Despite Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoing a bill to fund Monetary Award Program grants, a second bill, House Bill 4539, that would provide $373 million in MAP funding, is still active.

MAP gives funding to Illinois residents who attend approved Illinois colleges and demonstrate financial need. The number of grants made through this program, are subject to sufficient annual appropriations by the General Assembly and the governor, according to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission website.

HB4539 would fund MAP grants and appropriate $72,874,200 to NIU. The bill must be used in conjunction with HB4521 which would provide authority and procedures for the governor to establish emergency reserves of previously appropriated funds and to transfer balances between special funds in the state treasury and the general revenue fund due to the budget impasse.

Rauner’s Fiscal Year 2016 proposed budget includes reduction in funds to public entities, including NIU’s $93 million in allocations for FY 2016 being cut to about $64 million. A lack of agreement on the proposed budget has resulted in a eight-month impasse. Without a finalized budget, state appropriations, such as MAP funding, cannot be given.

Approximately 5,700 NIU students relied on the MAP grants in question to fund their education for the 2015-16 academic year. NIU credited the MAP grants to students for fall 2015 and spring 2016 amounting to $20 million.

Alan Phillips, vice president for Administration and Finance, said if the state does not end up appropriating funds or MAP, NIU is not in a position to cover those funds and will work with students to find whatever financial aid that they can.

“I know [Rauner is] not talking to Congress. I know he’s not working with anybody and I don’t see why not,” said junior biology major Robert Frizzell.

Frizzell said he expects to have to take out a loan to cover the costs.

“Even though that bill got vetoed we haven’t given up that a bill will get through to fund the MAP grants,” said NIU Spokesperson Joe King. “Historically it has been a program that the state has been very committed to. We’re confident that, even in the midst of the current crisis, … they will ultimately fund that.”

Rauner vetoed Senate Bill 2043 on Friday, which would have appropriated $397 million for MAP funding, and said it would explode the state’s budget deficit, exacerbate the state’s cash flow crisis and place further strain on social service providers.

“… State spending already approved far exceeds available state revenue this year,” Rep. Bob Pritchard (R-Hinckley) said in a Friday news release. “Dolling out money without a funding source only adds on to our state’s growing pile of unpaid bills and delays a real discussion of funding such expenditures.”