Higher Education Committee
Filed: 3/14/2007
 
 

 




 

 		












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AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 658 




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    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 658 by replacing 
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everything after the enacting clause with the following:

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



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    (110 ILCS 947/25)



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    Sec. 25. State scholar program. 

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


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        (1) is a resident of this State and a citizen or 
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    permanent resident of the
United States;


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        (2) has successfully completed the program of 
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    instruction at an
approved high school, or is a student in 
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    good standing at such a school and
is engaged in a program 
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    which in due course will be completed by the end of
the 
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    academic year, and in either event that the candidate's 
 


 






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    academic
standing is above the class median; and that the 
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    candidate has not had any
university, college, normal 
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    school, private junior college or public community

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


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

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

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

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

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    (d) The Commission shall obtain the results of a 
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competitive examination
from the applicants this Act. The 
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examination shall provide a measure of each
candidate's ability 
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to perform college work and shall have demonstrated utility
in 
 


 






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such a selection program. The Commission shall select, and 
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designate by
rule, the specific examinations to be used in 
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determining the applicant's
superior capacity to profit from a 
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higher education. Candidates may be asked by
the Commission to 
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take those steps necessary to provide results of the
designated 
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examination as part of their applications. Any nominal cost of

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

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

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

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    (f) The Commission shall conduct a study detailing all of  
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the following information:
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        (1) The number of students designated State Scholars in 
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    2007 and 2008.
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        (2) The number of State Scholars who applied to State 
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    universities in 2007 and 2008.
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        (3) The number of State Scholars who were denied 
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    admittance into the State universities to which they 
 


 






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    applied in 2007 and 2008.
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    All data collected from a State university in regards to 
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the study conducted under this subsection (f) must be verified 
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by that university.
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    On or before January 1, 2009, the Commission must submit a 
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report to the General Assembly that contains the findings of 
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the study conducted under this subsection (f) and the 
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Commission's recommendations on how to make State universities 
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more accessible to State Scholars.

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(Source: P.A. 87-997.)

 

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