Section 1015.10  Purpose

 

The program provides financial assistance to support student cooperative work study programs in higher education to benefit students academically and financially, reduce reliance on loans, enhance public-private sector partnerships, and encourage students to seek permanent employment in Illinois. (Section 3 of the Act)

 

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 11408, effective June 24, 2020)

 

Section 1015.20  Definitions

 

"Act" means Illinois Cooperative Work Study Program Act [110 ILCS 225].

 

"Board" means the Illinois Board of Higher Education.  (Section 2 of the Act)

 

"Cooperative Work Study " means an academically related work and study experience with business, industry, government or other agencies and organizations.  Cooperative work study may include, but is not limited to, summer internships, clinical placements, internships and work experiences during the academic year.  (Section 2 of the Act)

 

"Direct Costs" means costs that can be directly assigned to activities conducted under this Part relatively easily, with a high degree of accuracy.

 

"GATA" means the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act [30 ILCS 708].  GATA rules are cross-referenced in this Part.

 

"GATA Rule" means 44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.

 

"GATU" means the Grant Accountability and Transparency Unit within the Illinois Governor's Office of Management and Budget.

 

"Grant Period" or "Period of Performance" means the time during which the awardee may incur new obligations to carry out the work authorized.  The Board will include the start and end dates in the Grant Agreement.

 

"Illinois Resident Student" means an Illinois resident student meeting one of the following two requirements:

 

At least one parent, step-parent, or court appointed guardian must reside in Illinois; or

 

The emancipated (self-supporting) student must have lived in Illinois, in some capacity other than as a student at an Illinois public or nonpublic institution of higher education, for a period of 12 consecutive months immediately prior to the enrollment.

 

"Indirect Facilities and Administrative Costs" means those costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted without effort disproportionate to the results achieved.

 

"Nonpublic Institution of Higher Education" means an Illinois educational organization, other than a public institution of higher education, that provides a minimum of an organized two-year program at the private junior college level or higher and that operates in conformity with standards substantially equivalent to those of the public institutions of higher education.  (Section 2 of the Act)

 

"Performance Goal" means a target level of performance expressed as a tangible, measurable objective or as a qualitative standard, value or rate.  A performance goal includes a performance indicator, a target, and a time period, and must be expressed in an objective, quantifiable or measurable form when possible.  When necessary, the Board and an awardee shall use an alternative performance goal (such as a set of milestones) described in a way that makes it possible to discern whether progress is being made toward that goal.

 

"Program" means the Illinois Cooperative Work Study Program.

 

"Public Institution of Higher Education" means the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University, Chicago State University, Eastern Illinois University, Governors State University, Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Western Illinois University, the public community colleges of this State, and any other public universities, colleges and community colleges now or hereafter established or authorized by the General Assembly. (Section 2 of the Act)

 

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 11408, effective June 24, 2020)

 

Section 1015.30  Eligible Applicants

 

Eligible applicants are nonpublic and public institutions of higher education based in Illinois.

 

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 11408, effective June 24, 2020)

 

Section 1015.40  Selection of Projects for Grants

 

a)         Grants shall be made for projects that support Illinois resident undergraduate students.  In addition, the Board shall consider whether the projects:

 

1)         expand opportunities for students to pursue internships, clinical placement, cooperative programs with business and industry, and other work opportunities linked to a student's academic program;

 

2)         strengthen cooperation between higher education, business, industry, and government;

 

3)         promote school/college partnerships;

 

4)         encourage social and community service;

 

5)         maximize the use of matching contributions from business and industry, governmental and social agencies, and participating colleges and universities to support student wages;

 

6)         create new opportunities for partnerships between the public and private sectors;

 

7)         integrate other components of student financial aid to reduce reliance on student loans;

 

8)         support work experiences for students in academic programs of engineering, science, math, and education;

 

9)         encourage students to seek permanent employment in Illinois. (Section 3 of the Act)

 

b)         In addition, projects shall:

 

1)         not serve a sectarian purpose; (Section 3 of the Act)

 

2)         not include partisan political activity;

 

3)         either be new initiatives or projects that supplement, but not supplant, existing initiatives; and

 

4)         comply with applicable state and federal laws, including but not limited to, equal employment opportunity, minimum wage, and occupational health and safety.

 

Section 1015.50  Grant Application Procedures

 

a)         At any time that grant funds become available or that the Board has reason to believe that grant funds may become available, the Board shall notify in writing the chief executive officer of every public and nonpublic institution of higher education in the State of Illinois of the availability or projected availability of the grant funds.

 

1)         The notice shall contain, at a minimum, the following information:

 

A)        The deadline for the submission of applications, which shall not be less than 45 days from the date of sending the notice;

 

B)        The date the grants will be made and the deadline for the completion of grant projects; and

 

C)        This State-funded program is subject to GATA.  GATA rules are cross-referenced in this Part.

