95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB0856

 

Introduced 2/8/2007, by Sen. Edward D. Maloney - Emil Jones, Jr.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 947/35

    Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the Monetary Award Program.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB0856 LRB095 05592 NHT 25682 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 is
5 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 and
9 consider applications for grant assistance under this Section.
10 Subject to a separate appropriation for such purposes, an
11 applicant is eligible for a grant under this Section when the
12 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 or
18     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

 

 

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1         (3) is in a financial situation that continues to
2     warrant assistance.
3     (c) All grants shall be applicable only to tuition and
4 necessary fee costs. The Commission shall determine the grant
5 amount for each student, which shall not exceed the smallest of
6 the following amounts:
7         (1) $4,968, or such lesser amount as the Commission
8     finds to be available, during an academic year; or
9         (2) the amount which equals 2 semesters or 3 quarters
10     tuition and other necessary fees required generally by the
11     institution of all full-time undergraduate students; or
12         (3) such amount as the Commission finds to be
13     appropriate in view of the applicant's financial
14     resources.
15 "Tuition and other necessary fees" as used in this Section
16 include the customary charge for instruction and use of
17 facilities in general, and the additional fixed fees charged
18 for specified purposes, which are required generally of
19 nongrant recipients for each academic period for which the
20 grant applicant actually enrolls, but do not include fees
21 payable only once or breakage fees and other contingent
22 deposits which are refundable in whole or in part. The
23 Commission may prescribe, by rule not inconsistent with this
24 Section, detailed provisions concerning the computation of
25 tuition and other necessary fees.
26     (d) No applicant, including those presently receiving

 

 

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1 scholarship assistance under this Act, is eligible for monetary
2 award program consideration under this Act after receiving a
3 baccalaureate degree or the equivalent of 135 semester credit
4 hours of award payments.
5     (e) The Commission, in determining the number of grants to
6 be offered, shall take into consideration past experience with
7 the rate of grant funds unclaimed by recipients. The Commission
8 shall notify applicants that grant assistance is contingent
9 upon the availability of appropriated funds.
10     (f) The Commission may request appropriations for deposit
11 into the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund. Monies deposited
12 into the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund may be expended
13 exclusively for one purpose: to make Monetary Award Program
14 grants to eligible students. Amounts on deposit in the Monetary
15 Award Program Reserve Fund may not exceed 2% of the current
16 annual State appropriation for the Monetary Award Program.
17     The purpose of the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund is
18 to enable the Commission each year to assure as many students
19 as possible of their eligibility for a Monetary Award Program
20 grant and to do so before commencement of the academic year.
21 Moneys deposited in this Reserve Fund are intended to enhance
22 the Commission's management of the Monetary Award Program,
23 minimizing the necessity, magnitude, and frequency of
24 adjusting award amounts and ensuring that the annual Monetary
25 Award Program appropriation can be fully utilized.
26     (g) The Commission shall determine the eligibility of and

 

 

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1 make grants to applicants enrolled at qualified for-profit
2 institutions in accordance with the criteria set forth in this
3 Section. The eligibility of applicants enrolled at such
4 for-profit institutions shall be limited as 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 1998.
13         (3) Beginning with the academic year 1999, to all
14     eligible students.
15 (Source: P.A. 92-45, eff. 7-1-01; 93-1032, eff. 9-2-04.)