Illinois State representative Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) expressed her unwavering support for the University Professionals of Illinois, students, and fellow lawmaker Rep. La Shawn Ford. “I stand in full solidarity with the University Professionals of Illinois, our students, and my colleague, Rep. La Shawn Ford, in demanding the immediate release of the remaining 2% of higher education funding,” stated Kifowit.
“This is not a new ask, in fact ironically, this is money that was already promised. Withholding these critical funds jeopardizes academic programs and places an even heavier burden on students already struggling with the cost of education”.
Kifowit continued, “Let me be as straightforward as possible for brevity’s sake; I voted against this year’s state budget for exactly this reason. It failed to make the necessary investments in our future and is constantly making getting a degree more and more expensive. If our youth does not have the same opportunity as I once had when I attended Northern Illinois University, what are we leaving them? I was able to attend college back in the late 90’s when the State of Illinois invested and fully funded higher education to ensure it was affordable and obtainable, ” continued Kifowit. “Our institutions of higher education are funded at below what they were when I was a college student and it is insulting to approve these reduced resources for our universities, but then withhold them when they are needed most, leaving students and colleges to struggle more than they already are.
“Investing in our students isn’t just a line item, it’s a down payment and an investment in Illinois’ economic future. I join the growing amount of educational leaders and call on the Governor to release this funding immediately and urge my colleagues in the General Assembly to join this fight. Our students and faculty cannot wait”, stated Kifowit.
For more information, please contact Stephanie.Kifowit@att.net.
—Office of Illinois State representative Stephanie Kifowit