In 1868, the University of Illinois was founded as a public university with the help of land grants, which aim to provide affordable education for the people within that state. We have evolved through almost 150 years, but we have always remained a public institution that leads the nation in international student attendance, research and overall quality.

On February 20, Sen. William E. Brady, R-44, filed a bill to the Illinois General Assembly that would transition the University into a private institution by 2021, a process that would begin in July 2015. If the bill is passed, the University would officially be a private institution instead of the public beacon it has always been recognized as.

Even though the bill is currently on pause after it was amended on March 27, decreasing the likelihood of it passing, we are pushing back and advocating for the University to maintain its public status.

Considering the fact that similar bills were proposed for Southern Illinois University, Chicago State University, Eastern Illinois University, Governors State University, Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University and Western Illinois University, it seems as if some Illinois lawmakers are working toward an eradication of all public institutions in our state.

With tuition rates across the country skyrocketing, it is becoming harder and harder for students of any income level to achieve a higher education. As a public institution, we are a more affordable option for people of all income levels — especially for a school of our high caliber.

We are a diverse student population, both domestically and internationally. Becoming a privatized institution could strip us of that by further increasing tuition — making it less accessible for potential students who come from lower-income households. While we claim the title of an “Inclusive Illinois,” it is nonsensical to adapt policies or enact laws that would make us more exclusive by nature.

The University of Illinois is a diverse and thriving university. While there are obviously areas that our school can improve upon, the way the University has been run within the past century and a half has proven a school that aptly functions and consistently creates some of the best graduates in the nation. There is no point in changing an institution so historically successful, especially when it isn’t broken in the first place.

The state of Illinois already has worthy options for students wishing to pursue a privatized higher education, and radically changing one of the best public institutions in the country to create more of those options won’t help anyone, especially not the public that we should be catering to.