Higher Education

Higher Education

I am a proud graduate of the University of Illinois, and I have been terribly concerned by our state’s record of failure to provide reliable, sufficient funding to our college and university systems.

When the state invests in higher education, we are investing in the future of our state. We need to commit to funding our state universities at a level that enables them to attract the best talent, both faculty and students. Students will not sign up to spend four years at one of our state universities if they’re worried that our state government will fail to make good on its responsibilities, resulting in faculty cutbacks or soaring tuition.

We also need to do more to promote and support our community colleges, their faculties, and their students. Our district is home to Illinois’ largest and most-respected community college, the College of DuPage. COD has a tremendous impact on our local economy – and more importantly, on the lives of our students. With the support of our state government and our local property owners, the College of DuPage offers students a world-class education at an affordable price, putting them on the path to successful and productive careers. Everybody benefits when our community colleges thrive.