By Kevin Lee 217-528-9604 UNDATED – Each year, the University of Illinois and the state’s seven other public universities shoulder the costs of students whose only qualifications may be who they know or how much their parents donate to campaigns. A new investigation by Illinois Statehouse News and Columbia College Chicago reveals that lawmakers are [...]

By Kevin Lee 217-528-9604 UNDATED- One Democratic state lawmaker wants his colleagues to stop giving away free tutition to university students across Illinois. State Representative Jack Franks says lawmakers who participate in the General Assembly scholarship program risk suspicion from voters. Under the program, lawmakers can award years of free tuition to public university students. [...]

By Kevin Lee     Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD- Lawmakers have awarded at least 197 tuition-free scholarships to relatives of campaign contributors, according to an investigation by Illinois Statehouse News. Some lawmakers and good government groups have raised concerns that the scholarship program favors the politically connected. The legislative scholarship program allows lawmakers to give eight public [...]

By Kevin Lee     Illinois Statehouse News The lack of regulations and oversight of the General Assembly scholarship program has prompted concerns that the program is rife with potential for abuse and conflicts of interest. Illinois Statehouse News teamed with Columbia College in Chicago to shed transparency on lawmakers’ scholarship process. THE LACK OF SUNSHINE Three [...]

By Laura Lane of ChicagoTalks.org Five Illinois lawmakers require students applying for a legislative scholarship to register to vote – a requirement that some experts say is inappropriate and discriminatory. John Whitehead, president of the Virginia-based The Rutherford Institute, said lawmakers who require applicants vying for Illinois General Assembly scholarships to register are discriminating against [...]

By Jay Grooms of ChicagoTalks.org Marcie Gutierrez, a teacher at John Hay Elementary on Chicago’s West Side, wanted help paying for school when she attended the University of Illinois at Chicago to further her education. So she applied for a legislative scholarship from Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago), whose district includes her school. Gutierrez, however, didn’t [...]