MAP payouts for Illinois 4-year public universities

If you’re a low-income student at University of Illinois-Chicago, you had a better chance to get tuition aid from the state of Illinois last year than almost any other institution of higher learning — private or public— in the state.

You are also likely to have received among the highest financial aid awards, up to $1,400 higher than students at other public four-year schools.

Recently released Monetary Award Program (MAP) tuition payout numbers for the 2015-16 school year, show that out of 132 MAP-approved schools, almost every university, college and junior college in the state had their MAP grants awards cut by as much as 30 percent, except UIC, which gained $2 million in MAP funding, or about a 6 percent gain.

MAP grant funding follows the student and is issued first-come-first-served, but universities depend on MAP grant funds to meet their expenses.

UIC has more MAP-eligible students (8,165) than any of the other public four-year institutions and 46 percent of UIC undergraduates are MAP-eligible, said Lynne Baker of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, which tracks the awards.

UIC students received an average of $3,953 in 2015-16 up slightly from $3,916 the year before, for a total of $32.3 million. The average Illinois student grant for a four-year public state university was $3,587 in 2015-16.

The two-year absence of a state budget has left Illinois higher education scrambling to cover budget holes, especially for those institutions that serve the lowest-income students. MAP tuition awards are paid directly to the schools and can be a significant part of the school budget. The state payouts, expected at the beginning of the 2015 school year, were delayed until the General Assembly passed a “stopgap” budget in July, 2016.

About $320 million was finally paid out last summer, giving awards for 107,000 low-income students. In years past, Springfield legislators have allocated up to $400 million in financial aid for qualifying students, giving aid to 150,000 students.

“The last time MAP funding was below $320 million was in FY 1999,” Baker wrote.

“Students are extremely upset at the ambiguity,” wrote one college administrator in response to an ISAC survey. “They are frustrated about having to make alternate plans (such as budgeting cash payments or borrowing alternative loans) when their shortfall may be covered by the MAP grant, but we can’t tell them for sure.”

Of the 12 public four-year institutions in Illinois, in the 2015-16 school year, Illinois State University in Bloomington had the biggest drop in MAP funds from the previous year. The school received $2.85 million less for a total of 3,431 awards equaling $12.6 million, down 19 percent from $15.5 million the previous year.  The average student award at ISU last school year was $3,680.

Nonetheless, ISU made the commitment to students to cover all MAP funding for 2016-17, even though the state has delayed payment again.

“We are covering [MAP costs] with the expectation that eventually, budget situations will be clarified in the State of Illinois, and that eventually, we will see that money return,” said Eric Jome, ISU director of media relations.

The school with the second-largest gap was Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, which received $2.8 million less MAP grant funding in 2015-16 than the previous year. A total of 3,411 students received MAP grants totaling $11.3 million, down 20 percent from $14.1 million. The average student award was $3,644.

Why did UIC receive a higher percentage of MAP funds than other institutions? Financial aid officers at the school offered a number of possible reasons, said Sherri McGinnis Gonzalez, senior executive director of public affairs. Possibilities ranged from a variance in the number of total enrolled student hours, to more students applying before the deadline date, to an increase in MAP-eligible students, she said.

ISAC’s Baker said because the funds are awarded first-come-first-served, deadlines make a difference.

“University of Illinois is very good at reminding their students to apply before deadlines,” she said.

Community colleges across Illinois fared even more poorly in MAP funding in 2015-16. The total amount of MAP aid awarded to the state’s 48 community colleges was down by 30 percent to $27.8 million from $39.8 million the year before, the ISAC data showed. In 2011, the amount of MAP aid awarded to Illinois community colleges was $56.8 million.

In five years, the total number of community college students who were awarded MAP aid dropped by 47 percent from 59,771 in 2011-12 to 28,245 in 2015-16.

Other public universities:

MAP awards for Governor’s State University dropped by around $200,000 from the previous year in 2015-16. GSU president Elaine Maimon and the board of trustees froze tuition in 2016 and promised to cover MAP grants, this year, even if the state was late in reimbursing.  The average GSU grant was $2,324.

“We made a commitment long ago to our students that they come first. That’s a part of our business model, making sure they are able to attend school,” said Keisha Dyson, GSU associate vice president of marketing and communications.

