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Board members introduced their 2024 budget recommendation
Wednesday, saying the proposal was shaped to achieve specific
equity, sustainability and growth goals. The IBHE board members
also heard from several state universities about things they
accomplished with last year's budget.
The $2.5 billion budget request is an increase from last year's
budget, according to Ginger Ostro of the IBHE.
"Our budget and the $180 million increase builds on the historic
budget for the fiscal year 2023," Ostro said. "There is also
tremendous work underway to close equity gaps in enrollment,
persistence and completion for Black, Latinx, low income and
rural students."
The budget includes funding for statewide programs, according to
Ostro.
"We are also recommending reappropriation of all the projects
included in the Rebuild Illinois capital program and funding the
certified levels for the State Universities Retirement System,"
Ostro said.
In April of 2022, Gov. J.B. Pritzker approved $33.5 million in
funding through the Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan for the
University of Illinois Chicago, Western Illinois University,
Northern Illinois University and Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale.
The budget also included $35 million in funding for the state's
Aim High Program, which offers incentives to undergraduate
students looking to attend a state school, and another $7
million for the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship
program.
The 2024 requested IBHE budget surpasses the 2023 fiscal year
budget, which totaled $2.24 billion in funding, a $248.5 million
increase from 2022.
The overall state budget for fiscal year 2023 is more than $46.5
billion. Pritzker will deliver his budget proposal for the
coming fiscal year to state lawmakers next month.
Andrew Hensel reports on issues in Chicago and
Statewide. He has been with The Center Square News since April
of 2021 and was previously with The Joliet Slammers.
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