WIU expecting 20 percent less money from state

Posted on June 20, 2016

By Illinois Radio Network

MACOMB – Western Illinois University’s preliminary budget expects 20 percent fewer dollars from the state and 10 percent fewer students.

University trustees last week approved a $221 million tentative budget. Just $41 million of that comes from the state. Matt Bierman, WIU budget director, said the rest comes from students and savings.

Bierman said the university doesn’t have any wiggle room.

“It is a day-by-day, case-by-case, payment-by-payment kind of operating,” Bierman said.

The $41 million in state dollars in WIU’s 2017 school year budget is $11 million less than in 2014.

Bierman said the lack of a state budget is contributing to the expected 10 percent enrollment decline.

“Every day that goes by causes more harm to the system because of the crisis of confidence we have in the state of Illinois,” he said.

Bierman said that crisis is confidence is now spreading from state government to universities across Illinois.

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