The following is an excerpt of an article published by the Chicago Tribune on May 31, 2023.
"Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday kicked off a statewide tour to promote the $50.6 billion budget passed by lawmakers days earlier, with a focus on increased higher education funding during a stop at the University of Illinois at Springfield campus.
Pritzker said the budget allows for “nearly every student” from a working-class family to attend community college for free and it sets aside an additional $100 million for Monetary Award Program grant funding for college scholarships."