By Grant Riggs, Editor-in-Chief On Wednesday, February 8, a group of McKendree students attended a rally at the Capitol building in Springfield, Ill. in support of higher education and the MAP grant. The grant, which […]
Tag: MAP grant
Lost in transportation
BY LAUREN REEVES
Staff Writer
Flights out from the cornfields to the Bay. Guzzling gas tanks. Endless popping potato chip bags bursting all over the backseat. Cramming bodies into small SUVs. Frantic hotel concierges. All of these are parts of the traveling process you as students could experience when you go on a conference trip in college.
McKendree University likes to make sure students are engaged in the classroom and outside. They even like to help sponsor trips to conferences to let students gain leadership skills and learn interesting things McKendree can offer. Some time or another, every student should experience what it is like to travel on behalf of McKendree, whether it’s for academics, sports or clubs.
Bearcat thoughts: MAP grant
BY TEAGAN SCHWAB
Staff Writer
For many of the Bearcats who reside in Illinois, receiving the MAP grant is a make or break deal for attending McKendree. Over the last few weeks, students rallied to try to get Governor Rauner to sign the bill to continue funding for the MAP grant.
Save the MAP: a call to action
As many Illinois college students know, funding for the MAP program has not been going well in Springfield. Governor Rauner and his colleagues have created a serious issue for higher education in our state. Hundreds if not thousands of MAP eligible students who depend on those funds to make their college education possible at McKendree University and other instate institutions may no longer be able to make their college dreams a reality.
This is a letter to encourage students and others in our state to urge our governor to save the MAP. Below we have collected some interesting information to help everyone interact with a handful of important people who have it within their power to make a difference on this issue on our behalf.
In addition, if you have friends at other universities who benefit from the MAP grant or even colleagues who work with students, we would strongly urge you to share this information with them and encourage them to appeal to our State leaders as well. By working together, we hope to cause a positive effect in support of MAP grant funding and a positive outcome to this issue.
#MAPmatters
–The Review Crew
Below is more information about contacting Gov. Rauner and a sample letter if you are interested in making your voice heard.
Sample letter
Dear Gov. Rauner:
Over 136,000 students across the state have enrolled in college with the promise of receiving Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants to help them meet the costs of higher education. This terrific program has helped many needy students achieve their higher education goals. As MAP continues to go unfunded in the state budget, it is becoming difficult for students to plan for their futures and difficult for colleges and universities to continue to bridge the funding gap.
This is a real and growing crisis that is felt around the state. Without MAP, many students will not be able to continue their studies.
I am writing to urge you to work with the members of the General Assembly to do whatever you can to restore funding for MAP. We cannot allow the most economically at-risk group of college students to be left behind, when they stand to benefit the most from attaining a college degree at an Illinois institution. Stable MAP funding is vital to ensure that these students are able to continue their studies without interruption.
Thank you for your attention to this crucial matter.
Sincerely,
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