SPRINGFIELD - During the House floor debate on the Higher Education budget this week, Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) used some eyebrow-raising numbers concerning what Illinois spends on higher education and how many higher education grads leave the state each year:
- $12,293 - the amount the state of Illinois spends per full-time student
- $6,552 - the amount that states on a national average spends per full-time student
- 16,000 - the net out of higher education grads that leave Illinois each year
Rep. Batinick's comments point out the Democrats' demand for elevated spending on the state's Higher Education budget without being willing to consider needed reforms that would bring those numbers under control:
