Illinois’ guaranteed-tuition law making college less affordable

Illinois’ guaranteed-tuition law is causing tuition rates at the state’s public colleges and universities to escalate faster than they would if schools were allowed to adjust tuition rates annually, according to analyses by Professor Jennifer A. Delaney of the Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership and Tyler D. Kearney, an associate director of the Office for Planning and Budgeting.

Since the Illinois law was enacted, annual tuition rates at the state’s public schools increased by approximately 26 to 30 percent—or an average of $1,479, the researchers found.

Proponents of the Illinois law said it was intended to contain spiraling tuition costs and promote affordability for Illinois families by providing predictable costs.

“There is growing interest and appeal in guaranteed tuition, as evidenced by the number of institutions that are electing to offer these programs,” Delaney said. “But if the primary intent is to promote affordability, rather than predictability, our results suggest that state-level guaranteed-tuition laws may not be entirely effective.”

Read the full Illinois News Bureau article.