Report shows impact of budget impasse on colleges - Brandon Richard, WSIL

In a new report, researchers at the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, blame a lack of state leadership for causing "disproportionate and lasting consequences" for universities like SIU. They say it led to more than 72,000 fewer students enrolling in Illinois colleges and about 7,500 jobs losses. Researchers say the strain from the budget impasse also cost the state's economy nearly $1 billion per year, including more than $30 million in Southern Illinois. The impasse forced schools to make more than $600-million dollars in cuts. As a result, of the schools raised tuition, cut programs, and laid off workers. http://www.wsiltv.com/story/36324806/report-shows-impact-of-budget-impasse-on-colleges