Pritzker highlights planned higher ed investments in UI visit

URBANA — On the heels of local elections and a statewide bout of severe weather, Gov. J.B. Pritzker made a stop at the University of Illinois to tout intended investments in higher education. Pritzker’s Illinois operating budget proposal for fiscal year 2024 contains a $697.1 million appropriation for the UI System’s general funds, which would be a near-$42 million increase over this fiscal year’s appropriation. His proposal recommends $80.5 million more overall in state funding for public universities and a record $100 million bump in Monetary Award Program financial aid. About 44 percent of undergraduates across the UI’s three campuses…