In January of 2017, University of Illinois President Tim Killeen announced that the U of I System’s universities in Urbana-Champagne, Chicago and Springfield will increase enrollment by nearly 15 percent in the next five years. The change will expand opportunities for all Illinois students, specifically underrepresented minorities, by capitalizing on the unique strengths and opportunities of each campus, Killeen said in a press release.

“Big numbers aside, this enrollment initiative is really all about opportunity— giving more students the opportunity for a world-class education that will transform their lives and seizing on opportunity to serve the needs of the state by expanding the pipeline of talent that is so critical to the future,” Killeen said in a press release.

In the fall of 2016, 81,499 students enrolled in the U of I schools, 79 from LT. With this new expansion plan, the overall enrollment will increase to 93,646 total students.

“The number of LT students that choose to attend U of I has been pretty consistent, so I don’t know if the new plan will have much effect on our students,” College and Career Coordinator Lianne Musser said. “Most either want to attend U of I or they don’t. Often, it comes down to money, but I don’t think a freeze will make as much difference as the initial cost of the colleges to which the student is admitted.”

Choosing the right college can be difficult and it is important to consider many factors including academics, location and cost. In recent years, there has been an increase in enrollment of Illinois high school graduates attending out-of-state colleges and universities.

“It is absolutely true that more students are going out of state,” Musser said. “In about the last decade we have gone from roughly 10,000 students leaving the state to about 30,000 a year.”

In 2002, 29 percent of high school graduates enrolled in out-of-state institutions, but in 2015, out-of-state enrollment rose to 45 percent of graduating high school seniors. This increase may be attributed to lower tuition options or direct admit programs at out-of-state schools and the financial crisis in Illinois in recent years, Musser said.

“When Illinois started having severe budget problems, students starting thinking that schools may potentially close or that they were not good schools,” Musser said. “In reality, the issues at the universities were tied to a lot of legislative and contractual issues, but this led more students to look out of state.”

Expanding opportunities in the U of I system will help curb a growing migration of students to out of state colleges, Killeen said. In addition to increasing enrollment, there will also be a tuition freeze between $15,630 and $20,634 depending on the student’s choice of major.

“There has to be a balance in every family’s decision as to how much money they’re willing to spend or can spend and if they think it’s a better value to take money from other schools,” Musser said. “It comes down to individual choices and deciding how much value one places on reputation and value. It’s up to the individual to decide what is worth it.”

Despite the high price, the U of I system has much to offer. The System is a world leader in research and discovery and the largest educational institution in the state.

“U of I has impacted my education in so many positive ways so far,” Gaby Sabatino ’16 said. “The programs and classes here are some of the best learning experiences I’ve ever had in my life. I can only hope that everyone has the opportunity that I’ve had to experience such a phenomenal school and academic program.”

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign plans to target graduate and professional programs, with an emphasis on new online programs, in the enrollment increase since the freshman class already ranks among the largest in the nation. The enrollment is expected to increase by 6,304 which will bring the total enrollment to 53, 255.

“Overall you really can’t go wrong at U of I,” Sabatino said. “There are so many learning opportunities and professors who care about your success and people around to support you in your decision to pursue any professional field you’re interested in.”

University of Illinois at Chicago is focusing on undergraduate opportunities by expanding 18 undergraduate programs and creating five new ones, mainly focused on health-care education. More than 90 percent of projected growth at Chicago will come from undergraduates, increasing the enrollment by 4,785 students to 33,905.

“UIC is popular for several reasons,” Musser said. “Not only do they offer a large variety of programs, but also many can still live at home and commute with the train so the convenience and savings of not have to live in a dorm is considerable.”

University of Illinois-Springfield has also recently added five new bachelors degree programs and plans to increase enrollment by 1,058. Springfield will also be focusing on expanding online offerings as they are national leader in online education.

“Springfield offers a lot of scholarships but not as many are attracted to, first of all a downstate small venue with a limited amount of majors, but students who are interested in political science might be because it’s in the capital,” Musser said.

Increasing the enrollment [across the U of I System] will provide life-changing opportunities for students, Killeen said.