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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The State's Monetary Award Program (MAP) is one of
3the largest and most successful need-based, student financial
4aid program in the United States; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The award size of MAP grants and their historic,
6student-focused nature have enabled students of need to attend
7the college or university that best suits their educational
8needs; and
 
9    WHEREAS, MAP grant recipients are able to achieve their
10potential through education, something that our State holds in
11the highest value; and
 
12    WHEREAS, MAP grants are limited in the amount of funds that
13can be appropriated for them each fiscal year, and the General
14Assembly and Governor are seeking additional ways to improve
15the performance of these grants by asking more of the grant
16recipients and the institutions they choose to attend;
17therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
19ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
20CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Illinois Student Assistance
21Commission shall convene a task force to deliberate options for

 

 

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1the adoption of new rules for the Monetary Award Program (MAP),
2with the goal of improving the outcomes for students who
3receive these awards; and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That the task force shall include without
5limitation the following:
6        (1) one representative of Illinois public
7    universities;
8        (2) one representative of Illinois public community
9    colleges;
10        (3) one representative of Illinois non-profit, private
11    colleges and universities;
12        (4) one representative of Illinois proprietary
13    institutions;
14        (5) one representative of an association of financial
15    aid administrators;
16        (6) one student who is currently receiving a MAP grant;
17        (7) one representative of the Illinois Community
18    College Board;
19        (8) one representative of the Board of Higher
20    Education;
21        (9) one representative of the Office of the Lieutenant
22    Governor; and
23        (10) the Executive Director of the Illinois Student
24    Assistance Commission, who shall serve as chairperson of
25    the task force, and one other representative of the

 

 

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1    Illinois Student Assistance Commission; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That members of the task force shall be appointed
3by the Executive Director of the Illinois Student Assistance
4Commission; and be it further
 
5    RESOLVED, That the members of the task force shall serve
6without compensation but shall be reimbursed for their
7reasonable and necessary expenses from funds available for that
8purpose; and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Student Assistance Commission
10shall provide administrative and other support to the task
11force; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That the task force shall hold public meetings
13and seek input from students and additional stakeholders; and
14be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That the new rules should be created with the
16following goals:
17        (1) to improve the partnerships between this State and
18    institutions as they provide both financial assistance and
19    academic support to MAP recipients;
20        (2) to improve the overall effectiveness of MAP grants
21    in helping students of need not only enter college, but to

 

 

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1    complete a degree program; and
2        (3) to recognize that all colleges and universities are
3    different, and the different natures of their student
4    populations and their varying missions must be recognized
5    as inherently good and valuable; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That these new rules should be designed so that
7they do not alter, nor have an adverse impact on, an
8institution's mission; and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That the deliberations should include the
10following concepts:
11        (1) institutional eligibility for MAP grants may, in
12    the future, become based in part on an institution's
13    ability to improve its MAP-grant students' progress
14    towards a degree or its MAP-grant degree completion rate;
15        (2) a student's eligibility for a MAP grant may, in the
16    future, become based in part on that student's ability to
17    demonstrate that he or she is achieving academic success
18    and making progress; and
19        (3) an institution's eligibility for MAP grants may, in
20    the future, become based in part on its ability to
21    demonstrate that it is a partner with this State and the
22    institution is providing financial aid to students from its
23    own resources; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That to provide adequate time for the creation
2and implementation of new measurement and performance systems,
3the new systems should not become eligibility criteria for MAP
4funds prior to the Fiscal Year 2015 budget; and be it further
 
5    RESOLVED, That the task force shall complete its work and
6report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly
7no later than January 1, 2013; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9delivered to the Executive Director of the Illinois Student
10Assistance Commission.