MOUNT GREENWOOD — Students at Saint Xavier University receiving MAP grants have been asked to make an appointment with the financial aid office by Friday.
Officially known as the state's Monetary Award Program, these funds have been withheld while Illinois legislators continue to wrangle over a statewide budget.
Saint Xavier's main campus is at 3700 W. 103rd St. in Mount Greenwood. The university has some 1,600 MAP grant recipients. These grants are given only to Illinois residents with a financial need, vary in value and do not need to be paid back.
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Thus far, the university had been covering students who have not yet received the funds. Saint Xavier said this policy has already cost $6.6 million, according to an email sent to students March 14.
This same email — signed by Saint Xavier's president, Christine Wiseman — also says the university "must begin to develop contingency plans in the event those (MAP) funds do not materialize."
Students are urged to visit the financial aid office to discuss "your circumstances, your ability to cover the MAP award, and any loan options or payment plans available to you," according to the email.
Karla Thomas, a spokeswoman for the university, said the meetings are meant to simply access each MAP recipient's financial situation moving forward. She added that these meetings can occur after Friday so long as students make an appointment by then.
"Right now, we don't have a solid plan," Thomas said.
But the email to students sounded more concrete, saying "MAP students will need to take any agreed action by the end of the spring semester."
The letter to students also stated that graduates receiving their diplomas in May will not be held back by the MAP grants nor will transcripts be withheld. Students are also being encouraged to register for summer and fall classes after meeting with their financial advisors and following their recommendations.
About 130,000 Illinois college students receive MAP grants. And while the amount of each MAP grant varies based on need, tuition cost and other factors, the value of the typical MAP grant is about $4,400, according to published reports.
"As we near the end of our spring semester, measures must be taken by all of us to cover those (MAP) funds. While the university, our faculty, staff and administrators are making every effort to restructure and cut expenses, we need help from each of you as well," Wiseman's email reads.
