HB3577eng 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB3577 Engrossed LRB099 10172 NHT 30396 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 adding Section 65.90 as follows:

(110 ILCS 947/65.90 new)

Sec. 65.90. Medical assistant grants.

(a) Beginning with the 2016-2017 academic year through the 2020-2021 academic year, the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider applications for grant assistance under this Section. An applicant is eligible for a grant under this Section if the Commission finds that the applicant meets all of the following qualifications:

(1) He or she is a resident of this State and a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen.

(2) He or she is enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a medical assistant program at a public community college in this State that will lead to certification to work as a medical assistant.

(b) Recipients shall be selected from among applicants qualified pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section based on financial need, as determined by the Commission. Preference may be given to previous recipients of assistance under this Section, provided they continue to maintain eligibility and maintain satisfactory academic progress, as determined by the institution at which they enroll.

(c) Each grant awarded under this Section shall be in an amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees of the institution at which the recipient is enrolled, except that no recipient may receive more than $5,000 in a single academic year.

(d) The total amount of grant assistance awarded by the Commission under this Section to an individual in any given fiscal year, when added to other financial assistance awarded to that individual for that year, shall not exceed the cost of attendance at the institution at which the student is enrolled.

(e) All applications for grant assistance to be awarded under this Section shall be made to the Commission in a form as set forth by the Commission. The form of application and the information required to be set forth in the application shall be determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall require eligible applicants to submit with their applications such supporting documents as the Commission deems necessary.

(f) Subject to a separate appropriation made for such purposes, payment of any grants awarded under this Section shall be determined by the Commission. All grant funds distributed in accordance with this Section shall be paid to the institution on behalf of the recipients. Grant funds are applicable toward 2 semesters of enrollment within an academic year. Up to 2% of the appropriation for this grant program may be used by the Commission for the costs of administering the grant program.

(g) 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.