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* The House passed a bill yesterday to end the highly controversial legislative scholarship program by a vote of 79-25 with two absentions (Democrats Arroyo and Chapa LaVia both voted “Present”).
Listen to the debate, if you want…
* Gov. Pat Quinn issued a press release soon after the vote…
“I applaud the members of the House for voting to end the legislative scholarship program. As I have repeatedly advocated in the past, scholarships – paid for by Illinois taxpayers- should be awarded only to those with merit who are in true financial need.
“I urge the Senate to pass this legislation swiftly.”
* But unless something radical happens very soon, this bill will never make it to the governor’s desk…
The bill’s House sponsor, Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, said Wednesday he thinks there are enough votes in the Senate to get rid of it. However, Senate Republicans are worried this effort might meet the same fate as those of the past. Patty Schuh, spokeswoman for Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, said an identical bill is sitting in a Senate Executive subcommittee.
“We do fear it will meet the same fate as all of our other efforts,” said Schuh, who added that the Senate Republicans no longer participate in the program.
Rikeesha Phelon, spokeswoman for Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said Cullerton in the past has voted to reform the program rather than abolishing it.
“He supports reforming the General Assembly scholarships, both in lawmaker restrictions and eligibility requirements, like who can receive them,” Phelon said.
* I doubt even this bad news will help the bill get called by the Senate…
Current and prospective college students who apply now hoping to get state tuition help for next school year will be turned away, officials said Tuesday.
The state is on pace to receive a record number of applications for 2012-13 from the Monetary Award Program, the primary source of need-based financial aid. The scholarship money, awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, was depleted by students who applied by March 13.
It’s the earliest the state has run out of funds for MAP grants, said John Samuels, spokesman for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the agency that administers the program. About 140,000 to 145,000 students are expected to get the aid, worth up to $4,968. An estimated 140,000 eligible students will be denied.
* From the Better Government Association…
When it’s alleged that lawmakers fail to observe the law, it stands to reason that some sort of formal investigation should seek to determine guilt or innocence, and have the power to impose a sanction or consequence.
But for years, nothing has been done.
In fact, Thomas J. Homer, the Illinois Legislative Inspector General — the entity with the jurisdiction to investigate any alleged wrongdoing by members of the General Assembly — confirms that his office did not conduct a single investigation related to legislative scholarships until last fall.
Homer points to several factors that crimp his ability to investigate lawmakers, including a statute of limitations that prevents him from looking into allegations of wrongdoing that occurred more than a year before the complaint is filed, unless there’s a cover-up involved. And before 2010, Homer’s office was prohibited from initiating its own investigations and had to rely on complaints from third parties.
Efforts of the Legislative Inspector General to pursue violations of the law have proven to be woefully inadequate — or nonexistent — despite the firestorm of controversy surrounding it. Since 2010, there have been at least seven reports of legislative scholarship abuse, and not a single investigation with a suggested remedial action has come out of the Office of the Legislative Inspector General.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 10:01 am
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Senate Dems are really on the wrong side on this one. Cullerton’s feet should be held to the fire to call a vote.
Just a pet peeve on language: they’re not scholarships, they’re waivers. No one is paying for anything. It’s just terrible public policy.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 10:15 am
===PQ=”As I have repeatedly advocated in the past, scholarships – paid for by Illinois taxpayers- should be awarded only to those with merit who are in true financial need.
===
Note to Pat: Instate Estimated Annual Cost of Undergraduate Attendence at UIUC is nearing 34k for Science and Engineering students. Every working class family is in true financial need.
Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 10:25 am
tuition waivers are used as incentives, much like a tax breaks-give a little to get alot –the waivers are granted usually for one year–or maybe one semester –then the student pays for the other three years..also, if a kid is map eligible and receives the waiver –he does get the map grant–eliminate the waiver program fewer kids get MAP grants. lots of misinformation out there on the issue of waivers..universiites use waivers to attract students and make money–they do not lose “money” on waivers..hope this helps.
Comment by little bit of info Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 10:26 am
does not get the map–sorry
Comment by little bit of info Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 10:27 am
–tuition waivers are used as incentives, much like a tax breaks-give a little to get alot –
Legislative tuition waivers are used as incentives for what? What’s the “get a lot” in the equation?
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 10:29 am
As someone in college now, it is common practice at universities to receive partial or free tuition for the children of faculty/staff at the institution and/or other schools.
Also, why does Monique Davis seem to think that the reason to eliminate this is racism?
