Thursday, March 1, 2018

While Chris Kennedy campaigns against the cost of college and the exodus of college-bound students from Illinois, a closer look shows that his record and his rhetoric doesn’t add up. As chairman of the University of Illinois’ Board of Trustees, Kennedy oversaw five consecutive tuition hikes and plummeting in-state enrollment, with the percentage of in-state freshmen dropping to a “new low.” During his tenure, African-American enrollment also plummeted by nearly 14%. Despite the student exodus under Kennedy’s tenure, he balked at the university’s decision to freeze tuition after five years of consecutive hikes, calling it “a big mistake.”

REALITY CHECK:

• From 2010-2014 Kennedy presided over five tuition hikes at U of I, raising tuition by nearly 30% in total.

• While Kennedy was chairman of the University of Illinois’ Board of Trustees, in-state enrollment plummeted, dropping to a “new low.”

• African-American enrollment dropped from 2,472 students in 2009 to 2,126 students in 2014, a nearly 14% decrease while Kennedy was board chair.

• Kennedy called the university’s decision to freeze tuition after five years of consecutive hikes under his leadership “a big mistake.”

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