Chicago City Wire

CSU Applauds Governor Pritzker's Proposed Investments in Higher Education 

Governor JB Pritzker’s fiscal year 2024 budget proposal outlines significant investment in Illinois’ higher education institutions and students. Illinois four-year public universities, which includes Chicago State University (CSU), would receive a 7% increase in funding for fiscal year 2024 relative to this year’s budget. If approved by the General Assembly, the budget would provide critically needed resources for the University and CSU students.Governor Pritzker’s budget also strengthens financial aid support for students highlighted by an increase in funding for the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants for low-income students by $100 million. If passed by the General Assembly, this would result in a $300 million expansion of the MAP grant program since fiscal year 2019. The investments align with the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s Thriving Illinois strategic plan, which charts a path for a more equitable higher education system with meaningful access for students of color, low-income students, and students from rural communities. The timing of this work is critical as Black student enrollment declined in Illinois 34% (2013 - 2019).“Governor Pritzker’s budget recognizes the transformative power of higher education for our economy and families,” said Zaldwaynaka Scott, Esq., President of Chicago State University. “CSU’s 2021 Economic Impact Study determined that CSU generates $1.6 billion in income to Illinois’ economy annually and results in CSU graduates earning an additional $843,000 over the course of their careers. Governor Pritzker’s budget proposal creates a pathway for more Illinois families to secure careers that generate family sustaining wages from the transformative power of a college degree.

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