Low-income students face another year without MAP grants - RHONDA GILLESPIE, NIU Daily Chronicle

Some Northern Illinois University and Kishwaukee College students started the new academic year off facing an issue carried over from last school year, the state isn’t funding Monetary Award Program grants. NIU is again fronting awards for 4,105 of its low-income students who were awarded MAP grants for 2016-17. The amount comes to about $8.2 million for the school. Last year, the school did the same thing and was not reimbursed by the state until July. “For many of our students, MAP grants are essential to pursuing the degree that will help ensure their success after they graduate from NIU,” university President Doug Baker said. “For that reason, we are committed to crediting that money to student accounts.” The Illinois Student Assistance Commission administers MAP, which helps students from low-income families pay college tuition expenses. Funding for the program halted last summer after the state failed to have a budget in place to cover from July 1, 2015, to June 30. http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2016/09/08/low-income-students-face-another-year-without-map-grants/au8z7ms/