Public Act 102-0800
 
HB5175 EnrolledLRB102 25267 NLB 34540 b


  
    AN ACT concerning education.
  
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:
  



 
 
    Section 5. The Public Community College Act is amended  by 
changing Section 6-4 as follows:
 



    (110 ILCS 805/6-4)  (from Ch. 122, par. 106-4)



    Sec. 6-4. Variable rates and fees. Any community college 
district, by
resolution of the board, may establish variable 
tuition rates and fees for
students attending its college in 
an amount not to exceed 1/3 of the per capita
cost as defined 
in Section 6-2, provided that voluntary contributions, as

defined in Section 65 of the Higher Education Student 
Assistance Act, shall not
be included in any calculation
of 
community college tuition and fee rates for the purpose of 
this Section. Beginning with the 2013-2014 academic year, if a 
person is utilizing benefits under the federal Post-9/11 
Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or any subsequent 
variation of that Act, then the board shall deem that person an 
in-district resident for tuition purposes. Beginning with the 
2015-2016 academic year, if a person is utilizing benefits 
under the federal All-Volunteer Force Educational Assistance 
Program, then the board shall deem that person an in-district 
resident for tuition purposes. Beginning with the 2019-2020 
academic year through the 2021-2022 academic year, per the 
federal requirements for maintaining approval for veterans' 
education benefits under 38 U.S.C. 3679(c), if a person is on 
active military duty or is receiving veterans' education 
benefits, then the board shall deem that person an Illinois 
resident for tuition purposes for any academic quarter, 
semester, or term, as applicable. Beginning with the 2022-2023 
academic year, per the federal requirements for maintaining 
approval for veterans' education benefits under 38 U.S.C. 
3679(c), if a person is on active duty or is an individual 
entitled to assistance as described in 38 U.S.C. 3679(c), then 
the board shall deem that person an in-district resident for 
tuition purposes for any academic quarter, semester, or term, 
as applicable. 

(Source: P.A. 101-424, eff. 8-16-19.)

 
    Section 10. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is 
amended  by changing Section 40 as follows:
 



    (110 ILCS 947/40)



    Sec. 40. Illinois Veteran grant program. 
    (a)  As used in this Section:
    "Qualified applicant" means a person who served in the 
Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve component of the 
Armed Forces, or the Illinois National Guard, excluding 
members of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and those 
whose only service has been attendance at a service academy, 
and who meets all of the qualifications of either paragraphs 
(1) through (4) or paragraphs (2), (3), and (5):
        (1)  At the time of entering federal active duty 
    service the person was one of the following:
            (A)  An Illinois resident.
            (B)  An Illinois resident within 6 months of 
        entering such service.
            (C)  Enrolled at a State-controlled university or 
        public community college in this State.
        (2)  The person meets one of the following 
    requirements:
            (A)  He or she served at least one year of federal 
        active duty.
            (B)  He or she served less than one year of federal 
        active duty and received an honorable discharge for 
        medical reasons directly connected with such service.
            (C)  He or she served less than one year of federal 
        active duty and was discharged prior to August 11, 
        1967.
            (D)  He or she served less than one year of federal 
        active duty in a foreign country during a time of 
        hostilities in that foreign country.
        (3)  The person received an honorable discharge after 
    leaving each period of federal active duty service.
        (4)  The person returned to this State within 6 months 
    after leaving federal active duty service, or, if married 
    to a person in continued military service stationed 
    outside this State, returned to this State within 6 months 
    after his or her spouse left service or was stationed 
    within this State.
        (5) The person does not meet the requirements of 
    paragraph (1), but (i) is a resident of Illinois at the 
    time of application to the Commission and (ii) at some 
    point after leaving federal active duty service, was a 
    resident of Illinois for at least 15 consecutive years. 
    "Time of hostilities" means any action by the Armed Forces 
of the United States that is recognized by the issuance of a 
Presidential proclamation or a Presidential executive order 
and in which the Armed Forces expeditionary medal or other 
campaign service medals are awarded according to Presidential 
executive order.
    (b)  A person who otherwise qualifies under subsection (a) 
of this Section but has not left federal active duty service 
and has served at least one year of federal active duty or has 
served for less than one year of federal active duty in a 
foreign country during a time of hostilities in that foreign 
country and who can provide documentation demonstrating an 
honorable service record is eligible to receive assistance 
under this Section.
    (c)  A qualified applicant is not required to pay any 
tuition or mandatory fees while attending a State-controlled 
university or public community college in this State for a 
period that is equivalent to 4 years of full-time enrollment, 
including summer terms.
    A qualified applicant who has previously received benefits 
under this Section for a non-mandatory fee shall continue to 
receive benefits covering such fees while he or she is 
enrolled in a continuous program of study.  The qualified 
applicant shall no longer receive a grant covering 
non-mandatory fees if he or she fails to enroll during an 
academic term, unless he or she is serving federal active duty 
service.

    (d)  A qualified applicant who has been or is to be awarded 
assistance under this Section shall receive that assistance if 
the qualified applicant notifies his or her postsecondary 
institution of that fact by the end of the school term for 
which assistance is requested.
    (e)  Assistance under this Section is considered an 
entitlement that the State-controlled college or public 
community college in which the qualified applicant is enrolled 
shall honor without any condition other than the qualified 
applicant's maintenance of minimum grade levels and a 
satisfactory student loan repayment record pursuant to 
subsection (c) of Section 20 of this Act.
    (f)  The Commission shall administer the grant program 
established by this Section and shall make all necessary and 
proper rules not inconsistent with this Section for its 
effective implementation.
    (g)  All applications for assistance under this Section 
must be made to the Commission on forms that the Commission 
shall provide.  The Commission shall determine the form of 
application and the information required to be set forth in 
the application, and the Commission shall require qualified 
applicants to submit with their applications any supporting 
documents that the Commission deems necessary.  Upon request, 
the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall assist the 
Commission in determining the eligibility of applicants for 
assistance under this Section.
    (h)  Assistance under this Section is available as long as 
the federal government provides educational benefits to 
veterans. Assistance must not be paid under this Section after 
6 months following the termination of educational benefits to 
veterans by the federal government, except for persons who 
already have begun their education with assistance under this 
Section.  If the federal government terminates educational 
benefits to veterans and at a later time resumes those 
benefits, assistance under this Section shall resume.










(Source: P.A. 101-334, eff. 8-9-19.)

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