HB3447eng 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB3447 Engrossed LRB100 11388 MLM 21789 b

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Tuition Reduction Act.

Section 5. Legislative intent.

(a) The General Assembly recognizes that this State's higher education system plays a critical role in ensuring this State's continued leadership role in driving economic prosperity, innovation, and opportunity. By educating citizens for living wage jobs, producing world-class research, and helping to create vibrant communities, this State's institutions of higher education form a foundational component in ensuring prosperity for our citizens.

(b) The General Assembly also recognizes the importance of prioritizing scarce resources for the core, front-line services that higher education institutions provide, namely instruction, research, and robust financial aid. During times of economic downturn, policymakers must focus on those areas of public service that have the most direct and immediate impact on students. Keeping class sections open, attracting the best professors and instructors, providing comprehensive support services, and offering meaningful financial help to offset the costs of attending college must be the main concerns of policymakers. It is for these reasons that the General Assembly intends to refocus its commitment to direct aid to students and continue efforts to make college more affordable.

Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:

"Student" means a full-time resident undergraduate student enrolled at a university.

"University" means a public university located in this State.

Section 15. Tuition grants.

(a) Beginning with the 2017-2018 academic year, each university must reimburse a portion of the tuition charged to students as provided in this subsection (a). Reimbursement shall be in the form of a grant applied directly to a student's financial aid account. To determine the per-pupil grant amount, the university shall calculate the difference, if any, between the current fiscal year's aggregate appropriations to the university for operations and fiscal year 2002's aggregate appropriations to the university for operations and divide that amount by the number of students enrolled on the tenth day of the previous academic year. Fifty percent of this calculation then equals the per-pupil grant amount, to be awarded to currently enrolled students to reduce their tuition costs. However, if the current fiscal year's aggregate appropriations to the university for operations are equal to or less than fiscal year 2002's aggregate appropriations for operations, then the university is not required to award any grants under this subsection (a) in a given academic year.

(b) On or before September 1, 2018 and on or before September 1 each year thereafter, each university shall report updated estimates of the total amount in grants awarded under subsection (a) of this Section in an academic year to the Governor and the appropriate committees of the General Assembly.

(c) If the General Assembly increases funding for each university for 4 consecutive years, the Board of Higher Education shall report to the General Assembly on whether or not this Act should be repealed.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.