Illinois higher education officials are seeking $441.3 million in new state funds for public colleges and universities next year, even though state budget planners have warned that such funding cannot be provided without a substantial tax increase.
Budget requests submitted to the Illinois Board of Higher Education staff by the state`s 12 public university campuses, 38 community colleges and the Illinois State Scholarship Commission total just more than $2 billion. The budget proposals call for 34.8 percent more in state funding.
No tuition increases are proposed in the tentative budgets, though governing boards of the state public universities may consider tuition increases early next year.
Last month, Ted Sanders, state superintendent of education, outlined a preliminary budget for Illinois elementary and high schools that called for a $407 million increase in state spending.
The suggested elementary, secondary and higher education budget increases-which total $848.3 million in new state funds-are higher than the total revenue that would be generated by a 20 percent increase in the state income tax.
Robert Mandeville, state budget director, has estimated that increasing the state income tax on individuals to 3 percent from 2.5 percent, and on corporations to 4.8 percent from 4 percent, would produce $663 million.
Gov. James Thompson has said he does not plan to include a tax increase in the state budget he will propose next spring. He said it will be up to lawmakers next year to propose new taxes or accept his ”bleak” budget based on projected revenues.
Mandeville said Thompson has followed a practice of recommending that higher education receive a state aid increase that is one-half that for elementary and high schools.
The education budget proposal will be reviewed by the higher education board`s staff, which invariably slashes the requests, then recommends a slimmed-down version for a board vote in January.
After that, Mandeville and Thompson review the budget request, and they may submit yet another version for approval by the General Assembly as part of the total state budget proposal.
The budget requests total $2.006 billion, and $1.709 billion would come from state funds. The remainder would be generated by tuition, grants and other income.
Of the proposed $441.3 million increase, $90.3 million would fund salary increases for faculty members and other employees. University campuses are asking for pay increases ranging from 10 percent to 13 percent.
The Board of Regents, which oversees Northern Illinois University, De Kalb; Illinois State University, Normal; and Sangamon State University, Springfield, is seeking 10 percent. The governing board for the two Southern Illinois University campuses is seeking 13 percent employee pay raises.
Professors and other campus employees received no wage increases this academic year because Thompson reduced state funding for higher education after state lawmakers refused to enact an income tax boost.
The 12 public university campuses are seeking $92.2 million in new funds for 207 new academic programs, improvements and expansions of current programs and to upgrade or repair physical facilities and equipment.
Among these myriad proposals, the University of Illinois wants $5 million to support its ailing hospital on Chicago`s West Side; Northern Illinois University is seeking $500,000 to expand off-campus programs; Illinois State University, Normal, proposes $363,500 to improve undergraduate mathematics instruction; and Chicago State University wants $533,000 for its undergraduate engineering program.
Still other proposals are Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, toxic waste study, $174,000; Western Illinois University, Macomb, mathematics and science education development in local schools, $288,300; Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, molecular biology, $700,000; Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, renewal and improvement of metropolitan education, $603,500; and University of Illinois, scientific and technological advances, $5.1 milllion.
The Illinois Community College Board is seeking a $62.4 million increase, or 34.6 percent, in state funds that would provide 9.5 percent salary raises for faculty members and other employees.
The Illinois State Scholarship Commission has proposed $59.4 million more, an 18.2 percent increase, to keep pace with tuition increases in its need-based grants to college students. The commission wants to increase the maximum annual grant from $3,100 to $3,600.
Among the commission`s other budget requests is $8.5 million to fund $500 merit scholarships for students ranking in the top 10 percent of their high school classes who choose to attend an Illinois college or university.
In another higher education matter, autumn, 1987, enrollment at Illinois public and private colleges, universities and community colleges is 691,468 students, down 5,440, or 0.8 of 1 percent, from 696,908 in autumn, 1986. Enrollment in state public universities is 198,029, up 1.2 percent from 195,681 in 1986; in private colleges and universities it is 168,480, up 1.3 percent from 166,343; and in community colleges it is 325,959, down 3 percent from 334,884.
