The University of Illinois has received a relatively glowing financial report from Moody's Investor Service. But it comes with warnings. In a just-released report, Moody's analysts commend administrators for having years ago prepared to weather fiscal storms like the one higher education's facing now.
The U of I and other public universities went nearly a year without any state funding. The report says the school's brand and diverse revenue base add credit stability that's helped to cushion state funding blows.
Now comes the "but." U of I's three campuses collectively enroll the most international students of any university in the U.S., and Moody's says that makes Illinois vulnerable to possible future government policies changes or restrictions. And, the analysts write, the state budget situation will over time hurt U of I's ability to "compete for top tier faculty."
