093_HB1119eng

 
HB1119 Engrossed                     LRB093 08153 NHT 08359 b

 1        AN ACT relating to higher education student assistance.

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

 4        Section  5.   The Higher Education Student Assistance Act
 5    is amended by changing Section 36 as follows:

 6        (110 ILCS 947/36)
 7        Sec. 36.  Silas Purnell  Illinois  Incentive  for  Access
 8    grant program.
 9        (a)  The Commission each year shall determine eligibility
10    for the Illinois Incentive for Access grant from applications
11    received  for  Monetary  Award Program grant assistance under
12    Section 35 of this Act.  An applicant shall be determined  as
13    eligible  for  an  Illinois  Incentive for Access grant under
14    this Section when the Commission finds that the applicant:
15             (1)  is a resident of this State and  a  citizen  or
16        permanent resident of the United States;
17             (2)  has  limited  no  personal  or family financial
18        resources  available  for  expenditure   on   educational
19        expenses, as defined by current federal student financial
20        aid methodology;
21             (3)  has   not   already  received  a  baccalaureate
22        degree; and
23             (4)  is  enrolled  at  least  one-half  time  as   a
24        freshman  undergraduate  student  at an approved Illinois
25        institution  of  higher  learning  participating  in  the
26        Monetary Award Program administered by the Commission.
27        (b)  Subject  to  a  separate  appropriation   made   for
28    purposes  of  awarding  grants  under  this Section, Illinois
29    Incentive  for  Access  grants  shall  be  paid  in  multiple
30    disbursements as determined  by  the  Commission  (i)  in  an
31    amount  not  to exceed $1,000 $500 per applicant per year for
 
HB1119 Engrossed            -2-      LRB093 08153 NHT 08359 b
 1    applicants with an expected family  contribution  of  $0,  as
 2    defined  by current federal student aid methodology, and (ii)
 3    in an amount not  to  exceed  $500  for  applicants  with  an
 4    expected  family  contribution  of $500 or less but more than
 5    $0, as defined by current federal  student  aid  methodology.
 6    In  awarding  grants,  the  Commission shall give priority to
 7    applicants with an expected family contribution  of  $0.   No
 8    recipient  may  receive  a  grant under this Section for more
 9    than 2 semesters or 3 quarters of award payments.
10        (c)  Eligibility for grants awarded  under  this  Section
11    shall  be  determined  solely  on  the basis of the financial
12    resources of the applicant and the applicant's family.   Cost
13    of  attendance  at  the institution in which the applicant is
14    enrolled shall not affect eligibility for  an  award,  except
15    that  State  student  financial assistance awarded under this
16    Act, including the Illinois Incentive for Access  award,  may
17    not exceed the institution's cost of attendance.
18        (d)  The  Commission  shall  notify applicants that grant
19    assistance is contingent upon  availability  of  appropriated
20    funds.
21        (e)  The  Commission shall submit a written evaluation of
22    the Illinois Incentive for Access program  to  the  Governor,
23    the General Assembly, and the Board of Higher Education on or
24    before  October  1,  1999, including a report of the progress
25    made toward the goal of increasing the access  and  retention
26    rates for Illinois Incentive for Access grant recipients.
27    (Source: P.A. 89-512, eff. 7-11-96.)

28        Section  99.  Effective  date.   This Act takes effect on
29    July 1, 2004.