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Single Mom: MAP More Than Just Student Financial Aid

By Theresa Tracy
ISAC Public Relations Specialist

For 28-year-old Lisa Zilligen of Chicago, the Monetary Award Program (MAP) is more than just a means to college. It’s the linchpin of her financial solvency, and Zilligen says she s deathly afraid of losing it.

“I’m terrified,” said Zilligen, a single mother of three and fulltime student at Loyola University

Zilligen has a housing subsidy, gets food stamps and uses a medical card to cover family health care expenses. As part of her financial aid package, she has a job on campus through the work study program and has taken out student loans to help cover tuition, room and board. With her refund check, Zilligen has just enough to make her portion of the rent, buy clothes and stretch the family food budget. Plus as a fulltime student, Zilligen is eligible for daycare assistance through Illinois Action for Children.

That could all change if the governor and General Assembly fail to restore MAP grants for the spring semester. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) provides these grants, which do not need to be repaid, to Illinois residents who attend approved Illinois colleges and demonstrate a financial need, based on the information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The program is funded by the state and is subject to annual appropriations by the General Assembly and Governor. But through efforts to balance the state budget, funding to the program was cut by $200 million in July, leaving thousands with little or no state financial aid for college after January 1, 2010.

Zilligen has even more to lose. To be eligible for the daycare assistance that allows her to work and student loans that provide the refund money, Zilligen must be in school. Without MAP, she will have to drop out. “No school, no daycare and no loan refunds to help with food and rent,” said Zilligen. “I don’t know how we will get by without it.”

During ISAC’s October 9 public hearing at Loyola University Zilligen tearfully testified about the hardship losing MAP would create for her and her children. She begged lawmakers not to “take away her family’s life.” Zilligen plans to take that message all the way to Springfield on Thursday when she joins other students for a rally at the Capitol.

Give Our Kids A Chance: A Parent’s Impassioned Plea To Save Illinois MAP Grants

By Theresa Tracy
ISAC Public Relations Specialist

Usha Delesio, 53, of Oak Forest is near the end of her rope. Due to the housing slump, her husband—a truck driver who hauls construction materials for a living and is the family’s main breadwinner— has taken a big hit in his income.

To make matters worse, this fall the Delesios learned that the grant money they rely upon to send their 19-year-old daughter, Christina, to Monmouth College had been cut from the state budget. Instead of the $4,900 she was eligible to receive through the Monetary Award Program (MAP), Christina got just under $2,500. Without quick action from the governor and the General Assembly, the sophomore teaching major will get nothing in January.

“She’ll have to come home,” said Delesio who borrowed nearly $20,000 to pay tuition and lodging for Christina’s first two years but still needed the grant funds to make up the difference. “We are not rich people. We have a mortgage and other expenses. We have done all that we can do,” Delesio said disheartened.

The Delesios are not alone. Roughly 138,000 eligible students statewide are facing the same dilemma—how to pay for second semester without MAP funding and what to do about next year.

“It’s not right to just take this away from our kids. They are our future,” said Delesio. “What kind of future do we have without education?”

The Monetary Award Program (MAP) provides grants, which do not need to be repaid, to Illinois residents who attend approved Illinois colleges and demonstrate a financial need, based on the information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The program is administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) and funded by the state. In efforts to balance the state budget, funding to the program was cut by $200 million in July, leaving thousands with little or no money for college. According to Jayne Schreck, Monmouth College Director of Financial Aid, it’s not only MAP recipients who are impacted. Schreck says the entire college will feel the loss.

“The ripple effects impact our entire campus, every student, every educator, staff member, and campus organization will be affected,” said Schreck. About 600 Monmouth students, roughly 45 percent, are MAP recipients. “That’s $1.4 million our students will lose in the spring semester,” said Schreck. Schreck’s office is encouraging Monmouth students and parents to write, call and email legislators to demand a solution. “We have personally assisted 700 students to send 1,400 letters from our office. We’ve asked parents and staff to do the same,” Schreck said. Concerned parents were encouraged to visit SaveIllinoisMAPgrants.org for more resources and information about other things they can do to help.

As for the Delesios, they’ve done their part—signed the petition to restore MAP funds, emailed a personal plea to the governor and called their state senator. “Now it’s up to the legislators to give our kids a chance,” said Delesio.