093_HB2329

 
                                     LRB093 07684 NHT 07866 b

 1        AN ACT concerning education.

 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 35 as follows:

 6        (110 ILCS 947/35)
 7        Sec. 35. Monetary award program.
 8        (a)  The   Commission   shall,  each  year,  receive  and
 9    consider  applications  for  grant  assistance   under   this
10    Section.   Subject  to  a  separate  appropriation  for  such
11    purposes,  an  applicant  is  eligible for a grant under this
12    Section when the Commission finds that the applicant:
13             (1)  is a resident of this State and  a  citizen  or
14        permanent resident of the United States; and
15             (2)  in  the  absence  of  grant assistance, will be
16        deterred by financial considerations from  completing  an
17        educational  program  at the qualified institution of his
18        or her choice.
19        (b)  The Commission shall award renewals  only  upon  the
20    student's  application and upon the Commission's finding that
21    the applicant:
22             (1)  has remained a student in good standing;
23             (2)  remains a resident of this State; and
24             (3)  is in a financial situation that  continues  to
25        warrant assistance.
26        (c)  All  grants  shall be applicable only to tuition and
27    necessary fee costs for 2  semesters  or  3  quarters  in  an
28    academic  year.   Requests for summer term assistance will be
29    made separately and shall  be  considered  on  an  individual
30    basis  according  to Commission policy.   Each student who is
31    awarded a grant under this Section and is enrolled in  summer

 
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 1    school  classes  shall be eligible for a summer school grant.
 2    The summer school grant amount shall not exceed the lesser of
 3    50 percent of the maximum annual grant amount  authorized  by
 4    this  Section  or  the actual cost of tuition and fees at the
 5    institution  at  which  the  student  is  enrolled  at  least
 6    part-time.  For the regular  academic  year,  the  Commission
 7    shall  determine  the  grant  amount  for  each full-time and
 8    part-time  student,  which  shall  be  the  smallest  of  the
 9    following amounts:
10             (1)  $5,166 $4,968 for 2 semesters or 3 quarters  of
11        full-time undergraduate enrollment or $2,583 $2,484 for 2
12        semesters   or  3  quarters  of  part-time  undergraduate
13        enrollment, or such lesser amount as the Commission finds
14        to be available; or
15             (2)  the amount which equals the 2  semesters  or  3
16        quarters   tuition  and  other  necessary  fees  required
17        generally   by   the   institution   of   all   full-time
18        undergraduate students,  or  in  the  case  of  part-time
19        students an amount of tuition and fees for 2 semesters or
20        3  quarters which shall not exceed one-half the amount of
21        tuition and necessary fees generally charged to full-time
22        undergraduate students by the institution; or
23             (3)  such amount  as  the  Commission  finds  to  be
24        appropriate   in   view   of  the  applicant's  financial
25        resources.
26    "Tuition and other necessary fees" as used  in  this  Section
27    include  the  customary  charge  for  instruction  and use of
28    facilities in general, and the additional fixed fees  charged
29    for  specified  purposes,  which  are  required  generally of
30    nongrant recipients for each academic period  for  which  the
31    grant  applicant  actually  enrolls,  but do not include fees
32    payable only once  or  breakage  fees  and  other  contingent
33    deposits  which  are  refundable  in  whole  or in part.  The
34    Commission may prescribe, by rule not inconsistent with  this
 
                            -3-      LRB093 07684 NHT 07866 b
 1    Section,  detailed  provisions  concerning the computation of
 2    tuition and other necessary fees.
 3        (d)  No applicant, including  those  presently  receiving
 4    scholarship  assistance  under  this  Act,  is  eligible  for
 5    monetary  award  program  consideration  under this Act after
 6    receiving a baccalaureate degree  or  the  equivalent  of  10
 7    semesters  or  15 quarters of award payments.  The Commission
 8    shall determine when award payments for part-time  enrollment
 9    or  interim  or  summer  terms  shall be counted as a partial
10    semester or quarter of payment.
11        (e)  The Commission, in determining the number of  grants
12    to  be offered, shall take into consideration past experience
13    with the rate of grant funds unclaimed  by  recipients.   The
14    Commission  shall  notify applicants that grant assistance is
15    contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds.
16        (f)  The  Commission  may  request   appropriations   for
17    deposit into the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund.  Monies
18    deposited into the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund may be
19    expended  exclusively for one purpose: to make Monetary Award
20    Program grants to eligible students.  Amounts on  deposit  in
21    the  Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund may not exceed 2% of
22    the current annual State appropriation for the Monetary Award
23    Program.
24        The purpose of the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund is
25    to enable the Commission each year to assure as many students
26    as possible of their eligibility for a Monetary Award Program
27    grant and to do so before commencement of the academic  year.
28    Moneys deposited in this Reserve Fund are intended to enhance
29    the  Commission's  management  of the Monetary Award Program,
30    minimizing  the  necessity,  magnitude,  and   frequency   of
31    adjusting award amounts and ensuring that the annual Monetary
32    Award Program appropriation can be fully utilized.
33        (g)  The  Commission  shall  determine the eligibility of
34    and  make  grants  to  applicants   enrolled   at   qualified
 
                            -4-      LRB093 07684 NHT 07866 b
 1    for-profit  institutions  in accordance with the criteria set
 2    forth  in  this  Section.   The  eligibility  of   applicants
 3    enrolled  at such for-profit institutions shall be limited as
 4    follows:
 5             (1)  Beginning with the academic year 1997, only  to
 6        eligible  first-time  freshmen  and  first-time  transfer
 7        students who have attained an associate degree.
 8             (2)  Beginning  with the academic year 1998, only to
 9        eligible freshmen students, transfer  students  who  have
10        attained  an associate degree, and students who receive a
11        grant under paragraph (1) for the academic year 1997  and
12        whose  grants  are  being  renewed  for the academic year
13        1998.
14             (3)  Beginning with the academic year 1999,  to  all
15        eligible students.
16    (Source:  P.A.  91-249,  eff.  7-22-99; 91-250, eff. 7-22-99;
17    91-357,  eff.  7-29-99;  91-747,  eff.  7-1-00;  92-45,  eff.
18    7-1-01.)

19        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  July
20    1, 2003.