Members of the campus’ two student governments — Graduate and Professional Students Council and Undergraduate Student Council — will travel Wednesday to Springfield to protest the state’s budget impasse. 

The organizations and other students will head to the Capitol to “show our continued disappointment in the State of Illinois Government for their inability to support higher education,” according to a GPSC flyer.

GPSC President Brandon Woudenberg said faculty and students from all over the state will be at the event to support MAP grant funding and the “general-pass-the-budget battle cry.” MAP grant funding was fronted by the university and without a state budget, SIU President Randy Dunn has alluded to students potentially paying back the grants.

After the 12:20 p.m. rally, students will meet with their local legislators to talk about the university. 

For more than eight months, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democratic Legislature have been unable to negotiate a state budget, leaving universities and colleges without funding since July 1. Illinois’ longest budget impasse to date has left its higher education institutions in a dire situation, which has some universities considering shutting down programs, cutting staff or ceasing operations all together. 

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The student governments are still looking for 80 people to sign up because two charter buses were purchased for the trip. Students can miss class to join in the rally by reserving a spot here.

The Daily Egyptian’s campus desk can be reached at [email protected] or 618-536-3325.