Comment by WooStl Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 10:29 am
“get alot” means grad students teaching courses in exchange for waiver discounts.. grad students make the universities alot of money by teaching large numbers of undergrads..in the instance of the legislative waivers it means students coming to the university that may have otherwise attended private schools or community colleges. Private schools waive or reduce tuition for almost every student using public funds to subsidize their recruitment efforts. Eliminaing waivers will reduce the number of students attending public universities
Comment by little bit of info Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 10:40 am
===Eliminaing waivers will reduce the number of students attending public universities===
Hogwash. 177 legislators are allowed what, four full tuition waivers per year? That’s works out to less than 800 affected (lucky) students per year. Public universities enroll more than 100,000 students each year in Illinois.
Eliminating legislative tuition waivers isn’t going to have a negative impact on enrollment whatsoever.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 10:46 am
Did I hear this right? Dick Durbin is trying to make it so that students can default on their college loans. This will only lead to increased interest rates unless the student puts something up for collateral. I just don’t see how this is a positive development.
Comment by WooStl Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 10:46 am
Little Bit, for some reason, you’re throwing in baronial practice legislative waivers with all waivers. Not working here.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 10:49 am
Again the disadvantaged students student get the dirty end of the stick.
Because our legislators could not simply do the right thing and use the waivers as designed this program has to be killed.
Way to go folks!
Comment by Plutocrat03 Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 10:50 am
These legal legislative graft-pots really get my goat when at the same time the legislators are trying to end a truly worthy and less expensive program that grants a one-half tuition discount to state university employees.
Comment by D.P. Gumby Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 10:54 am
Tom homer is too busy giving financial advice at SERS seminars. Hes in dixon today
Comment by Foster brooks Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 11:12 am
reduce financial aid of any kind and you get fewer students… that’s why almost every institution of higher education offers discounts of one kind or another.
Comment by little bit of info Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 11:29 am
@little bit of info-You’re stating the obvious. The point is that Legislative Scholarships are an exceedingly bad way to dispense financial aid.
Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 11:33 am
I just wonder if the cost of the legislative scholarship system over the years would have provided some relief for the folks in Harrisburg and many others needing similar help in Illinois.
Comment by Cook County Commoner Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 11:57 am
wait, the guy arrested for taking a bribe just got re-elected by a huge number, and we don’t understand why people are worried about leg scholarships abuse.
give me a break. Illinois ain’t ready for reform
Comment by frustrated GOP Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 12:03 pm
The whole idea has been absurd from the start. Most of the students receiving them are deserving, but having legislators use them as just a perk of their office should be stoppped. Republicans should make this an issue in November if Cullerton does not call it for a vote.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 12:08 pm
I can’t believe Cullerton is taking the worst possible PR position on these scholarships, just to keep a personal perk? He says reforms are needed to prevent abuses, so he’s admitting these abuses are taking place. What better reason to take this away from legislators is needed?
Comment by Wensicia Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 12:15 pm
===Just a pet peeve on language: they’re not scholarships, they’re waivers. No one is paying for anything.===
This bears repeating, especially the last part about no one is paying—except the public universities.
The average annual public university tuition/fee rate in Illinois this year is nearly $11,000. That makes the “cost” of these waivers nearly $8 million to the institutions.
I realize that’s not much in the overall scheme of things, but add to that other state-mandated programs such as waivers for veterans and it begins to add up at a time when state support for public education is at a historic low.
Comment by Way Way Down Here Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 2:37 pm
==Instate Estimated Annual Cost of Undergraduate Attendence at UIUC is nearing 34k for Science and Engineering students.==
Interesting aside - does it cost more to study Science and Engineering at UIUC than it does other majors that are less in demand by employers? Not that I trust the legislature to intervene in the right way.
Comment by Robert Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 4:01 pm
==reduce financial aid of any kind and you get fewer students… that’s why almost every institution of higher education offers discounts of one kind or another.==
Yes but I can’t think of many people I’d trust less to make decisions on who should get a need-based scholarship than members of the state legislature.
Comment by Robert Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 4:03 pm
The universities estimate of the cost of these waivers has always been suspect. How many additional professors would have been hired and at what cost for these waivered students? Probably none would have been hired. Instead these students would just be one more student in an already crowded classroom taught by a teaching assistant.
There will be no “peace dividend” if these waivers are eliminated.
At the Appropriations hearings this Spring, each university should have to anser these questions.
Comment by John Parnell Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 4:45 pm
Tuition waivers are nothing more than a legislative entitlement. That attitude is one of the things that can foster a subculture of corruption. Forget the dollars and cents; we should be against them in principle.
Legislators are not lords and ladies, spreading largesse.
As to meeting the needs of students, let the financial aid professionals do their jobs.
Comment by mark walker Thursday, Mar 22, 12 @ 4:55 pm