Unlike numerous other states nationwide, Illinois has in the past made a strong financial commitment to help high school graduates pay for college. Thanks to the our Monetary Award Program (MAP), one of the largest and most comprehensive need-based student aid programs in the country, 145,000 students statewide were given $384 million in interest-free grants last year to cover fees and tuition at any approved state college or university. Not surprisingly, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) saw a 30 percent jump in applications for the coming school year.
Unfortunately, the size of MAP grants hasn't kept pace with the rising cost of college. State funding for higher education has dropped 18 percent for public universities and 13 percent for community colleges in recent years. To compensate, schools have dragged more cash out of their students by way of tuition and fees to cover the bills. Grant sizes have not increased equally. The Institute for Government and Public Affairs calculates that between FY 1996 and FY 2001, the average MAP award for students in Illinois covered about 65 percent and 54 percent of overall tuition and fees for public universities and community colleges, respectively. That ratio has declined to around 40 percent in both sectors since.
Dispatches from Chicago's south side.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Student Aid Program On The Ropes
Progress Illinois:
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