WIU budget suffers cut - Bill Welt, Western Courier

Western Illinois University's operating budget suffered a $3.7 million reduction for the 2011 fiscal year due to cutbacks in state funding. The 3.7 million dollar cutback leaves Western with an operating budget of $56.2 million for this fiscal year, which started on July 1. Governor Pat Quinn announced the state will reduce its expenditures to higher education in Illinois by $100 million on July 1 as part of an attempt to reduce the state deficit by $1.4 billion in the 2011 fiscal year. A significant factor in Illinois' higher education cutback is due to the abatement of the federal stimulus funding, which was available for the state during the 2010 fiscal year.