SB0815 Summary

• Creates the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding to develop data-driven criteria and funding approaches for Illinois public universities that address historical inequities and systemic racism affecting Black, Latinx, and low-income students.

• Commission membership includes 21+ members: legislators, university presidents, state officials, faculty representatives, student advocates, and experts in higher education funding, with consideration for racial and geographical diversity.

• Commission must deliver recommendations by July 1, 2023 establishing an equity-based funding model that addresses disparities in access, affordability, and completion rates, with specific consideration for underrepresented student groups.

• Recommendations must address 13 areas including remediating historical funding inequities, ensuring stable funding during economic hardship, supporting graduate and professional programs, and maintaining accountability through transparency.

• Requires all public institutions of higher education and state agencies to provide data and information to the Commission as needed to fulfill the Act's requirements.