Gov. Pat Quinn and NIU student Michelle Romero
Students from NIU and colleges and universities across Illinois are encouraged to join Gov. Pat Quinn for a “MAP Matters Day” rally Wednesday, April 30, in Springfield.
Quinn will stand up during a 12:30 p.m. gathering in the rotunda of the Illinois State Capitol to push lawmakers to double MAP grant funding.
The governor visited NIU’s campus April 3 to promote that plan for the state’s Monetary Award Program, which provides college tuition grants to students in need.
“If we don’t invest in these young men and women, we lose out,” Quinn told his DeKalb audience. “It’s an investment that pays off for a lifetime.”
Illinois currently allocates $373 million for MAP grants, which benefit more than 140,000 students across the state. A boost of $50 million next year would give 21,000 more students access to grant funds.
That would be good news for the 1,400 NIU students who qualified for MAP grants last year but did not receive them because funding was exhausted. (About 5,700 NIU students did receive MAP grants last year, with the average grant covering about one-third of tuition and fees.)
For more information on MAP Matters Day, or to RSVP, email justin.stofferahn@illinois.gov. Lunch will be provided.
