CHICAGO - Most public universities in Illinois have seen enrollment decreases this year as they recover from a two-year state budget impasse, but enrollment continues to increase at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The state operated without a budget from July 2015 until this July, when the Legislature overrode Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto of a spending plan and tax increase.
Universities, such as Southern Illinois at Carbondale and Eastern Illinois University, saw a dip in enrollment this year, particularly among freshman. Public university officials say the budget battle in Springfield is a critical factor in the declines.
The University of Illinois still saw a nearly 3 percent increase in enrollment from nearly 81,000 to more than 83,300 students.