Illinois lawmakers are scheduled to hold a hearing Wednesday on a proposal to eliminate a benefit for state university employees. The children of those workers can receive a 50% tuition waiver at any state school.
Employees must work at a university seven years before they’re eligible for the benefit.
State Senator John Sullivan of Rushville says the program could be used as a bargaining chip to avoid other proposed cuts involving higher education.
“Could it be a part of our negotiations? Y’know, right now the governor’s proposed ’16 budget cuts higher education by 30%, right? So that could be in the mix.”
The Illinois Federation of Teachers opposed elimination of the program. It says the tuition waiver encourages employees to stay longer at a university, ultimately saving schools money on searches and training.