The plan also includes additional funding for students with lower GPAs and adult learners.
Illinois could soon offer bonuses to colleges and universities that enroll African-American and Hispanic students, under a proposal from a state board.
The Illinois Equitable Public College Funding Commission's recommendations aim to address “historic inequities” in education, “particularly among low-income students, students of color, rural students, and working adults,” according to a press release. .
But some higher education advocates say the proposal could become unconstitutional if adopted.
As part of the new education funding formula, the committee report recommends that the Illinois Legislature provide bonuses or “equity adjustment amounts” to colleges and universities to “encourage and support activities that increase retention and completion of historically underrepresented student groups.”
Committee co-chair Pranav Kothari said in a press release that the funding model is “grounded in equity” to “ensure institutions receive the funding they need to support the diverse needs of their student bodies and remove barriers to student access and success.” It was revealed.
The proposal recommends that colleges receive an additional $6,000 for each African American and American Indian student, $4,000 for each Hispanic and two or more racial students, and $2,000 for each rural student.
It also includes additional funding for low-income students, adult learners, and students with low high school GPA.
“The Commission has worked intentionally and collaboratively to submit recommendations to the Illinois General Assembly that are consistent with its statutory responsibilities for the new funding formula,” the Illinois Higher Education Commission said in an emailed statement. college fix Spokesperson Jose Garcia.
Committee leaders “look forward to working with legislators as they evaluate the committee’s report and advance efforts to adequately, equitably and reliably fund the state’s public colleges and universities,” the board said.
The committee is made up of 33 members, including state lawmakers, public university employees, students and representatives of education advocacy groups.
Garcia didn't answer. FixesThe question is what the Commission will gain by introducing a new funding formula and how it will respond to legal concerns about race-based funding.
More: Western Illinois University 'Day of Racial Healing' includes 'Racism for Whites' event
Paul Ballas, policy advisor at the Illinois Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization, said: Fixes In a recent email, this proposal may be unconstitutional. Vallas, a Democrat, is the former CEO of the Chicago Public Schools and former budget director for Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.
He said, “Since the Supreme Court ruled that university admission based on race is unconstitutional, I believe that supplementing public support for universities based on race may also be unconstitutional.”
Ballas said. Fixes: “However, the Supreme Court has made clear that socioeconomic factors such as income may be considered when determining enrollment, which would help achieve similar goals for those most in need.”
Jonathan Butcher, a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation, expressed similar concerns. Fixes last week.
“These changes appear to be a clear violation of state and federal civil rights laws,” Butcher said. “The U.S. Supreme Court decided last year in the Students for Fair Admissions case that applying racial preferences in college admissions is unconstitutional. But this proposal in Illinois appears to be based on racial preferences.”
Butcher said the funding proposal violates federal law, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Students, parents, taxpayers and lawmakers should be outraged that these officials are planning to treat students differently based on their race,” he said. Fixes.
Vallas, of the Illinois Policy Institute, said the commission's proposal does not address a real problem in higher education: “the lack of quality school choices at the K-12 level.”
As a result, he said: Fixes Students “are unprepared for higher education and are more likely to drop out. Those most at risk are poor families, who are disproportionately black and Latino.”
Fixes We also reached out to Illinois House Republican Leader Tony McCombie and Senate Republican Leader John Curran twice in the past two weeks to ask for their thoughts on the proposal and higher education reform in the state. Neither responded.
Illinois public universities are required to develop and implement equity plans and practices under House Bill 5464, signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2022.
More: University of Illinois funds DEI virtual reality training for nurses.
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