Frerichs, College Presidents Call for Higher Ed Assistance

MAP grant thingIllinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs met with Carl Sandburg College President Lori Sundburg and Knox College President Teresa Amott this morning at Knox to advocate for state grant assistance. Monetary Award Program or MAP grants were specifically the topic of discussion.

The trio heard concerns from students affected by the lack of state aid that has come in, as a result of the state budget impasse.

A Sandburg non-traditional student and a Knox Senior both struggling to make ends meet told their personal stories. Both essentially said that if MAP funding does not come through from the state, they could be forced to give up their education.

Frerichs tells WGIL that issues like this are why he believes legislators in Springfield need to find common ground as soon as possible.

“For their future, for their families, it’s incredibly important,” says Frerichs. “If we let down 100,000 students in the state, some portion of them will drop out. That will make their earning potential less. It will make our state less productive. The budget has consequences today, tomorrow, the decisions they are making will have consequences for decades.”

Sundburg indicated that at Sandburg, approximately 70 percent of students are on some form of financial aid. She says no MAP dollars have come in at this point.

Approximately 323 students continue to go without MAP assistance at Knox, a number President Amott says equals to about $4,700 per student.

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