State Representative CD Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) joined a bipartisan, bicameral group yesterday to announce stopgap funding that would fund student MAP grants and state universities. “Our proposal will immediately provide one semester of MAP grant funding to Illinois’ neediest students, while work on a full budget continues,” said Davidsmeyer.
The proposal, devised by Rep. Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago), taps the projected $600 million dollars currently held in the Educational Assistance Fund (EAF).
The EAF is used to fund a mix of K through 12 education and higher education. The K through 12 portion has already been appropriated, leaving $600 million in the fund.
MAP grant recipients would receive one semester of funding at a cost of $198,536,550 from the EAF. State universities and the Illinois Math and Science Academy would receive four months stopgap allocation from May until August of 2016. The estimated four month allocation is $359,726,867 and nearly exhausts the EAF.“The General Assembly must act to ensure that our students receive the promised MAP funding and to make sure our universities remain open. This is just a first step towards funding higher education.”