Students from Rockford College will be in Springfield today, lobbying for education funding. The state's Monetary Award Program was slashed after the Governor made one billion dollars in cuts to the budget earlier this year. MAP grants won't be available for the second semester unless lawmakers can come up with 200-million dollars. Governor Quinn is suggesting a dollar a pack increase on cigarettes to pay for it. Students will lose about 700 thousand dollars in aid at Rockford College alone if the cutbacks stand.

 

This story appeared at http://mystateline.com/content/fulltext_news?cid=107462# on October 15, 2009.