents in state tuition. It is projected that it will pass SIUC in enrollment in the next 2 years
Comment by Illdoc Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 12:37 pm
@Ginhouse Tommy
Alabama is giving free rides to our top students. My son didn’t apply, but we know a couple kids that are taking them up on it. Mizzou is offering in state tuition after the 2nd year (if the student stays in MO. during the summer and works). IU Kelly business school offered my son a solid merit scholarship but he wants to be in an urban area.
Comment by Sands Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 12:46 pm
===Right. But the universities have to pick up their own pension tabs there.
And they have to pay Social Security on top of the defined contribution plan they offer. Colorado higher ed jobs do pay less, but that won’t last forever.
Comment by ArchPundit Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 1:14 pm
I’m Steve. Either EIU or WIU should be shut down at a minimum.
Comment by Ron Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 1:17 pm
====Blue Dog does make the best point. Instead of pretending we know everything, we should be asking students why they W as my to leave.
Many colleges do this and I’m sure some of the state colleges in Illinois have done that. i know some of the community colleges have. I would not put the state colleges as much different from other states’ colleges in how they run admissions and marketing. There is variation between campuses, but I’d put Illinois public colleges in the middle probably. Some of the community colleges are very good at their marketing and admissions.
All that said, of course Illinois is a target for other states it’s the fifth (record scratch) six largest state in the union. Iowa has been poaching Illinois students for years as has Madison and Indiana.
The market as a whole is very competitive right now because of full time traditional students are declining in numbers and there is a shaking out happening/coming. Illinois just gave those schools ammunition by not funding higher education.
One other thing to consider, while Illinois is losing population, it still has enough students for the primary institutions–not all states do as they face an aging population. A lot of the places identified above are states that are suffering from an aging population and changing demographics even if they aren’t losing populations.
Finally, the Chinese students are an issue. Should the University of Illinois fulfill it’s land grant mission of providing education at a reasonable cost to the general population of the state? Do Chinese students take away from that or add to that?
I’m not sure there is a clear answer, but UIUC is simply doing what most flagships are doing right now and using full pay Chinese students to make up for lowered state funding. That’s a choice we make and if you don’t like it fund the state institutions better.
Comment by ArchPundit Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 1:23 pm
===I’m Steve. Either EIU or WIU should be shut down at a minimum.
I keep asking this and no one answers–where is the capacity to serve those students added? What is the infrastructure costs for the places taking those students? What are other incremental costs? Does it save money after destroying the economy of the regions around Macomb and Charleston? Or does it just feel good to rant about it?
Comment by ArchPundit Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 1:26 pm
Alabama is very aggressive in my town. It is very generous with money if you have good grades/ACT score. Smart strategy on their part. As a parent saving for college (and a UIUC grad) I understand why families are making these choices. Just another example of the destruction of this once great state.
Comment by Red Ranger Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 1:26 pm
It’s because of pot.
Period.
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 1:33 pm
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/nations-prominent-public-universities-are-shifting-to-out-of-state-students/2016/01/30/07575790-beaf-11e5-bcda-62a36b394160_story.html?utm_term=.a89fe1321c69
What the below doesn’t say is that the other problem is not just the number of high school grade in Alabama, but the quality of those high school graduates as well which is not great.
University of Alabama officials say they, too, serve their state. But they have done it in large part by recruiting outsiders. Demographics and state finances left them little choice, they said. Alabama’s population has grown at a lower rate than the nation’s, and its output of high school graduates has been up and down. Volatility in state funding for higher education led the flagship in 2003 to launch a major out-of-state growth plan, hunting for students in Texas, Georgia, Florida and beyond. Undergrad enrollment shot up more than 90 percent in ensuing years, topping 30,000 in 2014.
“When students vote with their feet to be at your institution, that’s a really great outcome,” said the university’s president, Stuart R. Bell. Geographic diversity benefits students, he said. “Our graduates need to be able to thrive in a very dynamic and flexible world.”
Bell said the flagship, founded in 1831, is not overlooking Alabamians. “We’re serving every student who could come to the university and be successful here,” he said.
Comment by ArchPundit Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 1:34 pm
==It’s because of pot.
Period.==
lol. If it’s because of pot then you should have lots of data to back that up. Simply giving the old VMan edict isn’t really going to cut it. Edicts aren’t facts.
As others have said on here, pot isn’t an issue. We should be focused like a laser on the opioid crisis.
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 1:48 pm
Alabama has a major brain drain problem. Take the free ride and leave. That’s what the educated do.
