Section 116.10  Administration of and Payment of Funds for the Scholarship

 

The Scholarship for dependents of eligible veterans and servicepersons (henceforth referred to as the "MIA/POW Scholarship") shall be administered by and paid out of funds made available to the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (herein referred to as "the Department").

 

Section 116.20  Payment by the Comptroller to Illinois State-Supported Institutions of Higher Learning

 

The amounts that become due to any Illinois State-supported institution of higher learning shall be payable by the Comptroller to such institution on vouchers approved by the Department.

 

Section 116.30  Determination of Eligibility of Dependents

 

The Department shall determine the eligibility of the dependents making application for the benefits provided for in the Statute.

 

Section 116.40  Eligibility Requirements

 

Any spouse, natural child, legally adopted child, or step-child of an eligible veteran or serviceperson who possesses all necessary entrance requirements shall, upon application and proper proof, be awarded a MIA/POW Scholarship.

 

a)         The child must begin using the Scholarship prior to his or her twenty-sixth birthday.

 

b)         The spouse may use the Scholarship at any time.

 

(Source:  Amended at 16 Ill. Reg. 7704, effective April 30, 1992)

 

Section 116.50  Definition of Eligible Veterans or Servicepersons

 

Eligible veteran or serviceperson means any veteran or serviceperson:

 

a)         who has:

 

1)         been declared by the U.S. Department of Defense or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to be a Prisoner-of-War or to be Missing-in-Action; or

 

2)         died as the result of a service-connected disability or is permanently disabled from service-connected causes with 100% disability; and

 

b)         who, at the time of entering the service, was an Illinois resident or was an Illinois resident within 6 months after entering the service, or, until July 24, 2014, became an Illinois resident within 6 months after leaving the service and can establish at least 30 years of continuous residency in the State of Illinois.

 

(Source:  Amended at 37 Ill. Reg. 12091, effective July 10, 2013)

 

Section 116.60  Dependents of Dishonorable Discharged Veterans

 

The Scholarship shall not be awarded to dependents of veterans who received a discharge from the United States Armed Forces under Dishonorable Conditions (i.e. Dishonorable, Bad Conduct).

 

Section 116.70  Demonstration of Financial Need

 

Applicants shall not be required to demonstrate financial need.

 

Section 116.80  Documentation

 

a)         The applicant must provide the following official documentation when applicable:

 

1)         Marriage Certificate

 

2)         Divorce Decree

 

3)         Birth Certificate

 

4)         Adoption Decree

 

5)         Letters of Guardianship

 

6)         Death Certificate or Report of Casualty

 

7)         DD 214 or Discharge

 

8)         Proof of Disability (Statement from Department of Defense or U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs).

 

b)         The definition of "eligible veteran or serviceperson" contained in Section 116.50 provides that, until July 1, 2014, eligibility may be established if the otherwise eligible veteran or serviceperson became an Illinois resident within 6 months after leaving military service and can establish 30 years of continuous residency in the State of Illinois.

 

1)         If the eligible veterans' or servicepersons' DD 214 does not indicate Illinois residency when entering and/or separating from the Armed Forces, he/she may verify establishment of residency within 6 months after leaving military service by providing one or more of the following documents:

 

A)        Illinois driver's license issued during the relevant 6 month period;

 

B)        Illinois high school or college transcripts demonstrating attendance during the relevant 6 month period;

 

C)        Utility bills/rent receipts in the applicant's name during the relevant 6 month period;

 

D)        Illinois motor vehicle registration issued during the relevant 6 month period;

 

E)        Residential lease in the applicant's name during the relevant 6         month period;

 

F)         Statement of benefits history from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services or Department of Human Services during the relevant 6 month period;

 

G)        Statement of benefits from the Illinois Department of Employment Security during the relevant 6 month period;

 

H)        State of Illinois identification card issued during the relevant 6 month period; or

 

I)         Letter of employment on company letterhead verified by certification in accordance with Section 1-109 of the Code of Civil Procedure [735 ILCS 5/1-109].

