100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
SB3564

 

Introduced 2/16/2018, by Sen. Chapin Rose

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 947/65.100 new

    Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to receive and consider applications for legacy scholarships. Provides that an applicant is eligible for a scholarship if, among other conditions, (i) he or she has been accepted for undergraduate enrollment at a public university in this State, (ii) he or she is considered a non-resident of this State for tuition purposes, and (iii) he or she has a parent or step-parent who has earned a bachelor's, graduate, doctorate, or professional degree from the university and is an active member of the university's alumni association. Sets forth provisions concerning the amount and payment of scholarship assistance, the automatic renewal of scholarships, administration, and rulemaking. Effective July 1, 2018.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
5amended by adding Section 65.100 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 947/65.100 new)
7    Sec. 65.100. Legacy scholarships.
8    (a) Twice a year, the Commission shall receive and consider
9applications for scholarship assistance under this Section.
10The deadline to apply for the fall semester is March 1. The
11deadline to apply for the spring semester is December 1. An
12applicant is eligible for a scholarship under this Section if
13the Commission finds that the applicant meets all of the
14following qualifications:
15        (1) The applicant is a United States citizen or
16    eligible noncitizen.
17        (2) The applicant has been accepted for undergraduate
18    enrollment at a public university in this State and will be
19    enrolled as a full-time student at that university.
20        (3) The applicant is considered a non-resident of this
21    State for tuition purposes.
22        (4) The applicant's parent or step-parent meets both of
23    the following qualifications:

 

 

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1            (A) The parent or step-parent has earned a
2        bachelor's, graduate, doctorate, or professional
3        degree from the public university at which the
4        applicant will be enrolled. Completion of a medical
5        residency does not qualify as a degree under this
6        subparagraph (A).
7            (B) That same parent or step-parent is an active
8        member of the university's alumni association.
9    All applications for scholarship assistance to be awarded
10under this Section shall be made to the Commission in a form as
11set forth by the Commission. The form of application and the
12information required to be set forth in the application shall
13be determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall
14require eligible applicants to submit with their applications
15such supporting documents as the Commission deems necessary.
16The Commission shall select scholarship recipients from among
17eligible applicants.
18    (b) Subject to the other provisions of this Section, the
19scholarship amount awarded to a recipient under this Section
20shall be as follows:
21        (1) For a recipient with (i) a total score of 1420 or
22    higher on the SAT college admissions test or a composite
23    score of 31 or higher on the ACT national college
24    admissions examination and (ii) an unweighted cumulative
25    grade point average from high school of 3.5 or higher on a
26    4.0 scale (or the equivalent as determined by the

 

 

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1    Commission), the scholarship amount per academic year
2    shall equal the difference between the university's annual
3    tuition charge for residents of this State and the annual
4    tuition charge for non-residents of this State, based upon
5    the student's academic major.
6        (2) For a recipient with (i) a total score of 1310 or
7    higher but less than 1420 on the SAT college admissions
8    test or a composite score of 28 or higher but less than 31
9    on the ACT national college admissions examination and (ii)
10    an unweighted cumulative grade point average from high
11    school of 3.0 or higher but less than 3.5 on a 4.0 scale
12    (or the equivalent as determined by the Commission), the
13    scholarship amount shall equal $4,500 per academic year.
14        (3) For any other recipient, the scholarship amount
15    shall equal $3,000 per academic year.
16    The minimum test score requirements under this subsection
17(b) are based on the total or composite score from one test
18date. The Commission may not consider combined scores from 2 or
19more test dates.
20    (c) The Commission shall automatically renew a scholarship
21awarded under this Section each semester upon verification
22that:
23        (1) the scholarship recipient is enrolled full-time at
24    the university and continues to be considered a
25    non-resident of this State for tuition purposes;
26        (2) the scholarship recipient has a cumulative grade

 

 

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1    point average at the university of 3.3 or higher on a 4.0
2    scale (or the equivalent as determined by the Commission);
3    and
4        (3) the qualifying parent or step-parent of the
5    scholarship recipient remains an active member of the
6    university's alumni association.
7    (d) In any given academic year, the total amount of
8scholarship assistance awarded to an individual under this
9Section, when added to other financial assistance awarded to
10that individual for that year, shall not exceed that year's
11cost of attendance at the university.
12    (e) A recipient may receive up to 8 semesters of
13scholarship assistance under this Section. However, if a
14scholarship recipient transferred to the university from
15another higher education institution, then the total number of
16semesters of scholarship assistance he or she may receive under
17this subsection (e) shall be reduced by the number of semesters
18he or she was enrolled at any other higher education
19institution.
20    (f) Subject to a separate appropriation made for such
21purposes, payment of any scholarship awarded under this Section
22shall be determined by the Commission. All scholarship funds
23distributed in accordance with this Section shall be paid to
24the university on behalf of the recipients. Scholarship funds
25are applicable toward one semester of enrollment within an
26academic year.

 

 

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1    (g) The Commission shall administer the scholarship
2program established by this Section and shall make all
3necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with this Section
4for its effective implementation.
 
5    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
62018.