Northern Illinois University sophomore Michael Kocher shows his friend around campus during Welcome Week, posing for a picture in front of the “Huskie Pride” sculpture.
His friend just transferred from community college. Kocher says, if it wasn’t for getting one of the state's Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants for lower-income college students, he would have taken the same path.
“Because then I could, at least, work my way through college," he said. "Because NIU is a little expensive, I mean, compared to Kishwaukee College, at least. But, yeah, MAP and FAFSA really was a big decision in coming here.”
He’s not alone. NIU enrollment administrator Sol Jensen says, for many students, MAP doesn’t just decide university versus community college.
“If we did not have MAP grants, there are 1,000s of students that very likely would not be able to go to college," said Jensen.
The Illinois budget impasse began 10 years ago. At that time, Lawmakers significantly cut funding for MAP. But state investment has grown a lot since the budget crisis.
In fiscal year 2016, the state appropriated $170 million to MAP. In 2025, the state budget devoted over $700 million.
Jensen says it’s been important, particularly at a school like NIU where nearly half of students receive MAP. He says the funding increases mean not only do more students receive financial aid — the grant amounts themselves are larger.
Eight years ago, the maximum MAP award at NIU was about $4,800. Now, it's over $8,000. So, not quite doubled, but close.
He says, to really understand what that means for students, you have to put it within the context of the cost of tuition and fees.
“If you go back a decade, the MAP grant (max award), at least at NIU, was covering about 38% of tuition and fees," said Jensen. "Today, that is covering about 60% of our tuition fees.”
Jensen says another thing to note about MAP is that it’s a first-come, first-served system. During the budget impasse, funding ran out quickly. At NIU, it meant that around 10% of students who qualified for awards didn’t get any.
“But really now," he said, "when you look at the last five years, as the governor and the legislature has put more funding into the MAP grants, what we have seen is almost a one-to-one ratio, so almost every single student that's eligible is also able to receive it."
This financial aid is also pivotal for many community college students.
Patrick Peyer is the VP of student affairs at Rock Valley College, where over 1,400 students receive MAP grants. That’s double what it was during the impasse. And he says the average award amount those students receive has also nearly doubled.
Their students are now receiving the most money they’ve ever gotten through MAP.
“$500 in any given semester," said Peyer, "can make or break a student's ability to successfully complete a term and stay enrolled."
He says that’s especially true for community college students, who often choose to attend because they don’t have a ton of money to spend on a university.
“One of the main drivers of people who decide to attend and then take that break," said Peyer, "whether it's a semester or 10 years, most often times they're citing something to do with a financial shortfall."
The average family income of students receiving MAP is $33,000 a year. And more than half of eligible students have no extra money to pay for college.
Despite financial hurdles, a report from Illinois Student Assistance Commission shows that MAP recipients graduate college at similar rates to all students at their institutions.
There are other forms of financial aid, like federal Pell grants and merit scholarships. But at schools like NIU, the maximum MAP award is still larger than Pell and larger than any merit scholarships or other financial aid.
Back at Rock Valley, Peyer says that the program, which was so unstable a decade ago, now provides much-needed stability for students and schools. But, with state and federal finances in flux, the question is if the increasing investment will continue.
