Gov. Pat Quinn

MAP Watch: CSU Plans Rallies in Springfield, On Campus to Push for MAP Restoration

By: Alma Campos

Posted: 9/21/09

Advocates at CSU for restoring Illinois's Monetary Award Program will be rallying in Springfield Oct. 15 with other colleges and universities with students who will be affected by Gov. Pat Quinn's (D) decision to slash MAP awards by 50 percent. If those efforts fail, over 3,000 CSU students will no longer receive the grant next semester. The number of students that will be affected statewide is estimated to be 138,000, according to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

The governor, who initiated the cuts, said in early September that he hopes to find revenue that could fund the grant for next year. According to ISAC, it is estimated that many students will drop out of college for a semester if the grant is not restored, and one-third could permanently drop out of school if additional funding is not provided.

During CSU Spirit Day - on Wednesday, Sept. 24 - students will have the opportunity to become more informed and take action, said Christopher Williams, director of legislative and external relations. Advocates will have information booths and computers set up in the Cordell Reed Student Union Building to allow students to send electronic letters to the governor's office. Students can also sign a petition and register to take part in the MAP rally in Springfield. The university will also hold an on-campus rally Oct. 7.

Along with other MAP efforts at CSU, the student from the university's Honors College have collected several hundred signatures and launched a letter writing campaign. Richard Milo, dean of the Honors College, said honors students will be expanding their efforts by asking students outside of the college to support the MAP grant through letter writing and collecting signatures. Leticia Carrillo, executive director of the Latino Resource Center, said students there are implementing similar efforts.

Richard Brooks, student representative for the Illinois Board of Higher Education and a member of the student government association, said he "wants to jump on the ball," and will propose MAP initiatives to SGA members during their next executive meeting. According to Brooks, some of those initiatives include letter writing, petitioning and ways to engage fraternities and sororities into taking action.