CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) — The U of I System is raising alarms over proposed state legislation that it says would significantly cut its share of public funding, warning the change could affect students, healthcare, and the broader state economy.

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Carol Ammons, a Democrat from Urbana, would alter how Illinois distributes funding among its public universities. The U of I System argues the new approach would leave it under-resourced at a time when it says it has expanded its reach and impact across the state.

In a message sent via email to the university community, system leadership described itself as the cornerstone of Illinois’ public higher education ecosystem, noting it educates more than half of all public university students and conducts the majority of research flowing from the state’s public institutions.

University officials warned the funding reduction could have wide-ranging consequences, including higher tuition and fewer academic options for students, a smaller pipeline of nurses, pharmacists, dentists, and other healthcare workers, reduced access to teachers and engineers in local communities, and slower economic growth statewide.

“If the University of Illinois System is under-resourced, the entire ecosystem will be unable to deliver for Illinois,” the message read, “and the state will lose ground in a manner from which it will be difficult to recover.”

The system called for a funding approach that is predictable, balanced, transparent, and aligned with the state’s long-term goals, saying the current proposal fails to meet those standards.

The legislation is currently before the Illinois General Assembly. Ammons’ office had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.