Sixty-four percent of students in Illinois pursuing their bachelor’s degree in college enter the working world with an average debt of $28,028. Nationwide, student debt as of May 2013 was $1.01 trillion. Statistics like these show that college affordability is an issue of major concern for students and families.

In The Illinois Report 2014, Professor Jennifer A. Delaney of the Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership describes how the Monetary Award Program (MAP) is the primary undergraduate need-based grant aid program in Illinois. Though an increasing number of students have become eligible for MAP awards since 2000, the number of students who have been turned away has also increased.