Oakton foundation helping pay tuition for MAP-eligible students

State lawmakers' failure to pass a budget has again led to reliance on outside contributions to help pay tuition costs for students who need financial help at Oakton Community College, officials said.

The Oakton Community College Educational Foundation approved more than $1.3 million in funding to cover scholarships and grants over the next budget year.

The funding includes $375,000 to cover about half the students eligible to receive grants through the Monetary Award Program, or MAP. The remaining students eligible for the assistance will not receive grants unless lawmakers approve tax dollars to fund the program. Lawmakers have not passed a budget in nearly three years, forcing cuts to schools and colleges.

The donation also includes $675,000 earmarked for the college's general fund, the largest allocation the foundation has ever provided.

"The investment we are making in our students is paying off in terms of student outcomes," President Joianne Smith said in a statement. "The foundation support is critical as the college works to continue to improve outcomes for all students."

Financial support helps lower-income students remain on track to complete degrees, officials said.

For example, the foundation last year provided $225,000 in grant funding for students who would've been eligible for MAP grants. The persistence rate - or number of students who stayed on track - for students who received the grants was 87 percent, officials said. For students who were eligible for MAP grants but did not receive grants, the rate was 78 percent.

A couple of years ago, the foundation paid for half the MAP grant funding while the college used funds to pay for the remaining students. However, the college has not had funding to pay for the remaining eligible students, spokesman Paul Palian said.

"Since the state funding for the college has also been absent, we're struggling a bit in that department," Palian said. "What the foundation has done is nothing short of amazing."

The foundation's donation also included $500,000 in endowed and restricted scholarships and $225,000 for faculty projects and staff initiatives.

"It is due to the continued and consistent generosity of our donors that the Educational Foundation is capable of providing this level of funding to our students," Howard Singer, president of the foundation, said in a news release. "We are privileged to have such great support from our community."