Generally speaking, it is understandable that many UIS students do not really know where all of the university’s funding comes from. Alongside that, students hardly know where the funding goes much of the time. In order to better appreciate the school’s budgeting, as well as give informed criticism, it is important to really understand where the funding comes from and goes.

The funding for the U of I school system can reach around $6.7 billion. This money comes from a multitude of sources, including 21% from student tuition, 21% state payments, and another 58% from other sources listed here. The intended purpose for this large amount of funding primarily goes towards instructional and departmental research, as well as academic support, among other things.

Though, some funding concerns do exist, there are areas on the UIS campus that clearly need refurbishing. Just to name a key example, some of the east campus roads are just barely being held together with the cracks and chunky potholes all throughout. This issue spreads to the sidewalks as well, with the poor quality making them dangerous for students to ride skateboards, bikes or rollerblades on. This makes some of the fastest methods of transportation on campus unsafe, despite the university’s promises that student’s safety on campus is a top priority.

The most valuable thing to consider is what the students think, since they are the ones that experience the campus most frequently. Many students have brought up their frustration with the campus not having a swimming pool, considering the most recent campus projects. Things like this make it difficult for students to feel as connected to the campus as they should since such amenities would strongly benefit them do not seem to be considered.

While it is understandable where a majority of the funding is placed, especially considering the importance of prioritizing fair compensation for professor efforts, there are some changes that need to be made. The funding could stand to be stretched in some other places to improve both the student experience and the overall quality of campus. It could potentially increase the number of students who decide to attend UIS, and that may be the best reasoning there is to allocate funds differently.