Illinois colleges and universities would receive additional money to help them keep their doors open during the state’s prolonged budget stalemate under a measure Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) voted for on Thursday.

Senate Bill 2048 would provide an additional $453 million for eight public Illinois universities and an additional $46 million for Monetary Award Program grants for students and funding for community colleges.

Combined with funding that was approved for higher education in April, the appropriation would represent about 60 percent of the money promised for these universities and colleges for Fiscal Year 2016.

“Although it’s an easy decision for me to vote to send more money to colleges and universities, our job in the General Assembly is not finished,” Harmon said. “This appropriation still falls short of what we’ve promised to our institutions of higher learning and to students who count on state tuition assistance to be able to afford college.”