Section 2774.10  Summary and Purpose

 

a)         The College Planning Program provides low-income and first-generation students in Illinois with targeted services administered by ISAC to promote college awareness and planning, including, without limitation, postsecondary and career counseling programs, college preparation programs to assist students with the completion of college admission, scholarship, and financial aid applications, simplified admission or financial assistance application programs, and other supporting activities as described in this Part.

 

b)         This Part establishes rules that govern the College Planning Program. Additional rules and definitions are contained in General Provisions (23 Ill. Adm. Code 2700).

 

Section 2774.15 Definitions

 

"College Illinois Corps!" − For purposes of implementing the College Planning Act [110 ILCS 17], the College Illinois Corps! shall be referred to as the ISACorps.

 

"College Planning Program" or "Program" – Services or assistance administered by ISAC as described in the College Planning Program Agreement and in Section 25 of the College Planning Act.

 

"College Planning Program Agreement" or "Agreement" – An agreement, in writing, involving ISAC, participating students and the student's custodial parent or guardian.

 

"College Planning Counselor" – A staff member of ISAC's College Access and Outreach Division with primary responsibility for providing services to students within designated community college districts.

 

"Custodial guardian" – An individual, other than a natural or adoptive parent, that has been awarded or exercises custody over a student in the following ways: 

 

Custody granted by order of a court of competent jurisdiction to a person with whom the pupil resides for reasons other than to have access to the educational programs of the district.

 

Custody exercised under a statutory short-term guardianship, provided that, within 60 days after the pupil's enrollment, a court order is entered that establishes a permanent guardianship and grants custody to a person with whom the pupil resides for reasons other than to have access to the educational programs of the district.

 

Custody exercised by an adult caretaker relative who is receiving aid under the Illinois Public Aid Code for the pupil who resides with that adult caretaker relative for purposes other than to have access to the educational programs of the district.

 

Custody exercised by an adult who demonstrates that, in fact, he or she has assumed and exercises legal responsibility for the pupil and provides the pupil with a regular fixed night-time abode for purposes other than to have access to the educational programs through ISAC.

 

"Nonpublic school" – For the purposes of this Part, an educational institution other than a public school that is recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education and provides enrollment to middle school or secondary school students.

 

"Postsecondary degree" – A degree awarded as the result of a program of study at any postsecondary institution that is equivalent to a baccalaureate degree or higher and is awarded by a four-year university or college upon completion of a program of study of at least eight semesters of qualifying postsecondary coursework.

 

Section 2774.20  Participant Eligibility

 

a)         A student receiving benefits from the College Planning Program must:

 

1)         be a resident of Illinois;

 

2)         be enrolled in the 8^th grade at a public school or a nonpublic school in Illinois at the time of application;

 

3)         not be in the custodial care at the time of application of a parent or guardian who has received a postsecondary degree or must qualify to participate in the free and reduced-price lunch program under the School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act at the time of application;

 

4)         together with his or her custodial parent or guardian, must enter into a written College Planning Program Agreement.

 

b)         At any time during a student's participation in the Program, should ISAC discover that the student fails to meet the requirements for participant eligibility, ISAC will notify the student and his/her custodial parent or guardian of the failure to comply with the terms of the Program Agreement. The student shall be afforded the opportunity to cure any failures to comply with the Program Agreement within 30 days. If the student thereafter fails to meet the requirements described in the Program Agreement, the student shall be disqualified from further participation in the Program. A student that has been disqualified from participation in the program is disqualified from all future receipt of Program services and benefits that are not available to all students in Illinois.

 

c)         ISAC may require students and their custodial parent or guardian to submit an annual certification of eligibility.

 

Section 2774.30  Program Procedures

 

a)         Eligible students shall submit the College Planning Program Application to ISAC no later than the last day of the student's enrollment in the 8^th grade in a public or nonpublic school in Illinois. The Program Application and the Program Agreement are available at ISAC's website and ISAC's Springfield, Deerfield and Chicago offices.

 

b)         The Program Application will include:

 

1)         Basic information concerning the student and his or her custodial parents or guardians, including but not limited to name, address, school of attendance, and highest level of education achieved by the custodial parents or guardians;

 

2)         A certification that the student is eligible to participate in the free and reduced-price lunch program under the School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act [105 ILCS 125] or that the student is in the care of a custodial parent or guardian who has not earned a postsecondary degree;

 

3)         Information concerning the student's academic performance, including but not limited to grade point average, courses completed, and class rank; and

 

4)         The student's postsecondary goals.

 

c)         Should availability of program benefits be limited as a result of funding, priority shall be given to eligible students based on the student's date of application and timely execution of the College Planning Program Agreement.

 

Section 2774.40  Participant Agreements

 

a)         The College Planning Program Agreement and any application materials required by ISAC must be submitted to ISAC's Deerfield office prior to the student's completion of 8^th grade at an Illinois public or an Illinois nonpublic school.

 

b)                  To remain qualified to receive benefits of the Program, the students must:

 

1)         Be enrolled in a secondary public school or nonpublic school in Illinois by the time the student completes 8^th grade;

 

2)         Complete the course requirements specified in Section 27-22 of the School Code and graduate from a secondary school located in Illinois;

 

3)         Not be convicted of a felony offense that would disqualify the student from receiving federal student aid;

 

4)         Timely apply, during enrollment in the 12^th grade, for admission to a postsecondary institution in Illinois approved to participate in the Monetary Award Program under Section 35 of the Higher Education Student Assistance Act and for any federal and State student financial assistance available to the student as the result of attending a postsecondary institution in Illinois;

 

5)         Upon completing high school, achieve a cumulative grade point average for courses taken during 9^th, 10^th, 11^th and 12^th grades of at least a 2.5 on a 4.0 grading scale or its equivalent if another grading scale is used;

 

6)         Update demographic and contact information required within the initial Program participation application and Program agreement at the start of the student's academic year;

 

7)         Take a recognized standardized college entrance examination no later than the end of the 11^th grade;

 

8)         Participate in college planning and preparation activities required by ISAC as part of the administration of the Program;

 

9)         Share academic and financial data with ISAC from enrollment in the program until the attainment of a bachelor's degree; and

 

10)         Certify that the student and custodial parent or guardian will notify ISAC if the student no longer qualifies to receive the benefits of the Program at any time during the student's participation as a result of his or her failure to comply with the terms of the agreement.