Federation of Illinois Independent Colleges and Universities

Tretter: MAP grants an investment that pays off big for state

Released: 10/13/2009

David Tretter: MAP grants an investment that pays off big for state

THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted Oct 13, 2009 @ 12:05 AM

Return on investment is a common measuring tool for business. In short, you answer the question: Is it money well spent?

If you were to ask whether the Illinois Monetary Award Program grants are money well spent, the answer would be a resounding YES. The return on the investment of MAP need-based grants — which have allowed hundreds of thousands of Illinois students from low-income families to attend the schools of their choice — has paid the state back many times over.

Illinois’ MAP grants became a national model for need-based aid when they started almost 40 years ago.

Now the program is in jeopardy, as are the college educations and careers of hundreds of thousands of Illinois students.

This fall the state has funded MAP grants to more than 137,000 students. As of Jan. 1, 2010, that funding ends. Unless MAP grant funding is restored by Nov. 1, many students will not be able to re-enroll for school in the second semester in community colleges, public universities and private colleges and universities throughout the state. Students who drop out rarely come back to college and finish their degree.

Immediate action by the General Assembly and the governor is the only hope for these students and their families.

On Wednesday, the Illinois House and Senate reconvene for their veto session and can keep the program fully funded by providing the $200 million that MAP needs to get through the school year.
It may be tempting for those who don’t know about the MAP program to dismiss it as a perk, a frill that could be cut without any long-term consequences. Can’t these students lean on their parents for more money? Find another scholarship?

It’s not that simple.

MAP grant recipients — who range in age from typical college age to older workers who lost their jobs during the recession — have maxed out their funding sources. The MAP grant is often a crucial piece of a patchwork financing plan. When it’s taken away, the entire plan collapses.

For example, Illinois private colleges and universities already contribute more than $800 million in direct scholarships and aid to students from their own resources. Federal Pell grants and student loans are also major components that make a college education possible.

But in the end, it is the MAP grants that are a lifeline, not a luxury. More than three-quarters of MAP recipients have a family income of $40,000 or less. And almost half have a household income of $20,000 or less.

If funding is not restored, the long-term loss to the community would be dramatic.

In contrast, if MAP funding is restored:

* More low-income students would complete college, which means they each could earn as much as $700,000 in their lifetimes — according to some studies — if they attain a bachelor’s degree.

* Businesses would have more highly educated and trained workers to choose from, which is a key reason businesses would stay in — or move to — Illinois.

* Schools would teach a more diverse group of students than they would otherwise.

MAP grants are a hand up, not a handout. By investing in human capital, our state gives students from low-income families a chance to succeed on their own and be self-reliant members of society. Remember, these are grants for state residents going to Illinois schools. All the money stays here and is multiplied by the success these students have in years to come.

We urge the General Assembly to allocate $200 million in MAP grant funding this October and continue to fuel the dreams of hard-working students statewide.

David Tretter is president of the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities.