Dr. Barbara Gellman-Danley, president of the the accrediting agency, the Higher Learning Commission, wrote to the governor and state legislative leaders in Illinois and warned them that every public college and university in the state may be required to close because of the legislature's failure to act on the budget. " For students to continue at another institution, it could mean having to transfer to private universities or leave the state. It is also probable some students may drop out of college. The plan also must explain how students will be informed about this urgent situation, including how they access transcripts if operations have been suspended due to lack of state funding."