Democratic leaders say immigrant, first-generation and marginalized students should not be left behind because of where they were born.
This comes nine months after the Trump administration filed a lawsuit aimed at blocking the state from lowering the cost of college for undocumented immigrants.
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) said it is time to shake up the funding process for the state's 12 public universities, as many believe funding should be based on the needs of each college.
Advocates say investing at least $135 million in public universities over the next decade could help shift the burden of college costs away from students and families.
Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Board of Higher Education announced Monday that the Prairie State has achieved its highest enrollment at public universities in a decade.
Gov. JB Pritzker signed four bills into law Monday that could break down barriers for even more people to achieve higher education goals.