New legislation would pump 168 million dollars into the state’s MAP Grant program for college students. About 125 thousand low income students have been awarded MAP grants this school year, but have seen the money due to the state budget impasse. Colleges have been fronting the money, but some say they can’t do that any longer, which is having big consequences says State Senator Pat McGuire.
Governor Bruce Rauner’s office wants to tie MAP Grant funding to higher education funds like cutting administrative costs and eliminating costly perks and severance packages for university leadership.