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October 14, 2009
By Luke Runyon
Editor-in-Chief
Matt Van Vossen |
Pat Quinn |
Campus senators voted unanimously to approve a resolution asking state legislators to reinstate MAP funding for the spring semester.
At the Oct. 9 meeting, senators followed suit of other Illinois universities and voted to “strongly urge” the state to approve funding that aids close to 20 percent of the UIS student body.
The state cut funding for the monetary award program, or MAP, in a sweep of budget cuts during the last legislative session.
The Senate voted the resolution through on its first reading in order to deliver the message to the legislature before the MAP grant lobby day on Thursday, Oct. 15. Student government associations from all over Illinois organized the day to show how many students will be negatively affected by the cut in funding.
Universities divvy up MAP money to students who display a financial need. Unlike a federal or state funded loan for higher education, MAP grant money does not need to be paid back by the student.
The UIS Student Government Association is behind the push to sway state legislators to fund the program. President Matt Van Vossen said that lawmakers should realize that students in higher education make up a large voting bloc.
“Some of these students will be forced to delay their education to pay for their tuition and they will not be happy with the elected officials in state government,” he said.
“So I would genuinely urge the state legislature and the Governor, to take this resolution seriously and to understand the kind of implications that the MAP Grant cut has on this state.”
As of now there is no financial back-up plan for students who rely on MAP funding, in case it is not restored.
Student Kari Abate-Bedford receives MAP funds to pay for her education and said she needs the money to stay at UIS. If funding is not put back in place, Abate-Bedford’s financial situation may force her skip registration for the spring semester.
While she is unable to attend the lobby day, she said the rallying effort gives her hope in her financial future.
“I would like to be involved since the MAP funding is where the bulk of my tuition funds came from,” Abate-Bedford said. “At any rate, it's nice to know that there are students who are organizing for other students like me.
“I truly hope the state is doing everything it can to put education first.”
Van Vossen said he is looking forward to the lobby day as students from all over Illinois make their way to the capital city.
He called the restoration of the MAP grant the most important issue facing the state legislature that concerns students.
“We are going to show the legislature that we are far from apathetic when it comes to legislation that affects us and that we can turnout in even greater numbers on Election Day,” Van Vossen said.
Gov. Pat Quinn toured several Illinois universities over the past weeks, declaring his support for MAP grants. The governor visited larger institutions like Illinois State and UIS’ sister campuses in Urbana-Champaign and Chicago, but he also stopped at smaller schools like Black Hawk College in Moline.
Quinn is in favor of increasing cigarette taxes in order to pay for the budget shortfall. He said that increasing the price of cigarettes can help close the budget gap and aid public health.
