May 30, 2023

Dear faculty, staff, students and friends:

The Illinois General Assembly continues to recognize the phenomenal contributions of the U of I System universities. In a new state budget that Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign, the system will receive $697.8 million in operating funds for the upcoming fiscal year. The budget also increases the Monetary Award Program (MAP) – the state’s primary student financial aid program – by $100 million.

The legislature’s spending plan increases the system's general operations appropriation by 7.0% over the current fiscal year. The 2024 fiscal year begins July 1. 

The state’s support is a point of pride for each of us, as well as a reminder of the exceptional standards that we uphold. This is the fourth consecutive year that the General Assembly has either increased the budget for public higher education or kept it at the previous year’s level.

The legislature’s U of I System Caucus deserves a tremendous amount of credit for its extensive efforts on the system’s behalf, but we also must applaud our faculty and staff for your dedication and all-around excellence.

Your work continues to enhance our reputation and open doors to future opportunities. In addition to providing a world-class experience to more than 94,800 students, our universities are moving forward with innovative partnerships that generate additional benefits to the state as a whole.

And we also need to recognize the role of our alumni. After all, their amazing accomplishments in myriad fields and disciplines speak volumes about our universities, and many of them also make their voices heard in Springfield.

We thank the entire state government for its support of public higher education and its affirmation of the U of I System’s value. Together we will continue to explore ways to deliver a brighter future.

Sincerely,

Tim Killeen
President, U of I System