The Illinois Board of Higher Education has approved $17 million in emergency funding to help three financially-strapped state universities through the end of the year. Under the agreement Western Illinois University gets $8.4 million, Eastern Illinois University receives about $5.6 million and Chicago State University gets around $3 million. The funding can only be used to pay down costs incurred this year.
The board received $20 million from the state to distribute to schools in financial crisis. It's part of a temporary spending plan as the impasse over a full state budget stretches into a second year. About $3 million is left. It'll go to the Illinois Community College Board in December.
