093_HB1321

 
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 1        AN ACT relating to higher 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 adding Section 45.5 as follows:

 6        (110 ILCS 947/45.5 new)
 7        Sec. 45.5.  Firefighter grant program.
 8        (a)  As used in this Section:
 9        "Active  paid  on-call  firefighter" means a member of an
10    active volunteer fire department who has had  basic  training
11    as  defined  in  subsection  (f) of Section 2 of the Illinois
12    Fire Protection Training Act and in the past  12  months  has
13    (i) participated in all required training exercises, (ii) has
14    responded  to  a  fire or other emergency call, and (iii) has
15    received a form of monetary compensation for  each  emergency
16    situation he or she has responded to.
17        "Active   volunteer   fire   department"   means  a  fire
18    department that is staffed by volunteers for the  purpose  of
19    combating fires.
20        "Active  volunteer  firefighter"  means  a  member  of an
21    active volunteer fire department who has had  basic  training
22    as  defined  in  subsection  (f) of Section 2 of the Illinois
23    Fire Protection Training Act and in the past  12  months  has
24    (i)  participated in all required training exercises and (ii)
25    has responded to a fire or other emergency call.
26        "Fees" means matriculation, graduation,  activity,  term,
27    or  incidental fees.  Exemption shall not be granted from any
28    other  fees,  including  book  rental,  service,  laboratory,
29    supply,  and  union  building  fees,  hospital  and   medical
30    insurance  fees,  and  any fees established for the operation
31    and maintenance of buildings, the income of which is  pledged
 
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 1    to  the  payment of interest and principal on bonds issued by
 2    the governing board of any university or community college.
 3        "State-controlled university or community college"  means
 4    those  institutions  under  the administration of the Chicago
 5    State University Board  of  Trustees,  the  Eastern  Illinois
 6    University  Board of Trustees, the Governors State University
 7    Board of Trustees, the Illinois  State  University  Board  of
 8    Trustees,  the  Northeastern  Illinois  University  Board  of
 9    Trustees, the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees,
10    the  Western  Illinois  University  Board  of  Trustees,  the
11    Southern   Illinois   University   Board   of  Trustees,  the
12    University of Illinois Board of  Trustees,  or  the  Illinois
13    Community College Board.
14        "Tuition  and  fees"  does  not  include expenses for any
15    sectarian or denominational instruction, the construction  or
16    maintenance of sectarian or denominational facilities, or any
17    other sectarian or denominational purposes or activity.
18        (b)  Subject to the limitations provided in this Section,
19    any  person  who  has  served  at  least 3 years as an active
20    volunteer, paid on-call, or full-time firefighter with a fire
21    department in a municipality with a population of  less  than
22    5,000  and  who possesses all necessary entrance requirements
23    shall, upon application and proper proof, be awarded a  grant
24    to  the  State-controlled  university or community college of
25    his or her choice, consisting of exemption from  tuition  and
26    fees for not more than the equivalent of 4 years of full-time
27    enrollment  in relation to his or her course of study at that
28    State-controlled university or community college while he  or
29    she serves as an active volunteer, paid on-call, or full-time
30    firefighter  with  that  fire  department.  However, not more
31    than 2 grants per year may be awarded to firefighters  within
32    the  same  fire  department.    If the recipient of any grant
33    awarded under this Section  ceases  to  serve  as  an  active
34    volunteer,  paid  on-call,  or full-time firefighter with the
 
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 1    fire department that he or she was with to  qualify  for  the
 2    grant  while  enrolled in a course of study under that grant,
 3    the grant shall be terminated as of the date  service  as  an
 4    active volunteer, paid on-call, or full-time firefighter with
 5    that  fire  department  ended,  and  the  recipient  shall be
 6    permitted to complete the school term in which he or  she  is
 7    then  enrolled  only  upon  payment of tuition and other fees
 8    allocable to the part of the term then remaining.
 9        Before receiving grant assistance under this Section  for
10    any  academic year, each grant recipient shall be required by
11    the Commission to sign an agreement under which the recipient
12    pledges that he or she (i) shall remain an active  volunteer,
13    paid   on-call,   or  full-time  firefighter  with  the  fire
14    department that he or she was with to qualify for  the  grant
15    for a period of not less than one year for each year of grant
16    assistance  that  he  or  she receives under this Section and
17    (ii) shall, upon  request  by  the  Commission,  provide  the
18    Commission  with evidence that he or she is fulfilling or has
19    fulfilled this obligation.  If the recipient fails to fulfill
20    this  obligation,  then  the  Commission  shall  require  the
21    recipient  to  repay  the  amount  of  the  grant  assistance
22    received,  prorated  according  to  the   fraction   of   the
23    obligation  not completed, at a rate of interest equal to 5%,
24    and, if applicable, to pay  reasonable  collection  fees.   A
25    recipient  who  is  enrolled  in  an  institution  of  higher
26    learning  shall not be required to commence repayment so long
27    as he or she remains enrolled in  an  institution  of  higher
28    learning  on  a  full-time basis or if he or she can document
29    for  the  Commission  special  circumstances   that   warrant
30    extension  of  the  time  before  repayment is required.  The
31    Commission is authorized to establish rules relating  to  its
32    collection activities for repayment of grant assistance under
33    this  Section.  All  repayments  collected under this Section
34    shall be forwarded to the State Comptroller for deposit  into
 
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 1    the   General   Revenue  Fund.   A  recipient  shall  not  be
 2    considered  in  violation  of  the  agreement  entered   into
 3    pursuant  to  this  subsection  (b)  if  the recipient (i) is
 4    serving as a member of  the  armed  services  of  the  United
 5    States,  for  a period of time not to exceed 3 years, (ii) is
 6    temporarily totally disabled, for a period  of  time  not  to
 7    exceed  3  years,  as  established  by  sworn  affidavit of a
 8    qualified physician, or  (iii)  becomes  permanently  totally
 9    disabled,  as  established  by sworn affidavit of a qualified
10    physician.
11        A grant awarded under this Section shall be considered an
12    entitlement that the State-controlled university or community
13    college in which the holder is enrolled shall  honor  without
14    any  condition other than the holder's maintenance of minimum
15    grade levels and a satisfactory student loan repayment record
16    pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 20 of this Act.
17        (c)  Subject  to  a  separate  appropriation   for   such
18    purposes,  the  Commission may reimburse the State-controlled
19    university or community college for grants authorized by this
20    Section.