Former Illinois Rep Calls for Higher Ed Funding Overhaul

Proposal aims to address declining enrollment due to lower birth rates

Mar. 12, 2026 at 1:26pm

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Former Illinois state representative Mark Batinick called for a revamp of higher education funding in the state, arguing that the current system subsidizes "failure" by providing the same funding to universities with vastly different enrollment numbers. Batinick cited declining birth rates and a resulting "enrollment cliff" as a key driver behind the need for a new funding model.

Why it matters

Illinois has seen a significant decline in college enrollment over the past decade, with the total number of students dropping from a peak of 380,000 in 2011 to just 261,000 today. This enrollment cliff is directly tied to a drop in birth rates 17 years ago, and it is putting financial strain on the state's public universities.

The details

Batinick argued that the current funding model provides the same level of state support to universities that have seen enrollment grow from 15,000 to 75,000 students as it does to those that have only grown from 7,500 to 15,000 students. He believes this is "subsidizing failure" and called for a new funding approach to address the enrollment declines.

  • Illinois saw its peak college enrollment of 380,000 students in 2011.
  • College enrollment in Illinois has since dropped to 261,000 students.

The players

Mark Batinick

Former Illinois state representative who called for a revamp of higher education funding in the state.

Jeff Keicher

Illinois state representative who is sponsoring a bill for a study to produce a ten-year plan for Illinois' public universities.

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What they’re saying

“The universities that have gone from 15,000 to 75,000 students, they get the same amount as the university that went from 7,500 students to 15,000 students. So, what's the effect of that? You're subsidizing failure.”

— Mark Batinick, Former Illinois State Representative

“We peaked at all of higher education at about 380,000 students in 2011. We are now down to 261,000 students. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education did a study on the enrollment cliff. It happened after 2009, when you saw a massive drop in the birth rate. That massive drop was 17 years ago, and it's about to hit our shores.”

— Mark Batinick, Former Illinois State Representative

What’s next

State Rep. Jeff Keicher is sponsoring a bill for a study to produce a ten-year plan for Illinois' public universities.

The takeaway

Illinois is facing a significant decline in college enrollment due to a drop in birth rates 17 years ago, putting financial strain on the state's public universities. Former Rep. Batinick is calling for a revamp of the higher education funding model to address this "enrollment cliff" and stop "subsidizing failure" among universities with vastly different enrollment numbers.