September 21, 2026
SIU Carbondale enters FY27 with a balanced budget, employee raises and deficit elimination
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale Chancellor Austin A. Lane’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget — which reflects a balanced state budget, the complete repayment of its historic $80 million cash deficit, and faculty and staff raises — was unanimously approved by the SIU Board of Trustees on Sept. 17.
Through disciplined financial management and strategic hiring, SIU Carbondale enters FY27 with a balanced state appropriation and income fund budget of $197,624,600. The university will also eliminate the remaining cash deficit that reached approximately $80 million during the 2015–17 state budget impasse. Over the past six fiscal years, SIUC reduced this deficit by allocating an average of approximately $3 million annually toward reducing the balance from $18 million down to $921,783 at the end of FY26. SIU Carbondale’s FY27 approved budget plan eliminates the remaining deficit and repositions the university’s financial recovery to begin rebuilding reserves.
SIU Carbondale also received approval to fund its proposed 2% across-the-board salary increase for all eligible non-represented employees, as well as allocate a total of $2 million in salary adjustments for FY27. These personnel investments follow last year’s actions of allocating $3.3 million in salary increases and strategically hiring 251 employees (125 faculty members, 65 administrative and professional employees, and 61 civil service employees). The university also is scheduled to support future salary increases in FY28, such as the negotiated 3% raise for faculty and an average of 2% increases for represented staff.
“Our progress reflects the commitment of the entire University community to pursue growth and stability,” Lane said. “I want to thank Susan Simmers, our chief financial officer and vice chancellor for administration and finance, and her staff for their leadership in helping us achieve this financial stability. Improving our financial position and investing in our talented faculty and staff strengthens the University, enhances the student experience and ensures that SIUC remains nimble and formidable at a time when many institutions face significant challenges.”
In addition to celebrating a 2.4% enrollment growth and a 7% improvement in retention, SIU Carbondale’s expansive research enterprise continues to grow and contribute to the $2 billion annual economic impact the university provides to the Southern Illinois region. During FY26, the SIU Carbondale secured 171 new awards totaling $34.9 million, and the University increased its total research proposal volume by $15.2 million to a total of $187.9 million. SIU Carbondale also recently received the largest grant in university history: a 10-year, $40 million award from the Illinois Department of Transportation to study roadside ecology.