Illinois college students caught in the middle of budget standoff - Koran Addo, St. Louis Today

College students in the Metro East area and throughout Illinois should hope the state’s elected leaders come together soon to craft a budget. That’s because right now, a number of Illinois colleges and universities have agreed to pay the equivalent of what students would normally receive in scholarships from the state as part of the Monetary Award Program, known as MAP. But if spring semester comes around, and the state still doesn’t have a budget, a number of schools said they could no longer afford to carry the state’s burden. As dire a situation as it is for students, Republicans and Democrats in the Illinois Legislature last week didn’t sound close to ending their standoff. http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/illinois-college-students-caught-in-the-middle-of-budget-standoff/article_4dfddcd5-a749-541a-82db-362334650591.html