Comment by Ron Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 2:00 pm
Unless you’re really into beer nuggets and The Footstompers, Ft. Collins knocks the stuff out of DeKalb.
VMan, I never noticed any difficulty getting weed in college.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 2:00 pm
When people say “shut some universities down,” it makes my head hurt. Closing down a university would save surprisingly little money, but cost a ton in the long term.
Just as a refresher, recall that the state has a $36 Billion dollar FY2018 budget. Eastern Illinois University will receive something in the order of $36 Million in FY2018. What % savings to the Illinois budget would occur by closing EIU? Here is what I come up with (I will show my work):
($36,000,000 / $36,000,000,000) * 100 =
0.001 * 100 = 0.1%
Closing EIU would therefore generate a $0.1% savings. And remember, the pensions would still have to be paid, and the negative regional economic ripple effect would be huge.
On the other hand, look at how small the investment would need to be to make EIU and other public universities more cost-competitive with other universities. And remember, even after all the budget cuts, EIU is still a better university than the regional universities in other states.
Comment by Scamp640 Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 2:05 pm
===really into beer nuggets===
Oh, man. I forgot all about those.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 2:13 pm
–Oh, man. I forgot all about those.–
Understandable, as they were generally consumed on nights you couldn’t remember what you did.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 2:16 pm
The regional universities in the U of Wisconsin system have done a great job of recruiting Illinois students. They are less expensive than the Illinois regionals and seem to have financial security behind them.
On another level, as a high school teacher I know that two of our best students are now at U of Alabama and the chances of them returning to Illinois is slim. Everyone of those situations is really hurting Illinois in the long run.
Comment by Pylorus Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 2:21 pm
A familiar story. Unfortunately, it’s an economic one. Everyone values Education until they have to pay taxes to support it. Isn’t the gov talking about rescinding the tax increase?
Comment by AnonymousOne Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 3:00 pm
Maybe we should have those out of state recruiters read the propaganda from the Illinois Policy Institute and other groups so they can find out how poor our public schools are. Then they will leave out students alone.
Comment by Enemy of the State Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 3:28 pm
=beer nuggets=
Made me urppy just reading the words, some things are best forgotten.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 3:28 pm
What a sore point for Illinois, to see our enrollments dropping, faculty furloughs, and hard-earned programs being cut. These colleges are the backbone of the state. They are local economic engines AND support our poorest students in rising up economically. They should be the best we can possibly offer.
We have divested support in higher education so that money is increasingly 1) passed off to students; 2) stuck in pockets where it shouldn’t be stuck–like sports and huge administrator salaries. It should be distributed more equitably across the spectrum of subjects. Engineering is great, but share some of that money with the colleges that are teaching people to read and write.
It is my understanding that UIC and UIUC did not have drops in admissions this year and they are increasing recruitment. However, they need to support the poorest students, not the wealthiest. And that can’t happen without more MAP grants, among other things.
Comment by State worker Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 3:57 pm
This issue is too complicated to think that there is one answer. But remember these things:
1. NYT says IL is the biggest importer of the college educated in the entire Midwest, most of whom export the college educated. Why? Chicago provides the only big city experience and the opportunities that come with it, outside of the east or west coast.
2. UIUC is only better than colleges in surrounding states for a handful of majors (Engr, Comp Sci, Library Sci, Accounting, etc.) that will open doors at their first job or in grad school admissions. Everyone else should go where they can get the best deal.
3. I think the regionals should compete with adjacent states and not be closed, but they may have to refocus on how to provide the best education, or provide new ways to deliver a degree faster and cheaper. How about 4 years of classes in 3 years by going year round, or by adding free online courses to get finished faster, or? These things may drive student increases. Faculty research, expansion of regionals into expensive majors like Engineering, and similar boondoggles should be axed.
Comment by Jibba Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 3:59 pm
Meant also to add that Iowa newspapers have written about the inability to keep the college educated in Iowa. They might go there to get educated, but they leave for opportuni in Chicago or the coastal states.
Comment by Jibba Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 4:02 pm
And beer nuggets were gross even when drunk.
Comment by Jibba Friday, Dec 22, 17 @ 4:03 pm
Sands, a 3.65 GPA won’t get you in to the business school at UIUC. Evertbody and their brother has 3.65’s. Back in the early 2000’s 4 point’s and a 30-32 was iffy for biz and engineering.
Comment by Piece of Work Friday, Dec 29, 17 @ 11:30 am