Funding cuts hit Tuition waivers

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To end an unwarranted burden on cash-strapped colleges and universities, state Sen. Susan Garrett (D - Highwood), and state Reps. Karen May (D – Highland) and Elaine Nekritz (D – Des Plaines) announced that they will not participate in the General Assembly tuition waiver program that lets legislators waive state college tuition for a number of students in their districts.

“We are proud of the open, independent and community-based manner in which our offices have awarded General Assembly tuition waivers in the past, but due to the funding cuts our state colleges and universities have faced in recent years it is no longer appropriate to continue the program,” May said.

The General Assembly Tuition Waiver program allows lawmakers to provide free tuition to a limited number of students in their district to attend any state university. The state budget does not provide a line item for the tuition waivers, possibly resulting in higher tuition for other students.

“We are confident that the independent citizens’ committees which have awarded the tuition waivers for us have always done so solely on the basis of merit and financial need; however we have decided that we can no longer participate in a program,” Garrett said.

Legislation to end the General Assembly tuition waiver program has been proposed in Springfield, but has not yet mustered the votes to pass.

“I have always separated myself from the awarding of these scholarships by enlisting the help of a local advisory committee to choose winning students from a list of anonymous applications,” Nekritz, who has sponsored legislation to eliminate the scholarship program, added. “While this program has been helpful to many, our current fiscal situation dictates that non-essential spending be eliminated. It is time the General Assembly voted to end the program.”

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is an excellent resource for scholarship searches and FAFSA questions for students who may be seeking financial assistance. Their website is www.collegeillinois.org.

A bill to end the program will be considered again this year. Collectively Garrett, May and Nekritz will be advocate for its passage.