North Cook News

Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced during a press conference on April 6 the addition of a $109 million health sciences building to the campus of Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville.

Pritzker made the announcement as part of a tour of universities across the state intended to promote his proposed 2024 fiscal year budget, which includes an $80 million increase in higher education funding and record investments in Monetary Award Program grants, according to a report by the Edwardsville Intelligencer.

“Four years ago, when I took office, going to college in the state of Illinois seemed more affordable than ever before. Funding for higher education had been cut so badly that out-of-state tuition in other states was more affordable than in-state tuition here in Illinois, and that’s not right,” Pritzker said. “My partners in the General Assembly recognized that and we’ve worked together over the last four years to make college attainable for every Illinois student. We’ve also worked to increase enrollment in all our institutions.”

During the press conference, Pritzker also noted that freshmen enrollment has risen by 5% around the state, to its highest level in six years. That's in contrast to numbers nationwide, however, where college enrollment has decreased by 2.4% over the past year.

“That’s a big deal and that means Illinois is leading the nation,” Pritzker said. “Here at SIUE, freshman enrollment is up 12% over 2019, and advanced degree students are the highest numbers in decades.

The funding for MAP grants is made possible by the governor’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan, which ranks as the largest capital plan in state history, the story stated. 

“(The) Rebuild Illinois capital plan dedicates nearly $2.8 billion for state and community college infrastructure across the state," Pritzker said. "Over $280 million of that is directed to the SIU System including $109 million for the new health sciences building here at SIUE.”

The plan currently being proposed by Pritzker represents the highest funding increase for higher education in more than 20 years, which comes at a time when Prizker is also pushing to lower tuition costs across the state.