University of Illinois employees will receive a 2% raise in March after the school had to put pay increases on hold for the last two years.
A school spokesman says the raises will take effect in February and the money will show up in March paychecks.
University President Tim Killeen put general raises on hold for a second-straight year last summer due to the state budget impasse.
But Killeen said he was optimistic the school could provide a mid-year raise by making cuts elsewhere.
Killeen says most of the money to fund the raises will come from about 500 positions that haven't been refilled over the past year.
UI officials say the 2% raise will cost about $33 million a year.