By Laura Katauskas | Bugle Staff
nweditor@buglenewspapers.com
@BugleNewspapers
The state’s most at-risk students could be in danger of losing the very funds needed to stay in college, thanks to partisan politics and the continued state budget stalemate.
Thousands of Illinois students rely on the Monetary Award Program, or MAP, which provides grants that do not need to be repaid to Illinois residents who attend approved Illinois colleges and demonstrate financial need.
“Two-four-six-eight, we just want to graduate” – a battle cry that has fallen on deaf ears – was shouted by students who attend Lewis University in Romeoville during a rally last month in front of the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago. Universities and colleges from throughout the state attended the rally, with Lewis, the largest contingent. Nearly 1,400 Lewis University students would have been awarded MAP grants for the 2015-16 academic year.
With student, faculty and staff support, the university also started a “stuff the box” initiative, writing letters in support of the MAP grant that requested the governor sign Senate Bill 2043.
Despite local and statewide efforts, Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed Senate Bill 2043 and the House opted not to override the decision last week. The measure would have immediately released $168 million to college students in Illinois.
“Gov. Rauner is wrong to make 125,000 low-income college students the latest victims of his avoidance behavior,” state Sen. Pat McGuire, D-Joliet, said. “He needs to think about others, stop dodging the obvious and concentrate on negotiating a budget.”
McGuire is chairman of the senate’s higher education committee and sponsored the bill. He has been an actively fighting to secure MAP funding since the first signs the financial assistance program was in jeopardy.
Rauner has opposed the bill, saying it would only add to the state’s deficit and not solve the problem.
“SB 2043 can only become law if Rep. [Jack] Franks or Rep. [Scott] Drury succumb to pressure from Speaker Madigan and flip their votes to force a massive tax hike on the people of Illinois,” said Catherine Kelly, press secretary for the governor. “These members sided with taxpayers the first time around because this is a sham bill and an empty promise to students. We believe these members will do the right thing to ensure taxpayers are not left holding the bag.
“All of us want to fund higher education and MAP, and we stand ready to work with the General Assembly to find ways to do so without adding to the deficit or forcing a massive tax increase.”
The House chose to not override the veto. McGuire said the override looked to authorize the governor to make releasing MAP grants a priority.
“The governor rejected this opportunity,” he added. “My work to secure funding for Illinois’ needy students, community colleges and nine public universities will continue.”
Money not spent
In September, many state universities and community colleges began absorbing costs upfront to allow the school year to start on time.
According to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, MAP uses a formula to distribute the appropriated funds so that the neediest students receive grant assistance. ISAC is operating on the assumption that the appropriation level would be the same as 2014-15. However, the state budget that funds MAP has not yet been finalized by the Illinois General Assembly and governor. As a result, it is not known how much funding this program will receive.
Last year alone, the state funded $364.8 million in MAP grants. The average student with a MAP grant receives approximately $2,700 to help pay for tuition.
At Joliet Junior College, nearly 1,000 students may lose the necessary assistance to pursue dreams of higher education.
At JJC, MAP has the largest demographic impact on student financial support and access to education. Based on financial aid records, the school has 945 students with $536,376, in MAP funds applied to their fall accounts. Because of the budget impasse, JJC applied MAP funds to students’ accounts as pending financial aid, while the college awaits MAP payments from the state.
The college is making its decision to fund MAP on a semester-by-semester basis, and has opted to front more than $1 million in MAP funds for the fall 2015 and spring 2016 semesters. The college applied $553,000 to student MAP accounts for the fall semester and applied $470,000 to date for the spring 2016 semester.
“It’s imperative that our students have all the tools and support they need toward completion of their academic goals,” said Kelly Rhoder, JJC communications director. “Financial aid is a significant piece of that. Without it, the larger, long-term impact is on our local workforce. We train and educate skilled workers to fill in-demand jobs, we ensure the seamless transfer of students seeking bachelor’s degrees, and so much more.
“People come to JJC to improve their lives, and to have access new opportunities and new experiences. We will continue to do what we can to preserve that.”
In addition, the state’s funding continues to shrink in all areas. JJC previously reported that since fiscal year 2000, the state’s share of the college’s operating budget has decreased from 18.7 percent to a projected 10 percent in fiscal year 2016.
“Illinois needs to invest in the higher education of its residents in order to get back to full strength,” McGuire said. “Failing to provide the financial aid for which 130,000 students qualified threatens those students, the schools they attend and the future of our state.”
College of DuPage is reportedly managing the loss at this point but does worry how long it will be able to sustain student’s missing MAP awards.
The college’s student newspaper, The Courier, reports that Acting Interim President Joseph Collins believes the college may need to pull extra funding, financial aid will come directly from the college if MAP grants are unavailable.
“The foundation has agreed to help out in terms of any kind of emergencies that come up,” said Collins. “We do have an emergency fund for worst case scenario. Other schools aren’t in as good of a financial position as we are, and are turning students away because they don’t have the map funding.”
McGuire said he will continue to fight for MAP funding and higher education.
“MAP isn’t about athletics, new buildings, faculty positions, or administrators’ pensions,” said McGuire. “MAP is about the opportunity to learn. It’s about students who want to do more in life for themselves and their state.”