 

2)         If the eligible veterans' or servicepersons' DD 214 does not indicate Illinois residency when entering and/or separating from the Armed Forces, he/she may verify 30 years of continuous residency by providing a combination of sufficient documentation of one or more of the documents listed in this subsection (b)(2), including tax returns, voting records, property records, utility records and driving records.

 

A)        Copies of Illinois Income Tax forms for each of the 30 years of required residency.  If records are unavailable, provide a statement of the record from the Illinois Department of Revenue that provides an accounting of Illinois Income Tax records currently available;

 

B)        Copies of Illinois voter registration documents for each of the 30 years of required residency.  If records are unavailable, provide a statement of the record from the county clerk where residency has been established that provides a record of voter registration records that are currently available;

 

C)        Copies of property records to include residential mortgages, deeds or residential leases that provide proof of 30 years of required residency within the State of Illinois;

 

D)        Copies of utility records to include electricity, water, waste removal, cable or internet service that provides proof of 30 years of required residency within the State of Illinois;

 

E)        Copies of driving records to include driver's license record, insurance, and ownership of vehicle titled in the State of Illinois that provides proof of 30 years of required residency within the State of Illinois.

 

(Source:  Amended at 37 Ill. Reg. 12091, effective July 10, 2013)

 

Section 116.90  Issuance of Identification Card (I.D.)

 

Once eligibility has been established, the dependent will be issued an I.D. card.

 

Section 116.100  Duration of the Scholarship

 

The Scholarship is good for a period of time that is equivalent to four (4) calendar years of full-time enrollment including summer terms.

 

Section 116.110  Full-Time Enrollment

 

Full-time enrollment means twelve or more semester hours of courses per semester or twelve or more quarter hours of courses per quarter, or the equivalent thereof per term.

 

Section 116.120  Part-Time Enrollment

 

Scholarships utilized by dependents enrolled in less than full-time study shall be computed in the proportion which the number of hours so carried bears to full-time enrollment.

 

Section 116.130  Receipt of points for Part-Time Enrollment

 

The dependent shall receive a maximum of 120 points.  These points shall be allocated as follows:

 

Hours of Study	Point Equivalency For Quarter Terms	Point Equivalency For Semester Terms	Point Equivalency For Summer Terms
1	1	1	1
2	1	2	2
3	2	3	3
4	2	4	4
5	3	5	5
6	4	6	6
7	4	6	-
8	4	6	-
9	6	9	-
10	6	9	-
11	6	9	-
12	8	12	-

 

 

Section 116.140  Semester System and Summer Term

 

The institution must be on the semester system and the summer term must be twelve weeks or less in length before using the point equivalency for summer.

 

Section 116.150  Time to Complete Course of Study

 

The dependent shall have twelve (12) years from the initial term of study or 120 points, whichever comes first, to complete his or her course of study.

 

Section 116.160  Termination of Scholarships

 

If the surviving spouse remarries or if there is a divorce between the veteran or serviceperson and his or her spouse while the spouse is pursuing his or her course of study, Scholarship benefits will be terminated at the end of the term for which he or she is presently enrolled.

 

Section 116.170  Reimbursement of Tuition and Application Fees

 

All tuition and application fees shall be reimbursed by the Department.

 

Section 116.180  Reimbursement of Other Fees

 

The following fees shall be reimbursed by the Department:

 

a)         Activities Fee

 

b)         Graduation Fee

 

c)         Term Fee

 

d)         Instructional Fee

 

e)         Proficiency Fee

 

f)         College Level Exam Program Fee (CLEP)

 

g)         Placement Tests

 

h)         Board of Governor's (BOG) fee

 

Section 116.190  Non-Reimbursable Fees

 

Non-reimbursable fees are as follows:

 

a)         Book Rental Fees

 

b)         Service Fees

 

c)         Laboratory Fees

 

d)         Supply Fees

 

e)         Union Building Fees

 

f)         Insurance Fees

 

g)         Transcript Fees

 

h)         Late Registration Fees

 

i)          Add/Drop Fees

 

j)          Athletic Fees

 

k)         Any fee established for the operation, maintenance, or rental of equipment or buildings.

