HR1039HAM001 LRB094 19954 RAS 58262 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE RESOLUTION 1039

2     AMENDMENT NO. ___. Amend House Resolution 1039 by replacing
3 lines 2 through 31 on page 1, lines 1 through 34 on page 2, and
4 lines 1 through 12 on page 3 with the following:
 
5     "WHEREAS, The State of Illinois honors Illinois veterans
6 for service in the United States Armed Services and Illinois
7 National Guard with grants and scholarships to attend Illinois
8 public universities and community colleges; and
 
9     WHEREAS, The Illinois Veteran Grant Program pays eligible
10 tuition and certain fees for undergraduate study at any
11 Illinois community college for Illinois residents who qualify;
12 a qualified applicant is any member of the Armed Forces of the
13 United States who has served at least one year of active duty
14 and whose separation from such service has been characterized
15 as honorable; and
 
16     WHEREAS, The Illinois National Guard Grant Program pays
17 tuition and eligible fees at all Illinois community colleges; a
18 qualified applicant must be on active status and have served
19 for at least one year in the Illinois National Guard; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The MIA-POW Scholarship Program for dependents of
21 Illinois residents declared to be missing in action or
22 prisoners of war pays all tuition and fees at any Illinois

 

 

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1 community college; and
 
2     WHEREAS, The Illinois Veteran Grant Program, the Illinois
3 National Guard Grant Program, and the MIA-POW Scholarship
4 Program are all considered entitlement grants; thus, if the
5 General Assembly does not fully fund these programs to cover
6 all expenses, the community college must waive all tuition and
7 fees on behalf of that student; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Illinois community colleges must raise tuition
9 and fees in order to compensate for unfunded mandates placed
10 upon them by the Governor's budget; and
 
11     WHEREAS, It is not fiscally responsible for the Governor to
12 increase government spending while other parts of the budget
13 continue to be underfunded; and
 
14     WHEREAS, The Governor's Fiscal Year 2007 proposed budget
15 provides level funding for the Illinois Veteran Grant Program,
16 the Illinois National Guard Grant Program, and the MIA-POW
17 Scholarship Program, despite increasing enrollment primarily
18 due to the Global War on Terrorism; therefore, be it
 
19     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
20 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
21 the community colleges of the State of Illinois are entitled to
22 reimbursement for the costs incurred in the administration of
23 the Illinois Veteran Grant Program, the Illinois National Guard
24 Grant Program, and the MIA-POW Scholarship Program in the past
25 fiscal years; and be it further
 
26     RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education and the
27 Illinois Community College Board conduct a joint study
28 detailing the amount of tuition and fees each community college

 

 

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1 has waived over the current and last four fiscal years to
2 compensate for the lack of funding in the Governor's budgets
3 for the Illinois Veteran Grant Program, the Illinois National
4 Guard Grant Program, and the MIA-POW Scholarship Program, with
5 a report of the findings of the joint study submitted to the
6 General Assembly and to the Governor no later than January 1,
7 2007; and be it further
 
8     RESOLVED, That the amount determined by the joint study of
9 the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community
10 College Board be the recommended amount of reimbursement to the
11 community colleges of this State to be appropriated in Fiscal
12 Year 2008; and be it further
 
13     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
14 delivered to the Governor, the Board of Higher Education, the
15 Illinois Community College Board, and the president of each
16 community college of the State.".