A few hundred yards from the state capitol – and with thousands of students chanting "we want MAP" – Governor Quinn delivered the news.
"I'm happy to say that the House of Representatives already today passed the appropriation for MAP," said Quinn. "It's on to the Senate and it's on to making sure that we have full funding for MAP this year and every year to come."
That's welcome news to Illinois State University student Alana McGinty. Without the Monetary Assistance Program she wouldn't be able to afford college.
"About two years ago my dad told me that if I didn't come up with the money to pay for school I was going to have to take a year off and figure something out," McGinty told News 25. "That's when I first applied for financial aid and I was lucky enough to receive the MAP Grant. It's been a huge part of my financial aid package."
Even if MAP Grants are restored, as the Illinois House voted to do Thursday, the state is still broke. So the governor was asked where the funding is going to come from?
"One of the things that is going to come out of this movement is an effort in the future to earmark money in our state budget for the MAP program," said Quinn, who did not discuss a specific plan for funding MAP. "It's a very important investment in the future of Illinois."
Bradley student Aileen Cordero says state leaders need to do a better job of managing state funds so that students don't lose aid in the future.
"We can make a stand on whether the program will be reinstated, but we need political leaders who will manage those funds and make sure they get to those people," said Cordero.
A one dollar cigarette tax has been proposed to fund MAP. But on Thursday no one in Springfield really knew for sure how to come up with an additional $200–million.
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