 

Section 116.200  Coverage of Tuition and Fees

 

The Scholarship shall only cover tuition and fees at the In-District/In-State rates.

 

Section 116.210  Application for Reimbursement

 

Any dependent who has been awarded a MIA/POW Scholarship shall be reimbursed by the appropriate institution for any tuition and fees which he or she has paid for which exemption is granted under this Section, if application for reimbursement is made within two months following the end of the school term for which the fees were paid.

 

Section 116.220  Responsibility of Institutions to Submit Information Relative to Reimbursement

 

a)         Each institution is responsible for submitting information to the Department relative to reimbursement of tuition and fees.  This reporting period will be at some point after the Financial Responsibility Date and prior to two months from the end of the term.  The Financial Responsibility Date shall be defined as that point in time in which the student becomes responsible for tuition and fees regardless of whether he should drop or withdraw.

 

b)         The following information should be submitted for each student:

 

1)         Name

 

2)         Social Security Number

 

3)         Term Date

 

4)         Credit Hours

 

5)         Tuition

 

6)         Fees

 

Section 116.230  Simultaneous Reimbursement

 

A student cannot be simultaneously reimbursed by the Scholarship and any other State grant which provides tuition and fee payments.

 

Section 116.240  Use of the Scholarship at Two or More Institutions Simultaneously

 

A student may use the Scholarship at two or more institutions simultaneously. The student shall be charged at each institution as if he/she were solely attending that institution.  There shall be no concurrent enrollment agreements between institutions concerning the Scholarship.

 

Section 116.250  Appealing an Award Denial

 

It will be the responsibility of the dependent to initiate an appeal if he or she has not been satisfied with the decision of the Department regarding eligibility.

 

Section 116.260  Audit Procedures

 

The Department shall establish and conduct audits of records maintained and claims made by the institution for reimbursement.

 

Section 116.270  Dependents with Physical, Mental or Developmental Disabilities

 

In lieu of a four (4) year scholarship, any eligible dependent, as defined in Section 116.40 (a-b), with a physical, mental or developmental disability shall be entitled, upon application and proper proof, as defined in Section 116.80, to receive a benefit to be used for the purpose of defraying the cost of attendance or treatment at one or more appropriate therapeutic, rehabilitative or educational facilities.

 

a)         A physical disability shall be defined as any bodily disorder which limits, disqualifies or restricts an eligible dependent from attending an institution, as defined in Section 116.20.

 

b)         A mental disability shall be defined as significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning which exists concurrently with impairment in adaptive behavior.

 

c)         A developmental disability means a disability which is attributable to:

 

1)         mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy or autism; or

 

2)         any other condition which results in impairment similar to that caused by mental retardation and which requires services similar to those required by mentally retarded persons.

 

d)         An appropriate therapeutic, rehabilitative or educational facility means facility or section thereof which is licensed by or operated under contract with the State or a political subdivision thereof and which admits disabled persons in order to alleviate their disabilities or increase their levels of physical, mental, social or economic functioning.

 

(Source:  Added at 11 Ill. Reg. 11170, effective July 1, 1987)

 

Section 116.280  Reimbursement to Therapeutic, Rehabilitative or Education Facilities

 

The total benefit provided to any beneficiary under Section 116.270 shall not exceed the cost equivalent of 4 calendar years of full-time enrollment, including summer terms, at the University of Illinois.

 

a)         The cost equivalent shall be defined as In-State tuition and fees in an undergraduate program, and shall be computed at the rate of 4 years from the date of application.

 

b)         Payment of benefits shall be made directly to the facility at which the cost of attendance or treatment is being defrayed, as such costs accrue.

 

(Source:  Added at 11 Ill. Reg. 11170, effective July 1, 1987)