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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, In 2007, the Ninety-fifth General Assembly
3 adopted House Joint Resolution 69, directing the Board of
4 Higher Education to develop a master plan for Illinois higher
5 education; and
 
6     WHEREAS, On December 9, 2008, the Board of Higher Education
7 unanimously endorsed the "Public Agenda for College and Career
8 Success" as the blueprint to guide education policy in this
9 State for the next decade, codifying 4 major goals:
10         (1) match Illinois' educational attainment to the
11     best-performing U.S. states and world countries;
12         (2) ensure college affordability for students,
13     families, and taxpayers;
14         (3) increase quality postsecondary credentials and
15     elevate higher education graduation rates to meet the
16     demands of a global society; and
17         (4) better integrate Illinois' educational, research,
18     and innovation assets to meet the economic needs of this
19     State and its regions; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The Public Agenda recommends the specific goal of
21 making this State one of the 5 most affordable states in the
22 country; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, The Public Agenda identifies several barriers to
2 this goal:
3         (1) dwindling State support for colleges, which
4     equates to significant tuition increases;
5         (2) the diminished buying power of the Monetary Award
6     Program (MAP), resulting from the failure of State
7     financial aid to keep pace with tuition increases;
8         (3) the denial of MAP awards to one-fourth of eligible
9     students because of funding shortfalls;
10         (4) increased reliance on loans by middle-income
11     students to finance college;
12         (5) increased work hours for students to pay for rising
13     tuition, often extending their time-to-degree and total
14     educational costs; and
15         (6) lack of support for middle-income students (those
16     at the high end of the second income quintile through the
17     low end of the fourth income quintile), who typically do
18     not qualify for need-based grant aid from either State or
19     federal sources and have been greatly affected by the rise
20     in out-of-pocket costs as well; and
 
21     WHEREAS, The Public Agenda recommends priorities,
22 strategies, and actions to address the growing affordability
23 challenge; therefore, be it
 
24     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

 

 

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1 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
2 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Board of Higher Education,
3 working in concert with the Illinois Student Assistance
4 Commission and the Illinois Community College Board, shall
5 undertake a study of college affordability and funding, based
6 on the findings and recommendations of the Public Agenda for
7 College and Career Success and including the following:
8         (1) a review of State financial aid programs for
9     low-income students to ensure that programs are effective,
10     efficient, widely understood, and aligned with all Public
11     Agenda goals;
12         (2) strategies to help students achieve their
13     educational objectives faster;
14         (3) measures to assist middle-income students who do
15     not typically qualify for need-based grant aid; and
16         (4) steps to find institutional operating efficiencies
17     that reduce costs while expanding access and maintaining
18     quality; and be it further
 
19     RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois
20 Student Assistance Commission, and the Illinois Community
21 College Board shall prepare a report with findings and
22 recommendations on improving college affordability and higher
23 education funding and submit that report to the General
24 Assembly; and be it further
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
2 delivered to the chairpersons of the Board of Higher Education,
3 the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and the Illinois
4 Community College Board.