Despite January's tax deal, the State of Illinois is still behind on its bills and has a difficult budget year ahead. Like other vendors, this reality is putting pressure on the state's public universities. The schools are getting restless as they evaluate their own budgets and tuition plans for the upcoming year. Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard recently told lawmakers that tuition at his institution could jump by 9 percent this coming fall and warned that schools may have to take additional measures to accommodate flat or reduced funding from the state. Poshard also said the school has cut salaries, looked for new revenue sources and is having problems negotiating contracts with two employee unions because of late payments.

Meanwhile, Eastern Illinois University (EIU) is awaiting $35 million in general revenue funds from the state for the current year. William Perry, EIU's president, told the committee that the school has done its part to pare down costs -- from cutting $1.6 million in the operations budget to saving more than $3 million courtesy of a hiring freeze that facilitated the loss of about 60 jobs. Perry warned that EIU may have to hike its tuition rates if the state fails to increase funding for the school in the next fiscal year, although he says such a move would be a last resort.

The state's budget woes are also felt at Northern Illinois University (NIU). A spokesperson for the university told WBEZ that some members of the faculty are ready to quit because of funding issues; the state owes NIU $65 million. NIU president John Peters said even though the university would run out of money by April 15 if the state does not pay up, his school could no longer consider raising tuition costs without potentially pricing itself out of the market. Testimonies like those of the university presidents' provides ammunition to the arguments of SB 3 supporters, who are calling for the passage of the debt restructuring bill. 

If the state continues to lean on public universities to make up for its inability to provide financial support to the schools, then the cost of higher education will become a serious deterrent for lower- and middle-class students. Public institutions of higher learning were intended to even the playing field and allow people from all economic backgrounds the opportunity to get a quality, college education. But if legislators continue to let the state get severely behind in payments and fail to provide adequate financial support to Illinois' public universities, a college education will not only become less accessible, but the Prairie State could also face a future with a less-educated populace and bankrupt universities. How economically sound is that?