MAP grant funds were paid in full Thursday by the Illinois Comptroller, Leslie Geissler Munger.

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission sent $164 million in MAP Grant vouchers to the comptroller’s office Thursday. Munger sent a press release stating that she would take immediate action to alleviate hardship by immediately turning around the MAP Grant payments.

Across the state, universities and colleges will receive the payments to assist the 125,000 college students that depend on MAP Grants to alleviate financial burdens.

“Our students have suffered unacceptable hardship due to this budget impasse and it is my priority to provide relief however possible,” she said.

Munger’s press release said that these actions are not a long term solution, citing that the MAP Grant funding signed earlier on in the week only covers half of the monetary amount that students were supposed to be granted this year.

“I applaud the General Assembly and Governor for a strong first step,” Munger said. “But it is critical that they now finish the job and pass a comprehensive balanced budget that allows us to keep our promises not only to students, but also to social service providers, schools, businesses and others that are serving taxpayers across our state.”

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