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6,700 more students will receive MAP grants

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Illinois

Low-income college students in Illinois got some good news [yesterday]. The state’s Monetary Award Program — which provides MAP grants to help pay for tuition — will be able to give more grants with more money, thanks to the largest appropriation in the fund’s history.

Lynne Baker, with the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, says the agency approved a new formula that will boost grants by an average of $220 and cover at least 6,700 more students.

For the past few years, while the state suffered through a budget impasse, her job has entailed delivering a steady stream of bad news to students, community colleges and universities schools that depend on MAP funds. But the new state budget includes $451.3 million for MAP. […]

To figure out exactly how to apportion the pie, ISAC gets advice from the Illinois Association of Financial Aid Administrators. The final formula was approved Monday. The average grant for a community college student will be $1,048 (an increase of $23); the average award for a student attending a public four-year university will be $4,394 (an increase of $375); and the average award for a student attending a private non-profit university will be $4,527 (an increase of $393). The maximum award will increase from $4,968 to $5,340.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 8:24 am

Comments

What a beautiful time we’re having now, thanks in part to Republicans for the budget and capital bill. It’s as if karma is rewarding us for the miserable times of the past, especially the last four years.

Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 8:56 am
Raunerites should take note.

Instead of tearing down, these MAP grants allow the building of futures and helping all of Illinois.

I don’t expect the likes of Misters Barickman or Rose and other phony former Raunerites to grasp this, as they continually voted to hurt state universities, places where these MAP grants help students.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 9:03 am
This is excellent news, and most welcome. First two blog posts were pretty grim.

As OW notes, it doesn’t take a whole lot of money to help someone build their future.

Comment by lakeside Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 9:11 am
This is great news for students, higher education, AND for Illinois economic development.

Comment by Scamp640 Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 9:31 am
College tuition and mandatory fees have grown so fast the only real fix is Bernie Sanders student loan debt relief plan combined with NY’s free tuition model. How the he** are we going to pay for it? Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax, of course.

Comment by Ronald McDebtor Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 10:17 am
In addition, all those students receiving a MAP grant will be notified that they may also qualify for the SNAP program. But they have to apply.

I have been doing some reading and have been surprised at the numbers of students who actually have great difficulty affording food. There are options on some campuses to help them.

Comment by illini Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 10:36 am
@ McDebtor: You are not wrong about student loan debt relief. If European countries can send their students to college or university at low to no tuition costs, the US can do it, too.

Its weird. The United States was supposedly founded as a democracy (for white males) that attempted to move away from social inequality and the landed aristocracy that dominated European countries.

Thomas Jefferson implemented the township and range system of land division so that America would be based on an economic system of small-scale yeoman farmers — and hence foster a more egalitarian society (for white males). A dispersed form of land ownership was supposed to ensure that even small-scale landowners had a stake in the country’s future.

And yet now in the 21st century, western European countries have more social equality than the United States. The US, a country founded to foster more social equality, possibly has the highest levels of social inequality among all industrial democracies. The high cost of higher education is one more factor driving social inequality. I wonder what Thomas Jefferson would think?

Comment by Debtor McDebtface Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 10:39 am
== If European countries can send their students to college or university at low to no tuition costs, the US can do it, too.==

Tennessee does it already, at least for community colleges.

To the post, yeah it’s a huge help. I’m taking classes at night out at UIS, it’ll save me quite a bit of student loan debt in the long run.

Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 11:28 am
I paid for most of my college tuition and my wife and I paid for our kids college. Sacrifices had to be made.

Comment by Pick a Name Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 11:39 am
=I paid for most of my college tuition and my wife and I paid for our kids college. Sacrifices had to be made.=
Imagine what you could have done for your family if tuition were free, or much cheaper?

Comment by chito Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 11:45 am
It was an investment. How can college be free? Someone has to pay for it, what would be your plan for free or almost free college?

BTW, I do think the current costs are outrageous.

Comment by Pick a Name Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 12:23 pm
You seem to be one of those “I’ve got mine who cares about you” crowd.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 12:37 pm
=what would be your plan for free or almost free college?=

The plan is that college would be free. Duh.

Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 12:37 pm
==How can college be free?==

Tax university endowment funds and cap tax deductions towards universities over $25,000. On the other side of the ledger, maybe figure out a way to encourage a gap year between high school and college so kids don’t get in over their heads. Maybe teach kids that the love of literature is great, but the payback may never be in dollars and they need to be comfortable with that.

Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 1:06 pm
Agreed CZ. Too many kids are pushed towards college. Or they may feel like they are expected to go to college. We need to be better advisors to our kids to help them figure out exactly what it is they want to do. My newphew went into the trades as did two of my step kids. All three are on a path to make high five figures to low six figures in a few years.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 1:15 pm
= I wonder what Thomas Jefferson would think?=

“The cornerstone of democracy rests on the foundation of an educated electorate.”
Thomas Jefferson

Comment by Enviro Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 1:35 pm
== Too many kids are pushed towards college.==

Guidance counselors and advisors are correct to push children to college because of college degree pay differential and credentialism:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credentialism_and_educational_inflation

Credentialism and educational inflation are any of a number of related processes involving increased demands for formal educational qualifications, and the devaluation of these qualifications. In Western society, there has been increasing reliance on formal qualifications or certification for jobs, a process called credentialism that is not easily differentiated from professionalization. This process has, in turn, led to credential inflation (also known as credential creep, academic inflation or degree inflation), the process of inflation of the minimum credentials required for a given job and the simultaneous devaluation of the value of diplomas and degrees. These trends are also associated with grade inflation, a tendency to award progressively higher academic grades for work that would have received lower grades in the past.

There are some occupations which used to require a high school diploma, such as construction supervisors, loans officers, insurance clerks and executive assistants,[1] that are increasingly requiring a bachelor’s degree. Some jobs that formerly required candidates to have a bachelor’s degree, such as becoming a director in the federal government,[2] tutoring students, or being a history tour guide in a historic site,[3] now require a master’s degree. Some jobs that used to require a master’s degree, such as junior scientific researcher positions and sessional lecturer jobs, now require a Ph.D. Also, some jobs that formerly required only a Ph.D, such as university professor positions, are increasingly requiring one or more postdoctoral fellowship appointments. The increasingly global nature of competitions for high-level positions is another cause of credential creep.

Comment by Ronald McDebtor Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 1:45 pm
To Demo—The “I’ve got mine who cares about you” must mean I paid for it, it was not handed to me or my family.

To JSMill—So college is free huh? Who pays for the buildings, the housing, the food, the instructors, etc.

I agree some should go in to the trades, where they can have lucrative careers and be excellent at their craft.

Curriculum needs to be changed—if you want a business degree, the courses should be focused on appropriate topics, along with writing, presentations,etc.

Comment by Pick a Name Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 1:52 pm
===I paid for it, it was not handed to me or my family.===

… and yet, you “handed it” to your child. Hmm.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 1:54 pm
==it was not handed to me or my family.==

So you’re against financial assistance of any sort?

This program is for low income students. Or are you suggesting that if you don’t have the means then tough luck. No education for you? What a great human being you are.

You have verfied that you are indeed one of those I’ve got mine so go fly a kit everyone else kind of people. You should be so proud.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 2:21 pm
==Guidance counselors and advisors are correct to push children to college==

Remind me not to hire you as a counselor then.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 2:24 pm
Demo, reading comprehension is crucial when on blogs. Yes, I am for financial aid, especially for lower income people. How you determined I am against that is pretty puzzling, but not surprising. Sigh.

Comment by Pick a Name Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 2:51 pm
== How you determined I am against that is pretty puzzling==

Because that’s what you said

====it was not handed to me or my family.==

If you didn’t mean it then you probably shouldn’t have said it.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 2:57 pm
Reading comprehension son, don’t blame me for misinterpreting something.

Comment by Pick a Name Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 3:53 pm
===Reading comprehension son, don’t blame me for misinterpreting something.===

Hmm.

===…it was not handed to me or my family.===

Hmm…

===I paid for our kids college.===

So it was handed to your kids?

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 4:01 pm
Does one have to be under 21 to get a MAP Grant?

Comment by M Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 5:50 pm
Willy, my kids earned it and my wife and I decided to pay for it because we could and we wanted them to have a better start than us. We had to sacrifice to do it but it was worth it.

Comment by Pick a Name Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 6:47 pm
===my kids earned it and my wife and I decided to pay for it because we could and we wanted them to have a better start than us.===

So you handed them a better life.

No crime in that, but… not the same… it was handed to them.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 6:49 pm
Pick a Name

Again. You said it. Own it

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Jun 25, 19 @ 7:28 pm
Willy, it was handed to them by my wife and I, not some outside entity.

Demo, if you can’t understand or comprehend what I said, that’s on you.

Comment by Pick a Name Wednesday, Jun 26, 19 @ 7:13 am
===it was handed to them by my wife and I, not some outside entity.===

#Privileged

They have NO idea what it means to *have to* keep grades up to *keep* a scholarship, apply for grants or loans, worry about funding of grants or loans.

No crime in it, but to say you “understand” or “can’t understand how”

Hundreds of millions in college debt exists.

You think your privilege is the rule… or the exception?

Then again, “you know”

===Sacrifices had to be made.===

Not by *your* kids. Not by *your* students.

Don’t shame others.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jun 26, 19 @ 7:17 am
SMH, sad and misdirected observation Willy. Somehow, I thought you were better than that. I was wrong.

Comment by Pick a Name Wednesday, Jun 26, 19 @ 9:15 am
===sad and misdirected observation===

Hmm.

===it was handed to them by my wife and I===

It was handed…

You may not like how it sounds, but you “told” us what’s going on.

You handed them.

Own it. Good on you, no shame or crime, but you “don’t know”… you’re the exception, not the rule.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jun 26, 19 @ 9:18 am

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