Students struggling to come up with money and dependent on financial aid may have noticed a dip in allocations this year, a trend the state hopes won’t continue.

For the fiscal year 2003, the number students rewarded through the Monetary Award Program dropped by 12,000, according to the Illinois Assistance Commission.

Moreover, students who were lucky enough to get a MAP grant received 5 percent less than what the program usually gives.

The MAP program, started in 1957, provides grants for students in need in order to pay for college tuition and fees.

This cutback is a result of last year’s state budget cuts in which the program’s fund was cut by $38 million, a 10 percent reduction. For the fiscal year of 2002, the MAP program was given $368 million, and, for the 2003 fiscal year the program received $329 million.

To add to the problem, nearly one-third of Illinois college students who are eligible for the MAP program live at or below the federal poverty level, said Lori Reimers, director for ISAC’s state relations.

According to federal guidelines, a family of four who has an income of $17,600 or less is considered to be living in poverty.

“Without MAP dollars, they just can’t afford to pay the cost of attending college,” said Larry Matejka, ISAC’s executive director, in a press release.

Furthermore, Reimers said, college enrollment numbers are rising, as are costs for college, which expands the college affordability gap.

“At some point, the amount a student is going to receive isn’t going to help them,” she said. “For some students, if could be the difference of whether to attend college or not.”