Governor Rauner's FY 2016 budget proposes reducing higher education funding by about one-third.
Under the governor's proposal, state funding for the SIU system, and all state universities, would be cut by 31.5% for the coming fiscal year that begins in July. The governor's budget recommends about $140-million in general funds for SIU. That represents a $64-million reduction in current funding.
A breakdown of SIU's proposed FY-2016 funding includes $139,775,100 for general operations, $311,000 for fire protection services at the SIU Edwardsville campus, $27,000 in scholarship grant awards, and $70,000 for the Daily Egyptian. The governor's budget proposal would eliminate $1,250,000 for SIU-E's Pharmacy Practice Education and Training Program. The legislature approved a little more than $204-million in general funds for the SIU system this budget year.
Democratic State Senator Gary Forby of Benton says Governor Rauner is "out of touch" with his budget proposal. Forby says proposed higher education cuts will force tuition costs to increase putting more of the burden on students when they are trying to prepare themselves for the workforce.
The governor's higher education budget does preserve funding for the state's community colleges as well as for MAP grants for lower income college students.
You can see the Governor's proposed budget plan here.
Copyright 2015 WSIU Public Radio
