Legislators Approve $600 Million to Help Illinois Colleges Stay Afloat

Illinois state lawmakers have approved $600 million in short-term higher-education funding to keep public colleges and universities operating during the state’s budget deadlock, the Associated Press reports.

Illinois’s public colleges and universities have gone without state funding for more than nine months, and their leaders have pleaded with politicians to come to an agreement to avoid more financial fallout. Several institutions have resorted to layoffs and other cuts to make ends meet.

The bill — which the Republican governor, Bruce V. Rauner, is expected to sign — comes at a pivotal moment for Chicago State University, a mostly African-American institution that has come close to shutting its doors because of a lack of funding. The bill also would set aside about $170 million in grants for low-income students.