Broken Budget Shortchanges Illinois Students

As the budget crisis in Illinois worsens and the debate over whether or not to allow the state’s temporary income tax continues, universities are preparing for what could be a drastic drop in revenue. Officials at universities like Southern Illinois, the University of Illinois and others have called the looming cuts “devastating” and have been reviewing different scenarios to deal with the problem. Illinois could see a loss of $1.5 billion in revenue next year, which would have a drastic and disproportionate affect on students.

Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard said cuts in funding for Illinois’ nine state universities would mean an increase in student to teacher ratios and fewer course offerings. According to the Northwest Herald,Poshard told a Senate appropriations committee “Our tuition has doubled over the last several years at our institution as well as most others. We had to make up for that loss of state funds and these families just can't afford it.” Tom Hardy, spokesman for University of Illinois told the Daily Illini the Illinois State Board of Education indicated U of I could see a 12.5 percent cut in its funding, which would mean a loss of about $80 million annually.

Are you a college student? Find out how much of a tax break you'll get with our calculator by clicking here and tell your legislators to support a Fair Tax in Illinois!

The backlog of unpaid bills piling up is also a concern for state universities. Western Illinois University President Jack Thomas said the school is still waiting on nearly $27 billion. “The uncertainty of these payments requires great finessing in accounting," said Thomas.” “It compounds and adds to the ever growing cost of higher education.”

Students end up paying directly for a university’s financial woes. Robert Hwang, a sophomore at University of Illinois from Crystal Lake, told the Illinois News Network that in addition to working, family helps support him.  “I’m very lucky that my parents are helping me out pretty much with all of my tuition,” Hwang said.

Rather than make disaster plans and debate what doomsday will look like if the state goes off the fiscal cliff, there is an alternative plan which would create budget stability for the state. A Fair Tax, with lower rates for lower incomes and higher rates for higher incomes, would help shore up income for state universities facing budget shortfalls and put money back into the pockets of struggling students in Illinois.

Last week, Arun, a student from College of DuPage joined nearly 1000 others in Springfield at a rally to call on their legislators to pass the Fair Tax Act. “Recently, they raised tuition again. That’s a difficult burden to bear for those of us college students who don’t make all that much money,” he said.

Hear more from Arun on why he supports a Fair Tax by clicking here

Christopher Dupuis, a University of Illinois graduate who owns the Wheatland Animal Hospital in Naperville, said the cost of college has hurt some of his employees’ pocketbooks. “Presently, it’s more expensive to attend veterinary school in Illinois than it is in neighboring states. With budget cuts and high student loans, our employees paying their way through school are struggling to stay afloat financially,” Dupuis told A Better Illinois. “This puts Illinois in danger of losing talented students because out of state schools are cheaper. A Fair Tax could help alleviate some of the increasing financial burden our students face.”

Are you a college student? Find out how much of a tax break you'll get with our calculator by clicking here and tell your legislators to support a Fair Tax in Illinois!