This University was created by the state to serve students in Illinois. But over the past six years, the number of enrolled in-state students has dwindled, making room for more and more international and out-of-state students.

While there are many contributing factors, we are most familiar with our tuition bill each semester.

And you can’t blame these students who are making road trips to other schools, including other Big Ten colleges like the University of Iowa or Indiana University. Attending these schools makes more economic sense, and in Illinois, residents know we can’t afford to squander our money. Scholarships offered from the University itself are also few and far between.

We welcome diversity on our campus — it’s what gives this place its unique and vibrant culture — but opening our doors to too many out-of-state and international students counters the fundamental mission of a state university. These land-grant institutions were built to educate those of the state they were built in. While we should and do welcome talent from all over, there is reason for concern when the number of non-Illinois resident students threatens to swallow that of in-state students. If only for the reason of the flailing state economy, we need students who will grow up and become income-earning contributors in this state, who will build families here in this state and retire here.

Aside from high tuition rates, recruitment contributes to the lack of in-state students wanting to come to this school.

Most high schools host college fairs, and, though there are thousands of schools across the state, this University should make an effort to be at most of these college fairs.

Although residents of this state, the University needs to recruit here because high senior may not select this school without prompting or contact from admissions.

As a high school student, you want to go to a college that makes the effort to reach out to you and make you feel as if the admissions office wants you.

If this state school wants to reach out to in-state students, the Illinois high school recruitment needs to step up. Whether it be sending a representative to more schools or mailing more brochures home to every student who meets the school’s qualifications, a more attentive relationship with potential in-state students needs to grow.

And when students do apply to this school and are in the process of determining which college they will eventually enroll in, the University should reach out to students with more than an option to come tour the college or a small letter of congratulations for being admitted.

Rather than focusing our recruitment efforts toward out-of-state and international students in order to make more money of the nonresident tuition, we need to shift it back to the students in our state and make sure we’re going back to our Illinois roots.