Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed 2016 budget reduces funding to the University of Illinois by $209 million, according to Thomas Hardy, the executive director of university relations for the University of Illinois.

Hardy called the 31.5 percent cut one of “historic proportions.”

“State support for public higher education has been declining pretty regularly since 2002,” said Hardy. “This would be more than all the cuts we’ve gone through since 2002.”

The budget cuts would affect the university’s campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield, Hardy said.

According to Hardy, the final budget is not due until May 21, but negotiations could go past this deadline. The governor’s budget is only the first step in the budgeting process, and the “legislature may not agree with it,” he said.

In recent years, Glenbrook North students have attended the University of Illinois more than any other college, according to GBN’s College Coordinator David Boyle. Usually 50 to 55 students enroll in the university’s Urbana-Champaign campus a year, he said.

“As one of the largest public entities in the state, [the University of Illinois wants] to partner with the governor and the legislature on finding the best ways to reach a long-term solution to the state’s fiscal issues,” Hardy said.

Rauner’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

It is unclear whether funding cuts would cause tuition to increase, said Hardy. The university’s Board of Trustees has “frozen” tuition for the upcoming year, he said.

According to Hardy, the university would require a “significant” tuition increase to compensate for a funding cut of the magnitude proposed by the governor. Nevertheless, he said the Board of Trustees would seek alternative solutions, if possible.

The university already has one of the five highest in-state tuition rates in the country, according to Boyle.

“We can see that we’re losing students who are accepted in our campus, specifically in the Urbana campus,” said Hardy. “[They are] opting to go elsewhere because they [are] getting better financial aid packages from these other places.”

GBN seniors expressed differing views of the impact that the proposed cuts might have on their choice of college.

“Finances are a factor [in college selection],” senior Noah Lee said.

Senior Justin Mui said the potential funding reduction would not deter him from attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He said he remains “very confident” that he will attend and “would still be set to go” even if the cuts are passed.

According to Boyle, tuition has become an increasingly important consideration for students when selecting a college.

“It used to be [that] a discussion [about tuition] would take place only in the March and April aspect of the decision of senior year,” said Boyle. “But now we talk about it from the first night of our college selection process.”

Senior Justin Tucker said the cuts might be useful to him.

“The [proposed funding cut] really concerns my parents more than me,” said Tucker. “[The cuts] will probably give me an edge because I’d rather go to Indiana over Illinois.”

Hardy said the university will work with the governor and the legislature to mitigate the effect of any cuts.

“The University of Illinois is an endlessly valuable asset for the state,” said Hardy.  “A lot of people in Springfield [and] other parts of the state understand that.”