The Illinois State Scholarship Commission is working for a tax increase for higher education because of the General Assembly’s $224 million cuts below the 1986-87 ISSC appropriation.

Robert Clement, ISSC director for agency relations, said the commission’s efforts for a tax increase consist of sending newsletters and informing parents the Monetary Award Program might be in jeopardy for second semester recipients.

Presentations throughout the state are being given to inform the public of Illinois higher education’s disposition, Clement said.

ISSC legislative liasons are working with the Illinois legislature to get a tax hike, and the ISSC is working with Illinois universities to fund more money to higher education, Clement said.

NIU Financial Aid Director Jerry Augsburger said the entire financial aid community in Illinois is working in Springfield on Illinois higher education’s “deficit problem.”

The four-year public universities in Illinois meet regularly to discuss issues affecting higher education, Augsburger said. Public, private and community colleges are working with the ISSC as a subgroup of the ISSC to help in the efforts for a tax increase, he said.

Clement said not only is higher education suffering, but secondary schools are deteriorating as well. If a tax increase fails, Illinois elementary schools and high schools will face state funding cuts its third year out of the last six, he said.

Several problems exist if a tax increase does not occur, including quality teachers leaving the profession or being lured to other state universities.

In addition, funds for reform schools are diminishing, and new scholarships were stated as having insufficient funding to award eligible students, Clement said.

NIU President John LaTourette said Illinois is 47th in the United States in support for universities and colleges. Clement said Alaska, Louisiana and North Dakota have worse records than Illinois.

Illinois would have more jobs and more revenue with a good educational system, and teachers would be more likely to stay in Illinois, Clement said.

He said the ISSC began emphasizing the importance of long-range financial planning for college students because of the rising cost of higher education.

Careful planing before and after college is needed to prepare a student financially, Clement said. The demand for Illinois College Savings Bonds has recently increased, he said.

From the $90 million available in bonds, $270 million has been requested, which means people are starting to view higher education as a long-term investment, Clement said.