Democrats Pass Legislation Regarding Higher Ed Funding

Lawmakers in Illinois have voted to send more than $700 million to universities and junior colleges to pay for MAP grants and to keep the doors open at the state junior colleges. The bill passed on a party line vote in both the House and Senate.

Democrats feel it’s important to keep those funds available to low income college students. Republicans countered that there is no offset in the spending plan so it will only add to the state’s deficit.

Republicans do have their own plan for funding MAP, junior colleges and universities, but that bill is tied to companion legislation that would give the Governor authority to sweep funds from other parts of state government and reallocate them to different services or expenses.

Governor Bruce Rauner has said that he will veto the current bill when it gets to him.