CARBONDALE - Southern Illinois University President Dan Mahony made the following comment about Gov. J.B. Pritzker's recent announcement of funding for the SIU campuses.
“Across Southern Illinois University’s campuses, we sincerely thank Governor JB Pritzker for proposing continued investment in higher education with a recommended, historic across-the-board seven percent operations funding increase, totaling $100 million for all of higher education in the upcoming fiscal year," Mahony said. "If adopted, this could provide roughly $14 million more for the SIU campuses. This investment is very much appreciated news as we continue to provide a great education for our students and serve as a critical economic driver for central and southern Illinois."
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Mahony continued and said beyond expanded operations support for the SIU campuses, it’s great to see proposed new increases in funding for MAP grants by $100 million.
"These dollars, which provide need-based aid covering tuition and fees, help limit student loan debt," he said. "Last year, over 5,000 students at SIU Carbondale and SIU Edwardsville were awarded more than $22 million in MAP Grants. If the recent trends continue, this will be the fifth year the Governor has proposed and the General Assembly adopts a MAP Grant increase. On behalf of our students, we cannot thank them enough.
"We are also excited to see news about the teacher pipeline program and an increase in funding for the Minority Teacher Scholarship Fund," Mahony said. "Both SIU campuses are very invested in graduating more teachers for our K-12 classrooms to fill the teacher shortage. These dollars in the Governor’s proposed budget will help us meet that challenge.
"As the spring legislative session continues, we look forward to working with the Governor and our partners in the Illinois General Assembly, especially our SIU System legislative delegation, to demonstrate how investing in the SIU campuses and in higher education supports our students, the communities we serve and the Illinois economy.”