 

2)         The application materials must include the Uniform Grant Application provided by GATU and signed by an authorized representative (see GATA Rule Section 7000.330).

 

b)         Grant project proposals shall contain, at a minimum:

 

1)         Synopsis;

 

2)         Statement of goals and specific objectives consistent with Section 1015.40;

 

3)         Detailed description of the proposed project, including activities, completion schedule, operating procedures, and justification for funding;

 

4)         The amounts and sources of matching contributions earmarked for the project;

 

5)         Performance goals to determine the effectiveness of the project; and

 

6)         Proposed budget amount for the matching funds.  Indirect facilities and administrative costs and direct costs are disallowed for this program.

 

c)         The Board staff shall review application documents of all institutions for compliance with the application and eligibility requirements.  The Board staff may request additional documents or a meeting between its staff and institutional representatives to discuss questions about application documents.  If the material submitted by an applicant institution is incomplete or not of sufficient detail to provide an understanding of the proposed project or its justification, the Board staff shall request additional information for clarification or substantiation.

 

d)         Once grants are awarded, the Board staff shall notify each applicant in writing concerning its application.

 

e)         Application information and materials may be obtained from the Illinois Board of Higher Education, 1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333, Springfield, Illinois 62701 or the Board's website at www.ibhe.org.

 

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 11408, effective June 24, 2020)

 

Section 1015.60  Grant Criteria

 

a)         Non-Discrimination.  No recipient shall discriminate on the basis of race, creed, sex, handicap, color, or national origin in the employment, training, or promotion of personnel or in the implementation of the program funded by the grant.

 

b)         Grant Period.  Grants shall be for the period stated in the Grant Agreement but no longer than one fiscal year.

 

c)         Refunds.  Any unexpended portion of the grant funds and any grant funds that the recipient was not eligible to receive or that were not spent in accordance with this Part shall be refunded to the Board.

 

d)         Records Retention.  All costs charged to the program shall be supported with documentation.  Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other awardee records pertinent to the State award shall be retained for 3 years after the date of submission of the final expenditures report.

 

e)         Agreement Required.  Grant funds may not be expended except pursuant to a Grant Agreement.  Disbursement of grant funds without a Grant Agreement is prohibited.

 

f)         Prior Performance.  For a grant applicant who is a prior recipient of an award under this Part, the Board shall review available information on the awardee's prior performance and consider that information when assessing grantee risk.  This is part of the grantee assessment required by GATU (see GATA Rule Section 7000.340).

 

g)         Qualified Recipient.  Board staff shall verify that each recipient is registered with GATU, has completed a prequalification process, and has been determined qualified by GATU (see GATA Rule Section 7000.70). 

 

h)         Grant Agreement.  The Board shall enter into a Grant Agreement with a qualified recipient using the Uniform Grant Agreement provided by GATU (see GATA Rule Section 7000.370).

 

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 11408, effective June 24, 2020)

 

Section 1015.70  Post-Award Requirements

 

a)         Recipients are subject to the Auditing Standards required by GATU (see GATA Rule Section 7000.90).

 

b)         The recipient shall not deviate from the budget, project scope, or objectives stated in the Grant Agreement except with mutual agreement of the Board and the recipient  (see GATA Rule Section 7000.370(b)).  The Board shall review a request and notify the recipient within 30 calendar days after receipt of a request.

 

c)         The recipient shall file Periodic Performance Reports with the Board on progress made and on financial data for the reporting period.  The initial report shall cover the first 3 months after the Board approves the award.  Reports are to be filed using the forms provided by the Board and submitted no later than 30 days after the end of each quarter.  (See GATA Rule Section 7000.410.)

 

d)         The awardee shall take the following actions to complete grant closeout at the end of the period of performance (see GATA Rule Section 7000.440).

 

1)         Promptly refund any balances of unobligated cash that the Board paid in advance and that are not authorized to be retained by the awardee for use in other projects.  Refunds shall be returned to the Board within 45 days after the end of the period of performance.

 

2)         Expend any encumbered grant funds during a lapse period of 60 days past the end of the period of performance.  Any encumbered but unexpended grant funds remaining at the end of the lapse period shall be returned to the Board within 45 days. 

 

3)         Submit, no later than 60 days after the end date of the grant period:

 

A)        A statement of costs and revenues signed by the institution's authorized representative.

 

B)        A written evaluation of the project signed by the project manager of the institution's authorized representative.  The report must address the objectives and performance measures specified in the Grant Agreement.  Performance shall be measured in a way that will help the Board and other applicants and recipients improve program outcomes, share lessons learned, spread the adoption of promising practices, and build evidence upon which the Program is based and performance decisions are made.

 

C)        Deadlines may be extended at the discretion of the Board.  Extensions shall be issued only in extraordinary circumstances not in the control of the awardee.

 

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 11408, effective June 24, 2020)