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NIU Board Of Trustees Signs On To Conditional Funding Bill

NIU's Altgeld Hall
Susan Stephens
/
WNIJ
NIU's Altgeld Hall

The Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees has signed on to a bill that would guarantee stable funding for the school while imposing several performance standards.

The bill is known as Investment, Performance, and Accountability Commitment, or IPAC, and would provide NIU a minimum of $93 million per year over the next half-decade.  This is higher than the $82 million allocated in fiscal year 2018. But the funding is contingent on NIU following several provisions. Examples include limiting undergraduate tuition increases, admitting more students from underserved communities, and setting aside more money for in-state financial aid.  NIU Presidential Chief of Staff Matt Streb says it was important to tie the money to performance. 

“We just can’t come up to the state legislature and say, ‘You need to give us money.’” We recognize in return that we need to be accountable to the taxpayers of Illinois, and so I think that’s exactly what IPAC does and why we’re excited to be a part of it.”

The bill originally was proposed by Tim Killeen, President of the University of Illinois System, with similar funding provisions and performance goals. IPAC is pending in the General Assembly. If it's approved, the goals and funding targets for NIU would be separate from those for the U of I.