NIU should create a more solid plan for students credited with MAP grants in case they will have to pay back the funds.

After Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed a bill that would fund MAP grants and award NIU $72,847,200 in funding, college students remain unsure if they will have to pay back their grants.

Alan Phillips, vice president for Administration and Finance, said if the state does not appropriate funds for MAP, NIU cannot cover those funds and will work with students to find any financial aid they can, according to a Northern Star article Monday.

To place an unclear, large fee on students in a poor financial situation is contradictory to the purpose of MAP funding. NIU should put together solid options to help students repay their MAP grant funds, as it has stated it will. The university should send detailed plans to students who were credited with MAP grant funding that list scholarships and grants they can apply for.

Gov. Bruce Rauner and the General Assembly must compromise in order to get a budget passed. A solution is not achievable if compromises are not made.