Chicago State University MAP funding dropped $892,000 in 2015-16 compared to the previous year. The average student award was $2,526. CSU declared a “state of exigency” at the end of the school year. In December 2016, the Illinois State Board of Education awarded CSU an emergency grant of $3 million. A CSU spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.

Eastern Illinois University in Charleston saw a drop of $1.1 million in MAP aid in 2015-16. Eligible students at the school were awarded 2,094 grants for $7.6 million, down 11 percent from $8.6 million the previous year. The average award was $3,620. EIU also received an emergency grant for $5.6 million in December from IBHE.

EIU will continue to credit students for MAP awards in spring 2017, said Paul McCann, vice president for business affairs.

“We are advancing the MAP money to the students in anticipation that we will be reimbursed by the state when a budget is passed,” McCann said in an email.

Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago saw MAP aid drop by about $800,000 in the 2015-16 school year. Eligible students received 2,571 awards totaling $6.6 million. The average student award was $2,580.

“Northeastern Illinois University will front the cost of MAP grants for Spring 2017,” said Michael Hines, director of public relations. “As we have done in the past, we will credit the accounts of our MAP grant-eligible students registered for the coming semester.” The school has already fronted students for $3.5 million for first semester this year that has not been paid by the state, Hines said.

Northern Illinois University in DeKalb faced a budget hole of $1.5 million less in MAP grant funds last school year. The school MAP payout dropped to $18.3 million for 5,112 awards, down 8 percent from $19.8 million. The average student award was $3,590.

“Our approach for this semester is the same as it has been for the last three,” said Joseph King, associate director of institutional communications, in an email.  “[NIU] is crediting student accounts for the full amount that the state pledged to MAP Grant recipient had the program received funding.”

At Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, the school’s MAP grant funding dropped in 2015-16 by about $968,000 from the previous year. A total of 2,219 awards were granted to students, totaling $6.5 million. The average student award was $2,919.

“Systemwide, SIU has over 6,000 students who are MAP recipients and they’re counting on lawmakers to come through for them,” said SIU spokesman John Charles said last year. “From everything we’ve heard, they’re not going to be let down.” SIU University System President Randy J. Dunn has been working with legislators to emphasize the importance of MAP grants, said Doug McIlhagga, executive director of SIU-Edwardsville  marketing & communications in an email.

University of Illinois Springfield received about $400,000 less for MAP awards in 2015-16. The school gave MAP grants to 669 eligible students, totaling $2.2 million. The average award was $3,300.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign saw a drop in MAP grant funding of only about 2 percent, or $400,000. The school’s students received 6,101 awards, totaling about $25.9 million. The average award was $4,202.

Western Illinois University in McComb experienced a $1.5 million drop in MAP award funds in 2015-16 from the previous year. The school’s students were eligible for 2,964 awards for a total of $11 million. That was 12 percent less than $12.5 million the year before. The average student award was $3,722. Western Illinois also received $8.4 million in emergency funding in December from IBHE.

“[WIU] covered the nearly $5.5 million in MAP funding to approximately 2,700 students in Fall 2016,” said Darcie Shinberger, public services director, in an email.

“We will do so again this semester (Spring 2017). To date, approximately $4.5 million has been allocated to 2,220 students.”

University administrators worried that low-income students would drop out of school or leave the state if MAP funding continued to be in question.

“Some of the poorest students in the Illinois college system attend [our institution].” Wrote one administrator in an ISCA survey. “They rely on federal and state grants for not only tuition, but also books and supplies, bus passes, childcare, and food. At this time, we continue to front the MAP Grant because it is essential to our students’ success. From a fiscal standpoint, we cannot continue to front these funds. When that determination is made, more students will need to pursue student loans, if not already taking out loans, or discontinue their education.”

Other administrators worried the financial impact on the school would be significant.

“Although our decision was made to cover the MAP Grant whether or not it was funded by the state, this is a tremendous financial sacrifice for our institution,” wrote one administrator in the survey. “However, we felt it was important for students to feel some sense of financial relief knowing the cost of education for the year will not increase should the MAP Grant decrease or not get funded at all.”

— UIC winner among Illinois universities for 2016 state MAP aid —