A Cook County judge ruled this week most Illinois state workers may not get their paychecks if the state budget gridlock continues. But that might not include university workers.
Al Phillips, who is the vice president of finance and administration at Northern Illinois University, says NIU employees technically don't work for a state agency and might not be subject to the ruling.
"As a public university, while we receive funding from the state, the comptroller does not send out the monthly paychecks to our employees," Phillips said.
Phillips says community colleges in particular are considered local entities and not state agencies.
"They have their separate boards, they have community college districts, part of their funding actually comes from tax revenue, in addition to tuition fees and state funding."
But NIU continues to receive funding because the state still owes the school about $16 million. That, along with tuition, could hold the university over for about three months.
NIU President Doug Baker's office sent a mass e-mail reiterating the school's employees will keep receiving their paychecks. It also said the opinion of the university's general counsel confirmed the court ruling does not apply to its employees.
Phillips says employees are paid with state funds first, but they don't come directly from the comptroller's office. If there's still no budget when those funds run out, tuition and fee funds would be used next.
In the last fiscal year, NIU brought in more than $160 million in general fees and tuition alone.