State budget gridlock could affect college grants - Kurt Erickson, The Southern

The commission that oversees college tuition assistance for more than 300,000 low-income Illinoisans says the ongoing budget impasse could have a "negative impact" on students. Although payments for the Monetary Award Program don't typically start until mid-August, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission said uncertainty over the budget could cause some colleges and universities to wait to credit students with grants. "In some cases, this could lead a student to take out additional loans, drop some classes, and then even be unable to enroll in the next semester if there was still an unpaid balance on the student's account," said ISAC spokeswoman Lynne Baker. http://thesouthern.com/news/local/education/state-budget-gridlock-could-affect-college-grants/article_57754c88-f9d1-5099-9f0b-f5c177889f8b.html