Illinois' community colleges have been struggling to make ends meet without a state budget for nearly a year. For some, the cutbacks they've had to make could mean the loss of federal dollars, too.
Community colleges use a combination of federal and state funds to provide adult education classes that help people pass the GED.
Normally, the state provides 32 million dollars, and the federal government kicks in about 23 million dollars — but that’s based on the state’s ability to prove its programs work.
Karen Hunter Anderson, president of the Illinois Community College Board, told lawmakers this week that with zero funding from the state, some colleges have been forced to downsize, suspend or close their GED classes. She says that could cost the state federal funds.
"Certainly in terms of performance, regardless of whether we get a budget or not, it's already going to have an impact on the performance for next year, which is what determines our dollars," Anderson said.
About 1.2 million adults in Illinois need access to a GED program.
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