State university staffs could lose tuition break
SPRINGFIELD — State legislators citing the state's budget woes may end a perk allowing permanent employees at Illinois universities to send their children to public colleges for half the usual price.
Rep. Luis Arroyo, a Chicago Democrat, says he's moving to end the tuition break because Illinois can't afford it. He claimed in a hearing last week that the annual price tag is more than $300 million. The Board of Higher Education says waivers actually cost a little over $8 million last year.
The House Executive Committee approved the proposal 9-2, sending it to the full House.
Arroyo did not respond to messages seeking comment Monday.
The move comes as legislators are taking heat for a program that lets them grant full tuition waivers to students from their districts, an option that some have used to help friends, relatives and political allies. Arroyo voted to keep the legislative scholarships in 2010, despite their annual cost of about $13.5 million.
Employees at public universities must work there for seven years before their children are eligible for half-price tuition. More than 2,000 students use the break each year. Arroyo's bill would not phase out the program in stages or provide exceptions for anyone already getting the waivers, so those students would see their tuition double.
Supporters of the tuition break say it's a good way to attract people to certain low-paying jobs at public universities. The program is not limited to academic employees and includes other positions, like food service or maintenance employees.
David Comerford, a spokesman for the Illinois Federation of Teachers, said for many employees, sending their children to college was a primary reason for staying at a university job.
“The majority of people who use these are the support staff type,” Comerford said. “They really count on that, that's why they took the job.”
Rep. Edward Acevedo, a Chicago Democrat, spoke in support of ending the employee benefit. He said professors making “six-figure sums” shouldn't get half-price tuition for their children.