Public Act 096-0315
 		





HB4039 Enrolled
LRB096 07445 NHT 17537 b






    AN ACT concerning education.

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


 
    Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is 
amended  by changing Section 25 as follows:
 



    (110 ILCS 947/25)



    Sec. 25. State scholar program. 

    (a) An applicant is eligible to be designated a State 
Scholar when the
Commission finds the candidate:


        (1) is a resident of this State, including a resident 
    attending a Department of Defense school, and a citizen or 
    permanent resident of the
United States;


        (2) has successfully completed the program of 
    instruction at an
approved high school, or is a student in 
    good standing at such a school and
is engaged in a program 
    which in due course will be completed by the end of
the 
    academic year, and in either event that the candidate's 
    academic
standing is above the class median; and that the 
    candidate has not had any
university, college, normal 
    school, private junior college or public community

    college, or other advanced training subsequent to 
    graduation from high school;
and


        (3) has superior capacity to profit by a higher 
    education.

    (b) In determining an applicant's superior capacity to 
profit by a
higher education, the Commission shall consider the 
candidate's
scholastic record in high school and the results of 
the examination conducted
under the provisions of this Act. The 
Commission shall establish by rule the
minimum conditions of 
eligibility in terms of the foregoing factors, and the
relative 
weight to be accorded to those factors.

    (c) The Commission shall base its State Scholar 
designations upon the
eligibility formula prescribed in its 
rules, except that notwithstanding
those rules or any other 
provision of this Section, a student nominated by
his or her 
school shall be designated a State Scholar if that student

achieves an Illinois Standard Test Score at or above the 95th 
percentile
among students taking the designated examinations 
in Illinois that year, as
determined by the Commission.

    (d) The Commission shall obtain the results of a 
competitive examination
from the applicants. The examination 
shall provide a measure of each
candidate's ability to perform 
college work and shall have demonstrated utility
in such a 
selection program. The Commission shall select, and designate 
by
rule, the specific examinations to be used in determining 
the applicant's
superior capacity to profit from a higher 
education. Candidates may be asked by
the Commission to take 
those steps necessary to provide results of the
designated 
examination as part of their applications. Any nominal cost of

obtaining or providing the examination results shall be paid by 
the candidate
to the agency designated by the Commission to 
provide the examination service.
In the event that a candidate 
or candidates are unable to participate in the
examination for 
financial reasons, the Commission may choose to pay the

examination fee on the candidate's or candidates' behalf. Any 
notary fee which
may also be required as part of the total 
application shall be paid by the
applicant.

    (e) The Commission shall award to each State Scholar a 
certificate or other
suitable form of recognition. The decision 
to attend a non-qualified
institution of higher learning shall 
not disqualify applicants who are
otherwise fully qualified.

    (f) Subject to appropriation, each State Scholar who 
enrolls or is enrolled in an institution of higher learning in 
this State shall also receive a one-time grant of $1,000 to be 
applied to tuition and mandatory fees and paid directly to the 
institution of higher learning. However, a student who has been 
awarded a Merit Recognition Scholarship under Section 31 of 
this Act may not be awarded a grant under  this subsection (f), 
although he or she may still be designated a State Scholar.
    (g)
(f) The Commission shall conduct a study detailing all 
of  the following information:
        (1) The number of students designated State Scholars in 
    2008 and 2009.
        (2) The number of State Scholars who applied to State 
    universities in 2008 and 2009.
        (3) The number of State Scholars who were denied 
    admittance into the State universities to which they 
    applied in 2008 and 2009.
    All data collected from a State university in regards to 
the study conducted under this subsection (g)
(f) must be 
verified by that university.
    On or before January 1, 2010, the Commission must submit a 
report to the General Assembly that contains the findings of 
the study conducted under this subsection (g)
(f) and the 
Commission's recommendations on how to make State universities 
more accessible to State Scholars.
    (h)
(g) The Commission shall adopt all necessary and proper 
rules not inconsistent with this Section for its effective 
implementation.

(Source: P.A. 95-715, eff. 1-1-09; 95-760, eff. 7-28-08; 
revised 9-5-08.)

 

    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 
2009.