$NIU

104th Regular Session Introduced by Robyn Gabel

HB 3883 provides $103.64 million for NIU's operating expenses for FY2026 and $22,000 for scholarship awards, from state funds.

Referred to Rules Committee

Summary — HB 3883 (104th General Assembly, 2025–2026)

Title: $NIU
Introduced: February 25, 2025 (filed Feb. 21, 2025)
Primary sponsor: Rep. Cole (document also lists Rep. Robyn Gabel as introducing)
Current/Recent status: Referred to Rules Committee; subsequent committee hearings and actions in March–May 2025 including committee report, amendments, and floor actions (see timeline below).
Effective date: July 1, 2025

Purpose

HB 3883 is an appropriation bill that provides state operating funds to Northern Illinois University (NIU) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. It does not make substantive policy changes to NIU governance or programs; it allocates specific dollar amounts from state higher-education funds to support NIU’s operations and a small scholarship grant program.

Key provisions

Appropriates $103,639,900 (or so much as may be necessary) from the Education Assistance Fund to the Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University for operational expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.

Appropriates $22,000 (or so much as may be necessary) from the State College and University Trust Fund to the Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University for scholarship grant awards.

Effective date for the act is July 1, 2025.

Total specified in the bill: $103,661,900.

Who is affected

Northern Illinois University (institution-level): funding for institutional operations (e.g., staffing, maintenance, student services, academic programs).

NIU students eligible for scholarship grants funded from the State College and University Trust Fund (small, targeted awards).

State agencies that administer the Education Assistance Fund and the State College and University Trust Fund (budgeting and disbursement).

Fiscal and practical impact

The appropriations supply the primary state operating support for NIU for FY 2026; the $103.64 million is the major operating appropriation, while $22,000 is a nominal scholarship allocation.

Language “or so much thereof as may be necessary” allows flexibility in actual expenditure up to the stated amounts.

Because this is an appropriation bill, it directly affects NIU budgeting but does not create new statutory programs or regulatory duties.

Legislative timeline (selected)

02/25/2025: First reading; referred to Rules Committee.

03/27/2025: Referred to Culture, Recreation & Tourism.

04/15–04/16/2025: Committee hearing and formal meeting; reported favorably.

04/23/2025: Committee report filed/distributed.

05/02–05/06/2025: Placed on calendar; amended, passed, reported engrossed; record votes and statements recorded.

05/21/2025: Read and referred to Economic Development (entries show repeated procedural steps through May).

(Readers should consult the official legislative record for the most current status and final disposition.)