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7/10/2009
Current Status of State Budget
The fiscal year 2010 state budget has not yet been finalized. Consequently, at this time, no money has been allocated to pay Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants for the 2009-10 school year. Absent new revenues and facing a substantial state budget deficit, cuts will need to be made. Under this budget scenario, ISAC's appropriation for college scholarships and grants, including the MAP grant, could be significantly reduced. One option under consideration would reduce the MAP award by as much as 60 percent.
Communication to Students Regarding MAP Funding
Many of ISAC's school partners and the ILASFAA Formula Committee have advised the agency that a communication about the potential impact of budget cuts on students' 2009-10 MAP awards should be sent to all MAP-eligible, nonsuspended students. We, therefore, are looking to you to help us get the word out since ISAC cannot absorb the cost of sending a message to the 169,000 students directly. A communication entitled "Important Message from ISAC to Students Regarding 2009-10 MAP Grant Funding" is now available at collegezone.com, and we are seeking your assistance in informing students about the current situation.
Accessible via the Student Zone's Monetary Award Program (MAP) page, this PDF document discusses the current status of the state budget and gives a brief overview of the impact that potential cuts to 2009-10 MAP grants may have for students. The document also provides information regarding how to contact state legislators for those who might choose to encourage the General Assembly to make student financial aid a priority in allocating state resources.
Communication Options
E-mail: If you send an e-mail to students, we ask that an introduction be given from your institution. Then a link to the message at collegezone.com could easily be inserted in the e-mail note. Feel free to also make the message accessible at your institution's Web site.
Regular mail: If you send a paper copy of the message, we ask that an introductory cover note be provided by your institution along with the message. Simply download and print as many copies of the document as you need.
We greatly appreciate the assistance of the financial aid community in this communication effort. The message will be updated once the budget for the 2010 fiscal year is known, and if reductions in MAP grants are necessary, we will reach out to you again for assistance in communicating that to students.
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