State Grants Help Poorest Students

SPRINGFIELD – Nearly one-third of Illinois college students who are eligible for the Monetary Award Program (MAP), the state's need-based financial aid program live at or below the federal poverty level, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) announced today. After analyzing student and family income data from applicants for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) in 2002, the Commission found that 67,000 of the more than 304,000 students who apply for the program live in poverty, as determined by federal poverty guidelines. Practically all these 67,000 students were among the 210,000 applicants who were determined eligible for the need-based grant program.

"These numbers simply show what we've known all along-that these students are truly in need of financial assistance if they are going to get a college education," stated Larry Matejka, ISAC's Executive Director. "Without MAP dollars, they just can't afford to pay the cost of attending college." The number of MAP-eligible students who live in poverty is significantly high as compared to 11.5 percent of the total Illinois population who live in poverty.

Illinois' MAP program provides grants to help pay tuition and fees at Illinois colleges and universities for Illinois students who demonstrate financial need. Since the program began in 1957, its purpose has been to help students gain access to postsecondary education.

Last spring, the MAP program suffered a substantial cut in funding as the State struggled to balance a budget with more than a billion dollars less than previously projected. During the 2001-2002 school year, 140,000 needy students received MAP grants, but as a result of budget cuts, only about 128,000 students will receive MAP grants this year. State funding for MAP was reduced by over ten percent.

Furthermore, the needy students who will receive MAP grants this year will see the purchasing power of those grants diminished because of lowered grant amounts and higher tuition and fee charges. Financial aid funding dropped at the same time state universities and colleges raised tuition and fee costs, some by as much as fourteen percent over last year.

"We are very concerned that the affordability gap - or the gap between what a student can pay and what a student must pay for college - is growing bigger instead of smaller," Matejka explained. "Without increased funding for MAP grants, it will become even more difficult, if not impossible, for financially-needy students, especially those living in poverty, to gain a college education."

About ISAC
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is the State’s centralized provider of financial assistance aimed at helping students and families access postsecondary education and/or training. Each year, the Commission awards an estimated $400 million in scholarship and grant aid to nearly 185,000 qualified students, and also provides an additional $740 million to borrowers through its student loan programs. The agency offers credit-based alternative loans, a 529 prepaid tuition program known as College Illinois!, and a broad array of outreach and informational services to ensure that families have access to the information they need to pay for a college education. More information is available by calling toll-free 800.899.ISAC (4722) or visiting the agency’s Web site at www.collegezone.com.