It is time to act. There may be no more vital time than the weeks ahead for you to make your voices heard. Please take the time to write Gov. J.B. Pritzker, as well as your state representatives and state senators today.
Why reinvest?
Located across Illinois, 12 institutions are already hard at work shaping the next generation. They can all do so much more in partnership with state government and truly are the most powerful investment Illinois can make for the future.
There are:
• 128,294 undergraduate students currently enrolled in Illinois public universities
• 56,454 graduate students currently enrolled in Illinois public universities
• 1,208,063 alumni from these public universities living across the state of Illinois
Throughout Illinois, there are tens of thousands of stories of lives changed and futures established. Public universities in Illinois are at the intersection of everything required to continue lifting the state to a place of promise.
Universities educate a diverse workforce from all walks of life to be ready for what comes next. Universities grow local economies as anchors in their communities, where everything from new technologies to small businesses are developed and prosper. Universities shape healthy communities by expanding health care, filling needed gaps where disparities exist, and improving the quality of life through a cleaner environment. Universities make sure that Illinois keeps the next generation of students, entrepreneurs, innovators, and community leaders here, to strengthen our economic base and grow vibrant local communities.
This year is a critical juncture for public higher education in Illinois. We need your help in delivering the message that reinvesting in public higher education should be a top priority.
The Illinois General Assembly will vote on a budget later this spring and our state’s students, our state’s universities, and our state’s future depend on an increase in state support to higher education. Imagine what that future can become when our state’s higher education system is properly supported.
