The following letter was sent to Illinois’ federal legislators today by presidents of the state’s public universities, seeking additional relief to offset costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dear Senator/Representative:
We write on behalf of Illinois’ public universities to thank you for the pandemic relief Congress approved in December, and to request additional urgent assistance, as President Biden has proposed in his American Rescue Plan.
COVID-19 continues to have a devastating impact on higher education. Our universities have taken extraordinary measures to continue operating during the pandemic, such as purchasing hardware and software for students to take online courses and providing COVID-19 testing for students and employees. At the same time, we have seen significant revenue declines due to closed facilities and room and board refunds, among other issues. All told, the financial impact of the pandemic on Illinois’ public universities through December 2020 was over $533 million, and that figure is estimated to reach $819 million by the end of spring semester.
We are grateful for the support Congress has provided, most recently in the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA). Our universities will receive $147 million from CRRSAA’s higher education relief fund, with an additional $69 million in emergency financial aid grants for our students. This support is vital, but further relief is needed.
Specifically, we request:
- Further financial assistance for institutions of higher education and students, for costs incurred since the beginning of the pandemic. We support the request made by the American Council on Education (ACE) and leading higher ed associations for an additional $97 billion in emergency funding.
- Funding to make up for disruptions to research grants, which have been particularly harmful to early-career and female researchers. We support ACE’s request for $26 billion in emergency funding for federal research agencies.
- Funding for state and local governments, so that they can continue to provide essential services.
- Temporary and limited liability protections to help ensure that universities acting in good faith and following applicable public health standards do not face expensive and time-consuming litigation, as detailed in the May 28 letter from higher education associations.
We thank you for your continued advocacy on behalf of Illinois at this challenging time.
Sincerely,
University of Illinois System
President Timothy L. Killeen
Chicago State University
President Zaldwaynaka Scott
Eastern Illinois University
President David M. Glassman
Governors State University
President Cheryl F. Green
Illinois State University
President Larry H. Dietz
Northeastern Illinois University
President Gloria J. Gibson
Northern Illinois University
President Lisa C. Freeman
Southern Illinois University System
President Daniel F. Mahony
Western Illinois University
President Guiyou Huang
