Illinois lawmakers heard from an assortment of higher education leaders asking for funding. Higher education officials used terms like starving, dismantling and “economic suicide” as they tried to persuade state senators to find some way to heal the budget impasse.
One of the last witnesses was Eric Zarnikow, director of the state agency that runs the Monetary Award Program. MAP grants help needy college kids with tuition. Zarnikow quoted his mother, who he says always warned him not to eat the seed corn.
"It took me a long time to like figure out what the heck you're talking about mom, but it basically is over the winter, if you eat your seed corn, you have nothing to plant in the spring, and you're doomed."
Illinois colleges have gone more than 8 months without state funding, and Spring is just 10 days away. College presidents say they've cut their budgets to the bone, and students are leaving for out-of-state schools.
