The state Board of Education says it needs a more accurate count of low-income students as participation in federal assistance programs declines.

The Illinois State Board of Education unanimously approved an overhaul to its system for deciding how well schools across the state are performing.

Legislation currently in the Illinois House seeks to make funding public universities more equitable.

Illinois House Bill 1581 advanced out of committee in late March. If passed, it would change how the state funds higher education.

A bill that would change the way public universities are funded in Illinois is making its way through Springfield. HB1581 and SB13 represent what supporters are calling the Adequate and Equitable Public University Funding Act.

Illinois House Democrats passed a plan out of committee Thursday morning to create an evidence-based funding formula for Illinois public colleges and universities.

Gov. JB Pritzker is calling on agencies in his administration to set goals for increasing the number of adults in the state with college degrees or other postsecondary credentials.

Last month, the Trump administration tried to freeze $1 billion in federal funding for Illinois child care. Courts have blocked it so far. The program that would be hit hardest is Illinois' Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).

With enrollment plunging at many of Illinois’ regional universities, state leaders are again pressing a sweeping overhaul of higher education funding.