SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel, a staunch advocate for education, supported the Fiscal Year 2024 budget that was signed into law Wednesday, putting Illinois on a path toward fiscal responsibility and investing in education from preschool to college.

“As chair of the Senate Appropriations-Education Committee, this budget is a win for all levels of education,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “We are paving the way for kids to be lifelong learners. Investing in Early Childhood, K-12 and higher education is essential for our future leaders.”

The FY 24 budget puts a total of $250 million toward a new program – SMART Start Illinois – a multi-year program to provide investments in preparing children to be lifelong learners. As part of the plan, $75 million will be sent to the ISBE Early Childhood Block Grant to increase preschool availability with a goal to add 20,000 slots by 2027 and provide every Illinois child with access to a preschool spot if they want one.

“Research has shown how vital Early Childhood education is. By supporting early intervention we are setting students up to succeed in the classroom,” said Loughran Cappel. “When we invest in Early Childhood education, we have to ensure that there will be teachers available to teach. That’s why I pushed to invest in our teacher pipeline so that we can tackle the teacher shortage before it’s too late.”

The budget increases the state’s tuition assistance program, the Monetary Award Program, funding by $100 million – a 75% increase in funding over five years. This increased funding allows nearly all community college students and 40% of public university students at or below median income levels to have their tuition and fees covered through MAP and Pell Grants.

Middle class families will also be able to take advantage of the $50 million investment for the AIM HIGH program which provides merit-based, means-tested student financial aid to first-time, full-time undergraduate students and transfer students who are Illinois residents attending any of the 12 Illinois public four-year universities.

“I spent 15 years in the classroom,” said Loughran Cappel. “My career has led me to be a strong advocate for our teachers and students. I’m proud of what this budget does for our schools, students, families and education professionals.”