HR1121 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1121 LRB094 20110 NHT 57792 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois honors Illinois veterans for service in the United States Armed Services and Illinois National Guard with grants and scholarships to attend public universities and community colleges in this State; and

WHEREAS, The Veteran Grant Program pays eligible tuition and certain fees for either undergraduate or graduate study at any public university or community college in this State for Illinois residents who qualify; a qualified applicant must be a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who has served at least one year of active duty and whose separation from such service has been characterized as honorable; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois National Guard Grant Program pays tuition and eligible fees at all public universities and community colleges in this State; the applicant must be on active status and have served for at least one year in the Illinois National Guard; and

WHEREAS, The MIA-POW Scholarship Program for dependents of Illinois residents declared to be missing in action or prisoners of war pays all tuition and fees at any public university or community college in this State; and

WHEREAS, In fiscal year 2005, 11,511 students received Veteran Grants, 1,698 students received Illinois National Guard Grants, and 801 students received MIA-POW Scholarships; and

WHEREAS, The Veteran Grant Program, the Illinois National Guard Grant Program, and the MIA-POW Scholarship Program are all considered entitlement grants; thus, if the General Assembly does not fully fund these programs to cover all expenses, the public university or community college must waive all tuition and fees on behalf of that student; and

WHEREAS, Public universities and community colleges in this State must raise tuition and fees in order to compensate for unfunded mandates placed upon them by the Governor's budget; and

WHEREAS, It is not fiscally responsible for the Governor to increase government spending while other parts of the budget continue to be underfunded; and

WHEREAS, The Governor's proposed budget for fiscal year 2007 provides level funding for the Veteran Grant Program, the Illinois National Guard Grant Program, and the MIA-POW Scholarship Program despite increasing enrollment primarily due to the Global War on Terrorism; and

WHEREAS, This level funding will require public universities and community colleges to waive an estimated $12.7 million in tuition and fees; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the public universities and community colleges of this State are entitled to reimbursement for the costs incurred in the administration of the Veteran Grant Program, the Illinois National Guard Grant Program, and the MIA-POW Scholarship Program in the past fiscal years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Veteran Grant Program, the Illinois National Guard Grant Program, and the MIA-POW Scholarship Program receive full funding in fiscal year 2007 and future fiscal years based on the funding recommendations from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and Department of Veterans' Affairs; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education conduct a study detailing over the last four fiscal years the amount of tuition and fees each public university and community college has waived in order to compensate for the lack of funding in the Governor's budgets for the Veteran Grant Program, Illinois National Guard Grant Program, and MIA-POW Scholarship Program, to be submitted to the General Assembly and Governor no later than January 1, 2007; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education conduct an annual study detailing the amounts each public university and community college had to waive in tuition and fees the previous academic year in order to compensate for the underfunding in the Governor's budget for the Veteran Grant Program, Illinois National Guard Grant Program, and MIA-POW Scholarship Program, to accompany the Board of Higher Education's annual budget recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor, the Board of Higher Education, and the president of each public university and community college in this State.