Full Text of HB1710 97th General Assembly
HB1710enr 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | HB1710 Enrolled | | LRB097 00225 NHT 50810 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 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | 5 | | College Planning Act. | 6 | | Section 5. Definitions. In this Act: | 7 | | "Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance | 8 | | Commission. | 9 | | "Program" means the College Planning Program established | 10 | | under Section 10 of this Act. | 11 | | Section 10. College Planning Program; establishment. The | 12 | | College Planning Program is established to do all of the | 13 | | following: | 14 | | (1) Reduce the number of students who withdraw from | 15 | | high school before graduation. | 16 | | (2) Reduce the number of students who fail to begin | 17 | | planning for a postsecondary educational path upon | 18 | | entering high school. | 19 | | (3) Increase the number of high school students who are | 20 | | prepared to enter postsecondary educational institutions | 21 | | in this State upon graduation. | 22 | | (4) Increase the number of students attaining a quality |
| | | HB1710 Enrolled | - 2 - | LRB097 00225 NHT 50810 b |
|
| 1 | | postsecondary credential within 6 years after graduation | 2 | | from high school. | 3 | | (5) Assist this State in meeting the workforce needs of | 4 | | the future. | 5 | | (6) Encourage students to attend postsecondary | 6 | | educational institutions in this State by increasing | 7 | | awareness of the need-based, financial aid programs | 8 | | available to State residents attending postsecondary | 9 | | educational institutions in this State. | 10 | | (7) Increase timely financial aid application rates | 11 | | among students from the lowest economic quintiles in this | 12 | | State. | 13 | | (8) Proactively counsel potential college students to | 14 | | make the most efficient and effective use of need-based, | 15 | | grant funding distributed under the Monetary Award Program | 16 | | under Section 35 of the Higher Education Student Assistance | 17 | | Act. | 18 | | (9) Intervene beginning in 8th grade to aggressively | 19 | | promote postsecondary education as a positive alternative | 20 | | to less socially and economically desirable behaviors and | 21 | | options that young students may consider instead of college | 22 | | preparation. | 23 | | Section 15. Administration. | 24 | | (a) The Commission shall administer the Program. | 25 | | (b) The Commission shall utilize the Program to target |
| | | HB1710 Enrolled | - 3 - | LRB097 00225 NHT 50810 b |
|
| 1 | | low-income and potential first-generation college students | 2 | | with programs to promote college awareness and planning. | 3 | | (c) The Commission shall adopt any rules that it deems | 4 | | necessary to implement the mission of the Program, including | 5 | | without limitation rules regarding a student's record of | 6 | | attendance at events, the determination of qualifying events | 7 | | and programs, information required on the initial application | 8 | | and annual certification, and appeals. | 9 | | Section 20. Qualifications to participate in the Program. | 10 | | To qualify to participate in the Program, a student must meet | 11 | | all of the following requirements: | 12 | | (1) He or she must reside in this State.
| 13 | | (2) At the time of application to the Program, he or | 14 | | she must be enrolled in grade 8 at a public school in this | 15 | | State or a nonpublic school that is recognized by the State | 16 | | Board of Education and, by the end of grade 8, be enrolled | 17 | | in a public high school in this State or a nonpublic school | 18 | | that is recognized by the State Board of Education. | 19 | | (3) At the time of enrollment in the Program, he or she | 20 | | either (i) must not have a custodial parent or guardian who | 21 | | has received a postsecondary degree or (ii) must be | 22 | | eligible to participate in the free and reduced-price lunch | 23 | | program under the School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act. | 24 | | (4) He or she agrees, in writing, together with the | 25 | | student's custodial parent or guardian, that the student |
| | | HB1710 Enrolled | - 4 - | LRB097 00225 NHT 50810 b |
|
| 1 | | will do all of the following: | 2 | | (A) Complete the course requirements specified in | 3 | | Section 27-22 of the School Code and graduate from a | 4 | | secondary school located in this State. | 5 | | (B) Not be convicted of a felony offense that would | 6 | | disqualify the student from receipt of federal student | 7 | | aid. | 8 | | (C) Timely apply, during grade 12, (i) for | 9 | | admission to a postsecondary institution in this State | 10 | | approved to participate in the Monetary Award Program | 11 | | under Section 35 of the Higher Education Student | 12 | | Assistance Act and (ii) for any federal and State | 13 | | student financial assistance available to the student | 14 | | to attend a postsecondary institution in this State. | 15 | | (D) Achieve a cumulative grade point average upon | 16 | | graduation from high school of at least a 2.5 on a 4.0 | 17 | | grading scale (or its equivalent if another grading | 18 | | scale is used) for courses taken during grades 9, 10, | 19 | | 11, and 12. | 20 | | (E) Update demographic and contact information | 21 | | required within the initial Program participation | 22 | | application and agreement at least once each academic | 23 | | year on a schedule to be determined by the Commission. | 24 | | (F) Take a recognized standardized college | 25 | | entrance examination no later than the end of the 11th | 26 | | grade. |
| | | HB1710 Enrolled | - 5 - | LRB097 00225 NHT 50810 b |
|
| 1 | | (G) Participate in college planning and | 2 | | preparation activities required by the Commission as | 3 | | part of the administration of the Program. | 4 | | (H) Share personal academic and financial data | 5 | | with the Commission beginning in grade 8 and through | 6 | | the attainment of a bachelor's degree. | 7 | | Section 25. Program benefits. Subject to appropriation of | 8 | | State, federal, or private funds, the Commission shall deliver | 9 | | the following services and benefits to students enrolled in the | 10 | | Program: | 11 | | (1) College and career planning counseling provided by | 12 | | the College Illinois! Corps. | 13 | | (2) Assistance with the completion of college | 14 | | admission, scholarship, and financial aid applications, | 15 | | provided by the College Illinois! Corps. | 16 | | (3) The opportunity to participate in simplified | 17 | | admission or financial assistance application programs | 18 | | administered by the Commission. | 19 | | (4) Regular communication about important dates and | 20 | | procedures in the college planning cycle as well as | 21 | | estimates of future financial aid eligibility. | 22 | | (5) Priority notification of eligibility for | 23 | | Commission-administered, need-based, financial aid | 24 | | programs. | 25 | | (6) Ongoing college and career counseling while |
| | | HB1710 Enrolled | - 6 - | LRB097 00225 NHT 50810 b |
|
| 1 | | enrolled in a postsecondary institution in this State. | 2 | | (7) An assigned college planning counselor for the | 3 | | duration of enrollment in the Program. | 4 | | (8) Invitation to participant-only college and career | 5 | | planning workshops for the student and his or her parents | 6 | | or guardian. | 7 | | Section 30. Program disqualification. If a program | 8 | | participant fails to meet the requirements for continuation in | 9 | | the Program, the student is disqualified from future receipt of | 10 | | Program services and benefits that are not available to all | 11 | | students in this State.
| 12 | | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | 13 | | becoming law.
|
|