Illinois Considers Bill to Fund Public Colleges Based on Minority Student Enrollment

A bill under consideration in the Illinois legislature proposes to provide public colleges and universities with thousands of taxpayer dollars for each student they admit from certain minority groups. The legislation, S.B. 3965, was introduced by Democratic Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford on July 30. State Representative Carol Ammons, also a Democrat, introduced the bill in the House.

Allocation of Funds Based on Minority Group

The proposed bill would grant public higher education institutions $6,000 for each black or American Indian student they accept, $4,000 per Hispanic student, and no funds for white and Asian students, as reported in a Washington Examiner op-ed by Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Gonzalez noted that the amount allocated per Hispanic student is less than that for black students, despite Hispanic Illinoisans having a lower degree attainment rate.

Addressing Under-Representation in Higher Education

In a statement to Campus Reform, Ammons explained that the bill aims to address the under-representation of black students in public colleges and universities. She said that the allocation formula acknowledges factors that may impact a student's journey through higher education and seeks to support them accordingly. When asked why the bill does not allocate funds for Asian students, Ammons explained that research did not show a gap in attainment for Asian students. She did not directly address why Hispanic students would generate less funding for schools than black students, despite their lower degree attainment rates.

Equitable Funding for Higher Education

Lightford referred to the race-based funding as "equitable", stating that it is time to prioritize equitable funding for higher education institutions and ensure that every student has the opportunity to fulfill their potential. Lightford and Ammons serve as co-chairs on the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding. The commission was created to recommend specific data-driven criteria and approaches to adequately, equitably, and stably fund public universities in this State and to evaluate existing funding methods.

Recommendations of the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding

S.B. 3965 and its companion legislation in the House will adopt recommendations made by the commission, according to Gonzalez. The commission's 87-page report claims that higher education in Illinois has racial injustices embedded in the postsecondary system and that the state has a moral obligation and economic interest to dismantle and reform structures that create or exacerbate racial and socioeconomic inequities in higher education. The report also suggests that if its new funding framework is adopted, then public universities in Illinois will gain additional resources needed to help them attract, retain, and graduate more traditionally underrepresented students. The funding plan would require roughly $1.4 billion to fully meet student needs in an adequate and equitable manner. In Fiscal Year 2024, the State provided more than $2.5 billion to higher education overall, the report states.

Bottom Line

This proposed legislation in Illinois is a significant step towards addressing racial disparities in higher education. However, it also raises questions about the fairness and effectiveness of allocating funds based on race. What are your thoughts on this matter? Do you believe that this is an effective approach to achieving equality in higher education? Share your thoughts and discuss this article with your friends. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is delivered every day at 6pm.