Financial Aid For State College Students May Soon Disappear
(CBS) --Illinois has now gone 100 days without a budget and today, another shoe drops.
Students at each of the public universities could take a hit, reports CBS 2's Mike Parker.
This year the state of Illinois budgeted $1.9 billion in direct aid to the Illinois university system, including Governor's State.
We've learned that unless a budget comes out of Springfield, there may be no more of that money starting January 1 and low income students who rely on financial aid may be out of luck.
Kahla Reeves says the aid is something she really needs.
"I'm a parent so it's even more stressful trying to figure out how you're going to pay for school," Reeves said.
The president of Governor's State told Parker the looming money shortage, is causing "unacceptable uncertainty."
In Oak Lawn today, Governor Bruce Rauner again railed at Democrats.
"State financial aid for college students will not get paid," Rauner said. "I am furious about that."
Rauner's leader in the house continued the mantra.
"We don't have the ability to print money, despite what the Democrats think," said Republican house leader Jim Durkin.
Democratic House Speaker Mike Madigan issued a statement saying, "We will not devastate Illinois' middle class and struggling families by furthering an agenda aimed at driving down their wages and their standard of living."
We've also learned that if this budget impasse doesn't end by the end of the year, the government will be facing $8.5 billion in unpaid bills, according to the state comptroller.
