State universities in Illinois will find themselves in the same uncertain position as they have in the past when Gov. Pat Quinn presents the Illinois budget today.
Only this year, Southern Illinois U. President Glenn Poshard said there‘s unlikely to be any federal stimulus money to ease the pain.
Poshard said though the state appropriation is expected to stay the same as last year, a lack of stimulus money could result in a 7 percent cut at SIU.
“We know unless the federal legislation takes action, we’re going to lose the 7 percent stimulus money,” Poshard said. “So while the budget may reflect flat funding at the FY10 level, we know in the state fiscal level there is going to be at least a 7 percent cut unless the money is restored at the fiscal level.”
The 7 percent stimulus money came when Illinois was given $1.02 billion in education-related stimulus spending last year, said Poshard.
SIU could receive more than $211 million in state appropriations in fiscal year 2011, according to the FY11 Fiscal Overview & Budget Summary that Quinn presented to the Illinois General Assembly in March. The budget calls for almost $1.17 billion to be appropriated to public universities, including $456 million to be appropriated to University of Illinois.
The document states, however, the numbers are “the governor’s operating budget recommendations.”
Even when the budget is presented, Quinn still has the power to cut funding to “anything (he) sees fit” at a later time, said Rod Sievers, SIUC spokesman. He said it was possible education could be effected by these cuts.
“As far as people that I’ve talked to today, no one really knows where these cuts are going to come from,” Sievers said. “The governor’s office has not led on to anything.”
SIU is still waiting for state appropriations for this fiscal year, but Poshard said the university received a $14.4 million payment this week; bringing the total owed to the university in FY10 to $82 million.
“This will allow us to make payroll all the way to September, so that settles a lot of fears people were having coming into the fall semester,” Poshard said.
But Poshard said he would sit and wait for Quinn to present next year’s budget to see what the financial situation for the university will be like the upcoming year.
“I guess (today) we’ll just find out what level we’re going to be funded at — and cut at,” he said.