Taxpayers often say they'd like policymakers to scrutinize government budgets just as a small-business owner would - if a budget expense isn't needed, it should be taken out.

If you applied that standard to the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants and asked whether they were money well-spent, the answer would be a resounding yes. The return on the investment of the grants - which have allowed hundreds of thousands of Illinois students from low-income families to attend the schools of their choice - has paid the state back many times over.

Illinois' MAP grants became a national model for need-based aid when they started almost 40 years ago. Now the program is in jeopardy.

This fall the state has funded MAP grants to more than 137,000 students. As of Jan. 1, that funding ends. Unless MAP grant funding is restored by Nov. 1, many students will not be able to re-enroll for the second semester in community colleges, public universities and private colleges and universities throughout the state. Students who drop out rarely come back to school and finish their degree.

Immediate action by the state is the only hope for these students and their families.

MAP grants are a lifeline, not a luxury. More than three-quarters of MAP recipients have a family income of $40,000 or less.

By investing in human capital our state gives students from low-income families a chance to succeed on their own and be self-reliant members of society. MAP grants are for state residents going to Illinois schools - all the money stays here and is multiplied by the success these students have in years to come.

We urge the General Assembly to allocate $200 million in MAP grant funding during their veto session this October and continue to fuel the dreams of hardworking students statewide.

David Tretter

President

Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities