CLC to distribute MAP grants to 1,142 students under new state budget

The new Illinois state budget approved July 6 by the Illinois Legislature has restored funding for state public higher education, including the Monetary Award Program (MAP). As a result, 1,142 College of Lake County students will receive grants that apply to the 2016-17 academic year.

The MAP awards total $885,913, with each student receiving an average of $465 per semester, according to Erin Fowles, director of Financial Aid and interim dean, Enrollment Services. The state budget also included appropriations to continue MAP awards for 2017-18 without interruption.

In 2015-16, while waiting for the state to pass a budget, CLC funded MAP grants totaling $644,565 to aid 811 students, Fowles said. In 2016-17, budget constraints did not allow the college to make the same financial commitment, so MAP awards remained unpaid on student accounts until the state funding was released last week.

The restoration of the MAP grants is good news for CLC students such as Kenya Link, a first-generation college student majoring in sociology. "I was relieved and very thankful to receive my allotted grant money because it means that I don't have to work a second part-time job," said Link, a Waukegan resident. She plans to transfer to Bethune-Cookman University in fall 2018, earn a bachelor's degree and eventually become a social worker. "I already work 20 hours per week outside of school, and I'll be taking five or six courses in the Fall Semester. Having only one part-time job will give me more time for studying and being active in two campus clubs."

Fowles urges students to remember two tips when deciding how to pay for college: Never assume that you won't qualify for financial aid, and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, every year on Oct. 1 for the next school year, or as close to Oct. 1 as possible. "MAP grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are depleted," she said.

For more information on the Illinois budget and student aid programs, visit the Illinois Student Assistance Commission website at www.isac.org/students/during-college/budget-update.html. For questions about CLC's financial aid programs, visit www.clcillinois.edu/financialaid.

CLC's Fall Semester courses begin Aug. 21. To view fall course offerings and learn how to become a student, visit www.clcillinois.edu/fall.