Illinois legislators will hold a hearing today on a proposal to eliminate a benefit for state university employees.
The children of those workers can receive a 50 percent tuition waiver at any state school. Employees must work at a university seven years before they’re eligible.
State Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, says the program could be used as a bargaining chip to avoid other proposed cuts involving higher education.
“Could it be a part of our negotiations? Y’know, right now the governor’s proposed [2016] budget cuts higher education by 30 percent, right? So that could be in the mix.”
The Illinois Federation of Teachers opposes eliminating the program. It says the tuition waiver saves schools money on searches and training.
Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, says it costs the schools about $10 million a year to offer half-price tuition to employees’ children.
"I see the state of Illinois pretty much on a lifeboat,” Franks said, “and we're sinking and we can't afford to do everything. I wish we could, but this is not the time that we can continue to have these type of perks."
Franks offered his similar proposal for discussion last Wednesday during a meeting of the State Government Administration Committee, which he chairs.
Franks says he wants to make college more affordable for everyone, but higher education budget cuts make the tuition waivers impossible to maintain.
The idea has come up before but failed to win approval. Opponents say those benefits make Illinois universities competitive in attracting employees.
"It's a different world now than it was a few years ago and, honestly, I wish we could keep this," Franks said, “but we just can't afford it. And I'm not trying to be mean-spirited, but I look at all the taxpayers, and what we have to pay. Frankly we're subsidizing a perk that's really indefensible now.
Some lawmakers want the change to apply only to new hires.