Full Text of SB2927 100th General Assembly
SB2927enr 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 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. Legislative intent. It is the intent of this Act | 5 | | to increase enrollment at public 4-year universities in this | 6 | | State by providing those universities with the option for | 7 | | additional funding through a new, merit-based and means-tested | 8 | | matching scholarship for Illinois students. It is also the | 9 | | intent of this Act that any public university participating in | 10 | | this program should, in its best efforts, attempt to delegate | 11 | | scholarship funds amongst a racially diverse range of students | 12 | | and not use a student's race, color, religion, sex (including | 13 | | gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy), national | 14 | | origin, age, disability, or genetic information to disqualify | 15 | | him or her from receiving funds under the program. | 16 | | Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is | 17 | | amended by changing Section 10 and adding Section 65.100 as | 18 | | follows:
| 19 | | (110 ILCS 947/10)
| 20 | | Sec. 10. Definitions. In this Act, and except to the extent | 21 | | that any of the
following words or phrases is specifically | 22 | | qualified by its context:
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| 1 | | "Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance | 2 | | Commission created by this
Act.
| 3 | | "Enrollment" means the establishment and maintenance of an | 4 | | individual's
status as a student in an institution of higher | 5 | | learning, regardless of the
terms used at the institution to | 6 | | describe that status.
| 7 | | "Approved high school" means any public high school located | 8 | | in this
State; and any high school, located in this State or | 9 | | elsewhere (whether
designated as a high school, secondary | 10 | | school, academy, preparatory school,
or otherwise) which in the | 11 | | judgment of the State Superintendent of
Education provides a | 12 | | course of instruction at the secondary level and maintains
| 13 | | standards of instruction substantially equivalent to those of | 14 | | the public high
schools located in this State.
| 15 | | "Institution of higher learning", "qualified institution", | 16 | | or "institution"
means an educational organization located in | 17 | | this State which
| 18 | | (1) provides
at least an organized 2 year program of | 19 | | collegiate grade in the liberal arts or
sciences, or both, | 20 | | directly applicable toward the attainment of a | 21 | | baccalaureate
degree or a program in health
education
| 22 | | directly applicable toward the attainment of a | 23 | | certificate, diploma, or an
associate degree;
| 24 | | (2) either is
| 25 | | (A) operated by this State, or
| 26 | | (B) operated
publicly or privately, not for |
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| 1 | | profit, or
| 2 | | (C) operated for profit, provided such for profit | 3 | | organization
| 4 | | (i) offers degree programs which have been | 5 | | approved by the Board of
Higher Education for a | 6 | | minimum of 3 years under the Academic Degree Act, | 7 | | and
| 8 | | (ii) enrolls a majority of its students in such | 9 | | degree programs, and
| 10 | | (iii) maintains an accredited status with the | 11 | | Commission on
Institutions of Higher Education of | 12 | | the North Central Association of Colleges
and | 13 | | Schools;
| 14 | | (3) in the judgment of the Commission
meets standards | 15 | | substantially equivalent to those of comparable | 16 | | institutions
operated by this State; and
| 17 | | (4) if so required by the Commission, uses the
State as | 18 | | its primary guarantor of student loans made under the | 19 | | federal Higher
Education Act of 1965.
| 20 | | For otherwise eligible educational organizations which
provide | 21 | | academic programs for incarcerated students, the terms | 22 | | "institution of
higher learning", "qualified institutions", | 23 | | and "institution" shall
specifically exclude academic programs | 24 | | for incarcerated students.
| 25 | | "Academic Year" means a 12 month period of time, normally | 26 | | but not
exclusively, from September 1 of any year through |
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| 1 | | August 31 of the ensuing
year.
| 2 | | "Full-time student" means any undergraduate student | 3 | | enrolled in 12 or
more semester or quarter hours of credit | 4 | | courses in any given semester or
quarter or in the equivalent | 5 | | number of units of registration as determined
by the | 6 | | Commission.
| 7 | | "Part-time student" means any undergraduate student, other | 8 | | than a
full-time student, enrolled in 6 or more semester or | 9 | | quarter hours of
credit courses in any given semester or | 10 | | quarter or in the equivalent number
of units of registration as | 11 | | determined by the Commission. Beginning with
fiscal year 1999, | 12 | | the Commission may, on a program by program basis, expand
this | 13 | | definition of "part-time student" to include students who | 14 | | enroll in less
than 6 semester or quarter hours of credit | 15 | | courses in any given semester or
quarter.
| 16 | | "Public university" means any public 4-year university in | 17 | | this State. | 18 | | "Public university campus" means any campus under the | 19 | | governance or supervision of a public university. | 20 | | (Source: P.A. 90-122, eff. 7-17-97; 91-250, eff. 7-22-99.)
| 21 | | (110 ILCS 947/65.100 new) | 22 | | Sec. 65.100. AIM HIGH Grant Pilot Program. | 23 | | (a) The General Assembly makes all of the following | 24 | | findings: | 25 | | (1) Both access and affordability are important |
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| 1 | | aspects of the Illinois Public Agenda for College and | 2 | | Career Success report. | 3 | | (2) This State is in the top quartile with respect to | 4 | | the percentage of family income needed to pay for college. | 5 | | (3) Research suggests that as loan amounts increase, | 6 | | rather than an increase in grant amounts, the probability | 7 | | of college attendance decreases. | 8 | | (4) There is further research indicating that | 9 | | socioeconomic status may affect the willingness of | 10 | | students to use loans to attend college. | 11 | | (5) Strategic use of tuition discounting can decrease | 12 | | the amount of loans that students must use to pay for | 13 | | tuition. | 14 | | (6) A modest, individually tailored tuition discount | 15 | | can make the difference in a student choosing to attend | 16 | | college and enhance college access for low-income and | 17 | | middle-income families. | 18 | | (7) Even if the federally calculated financial need for | 19 | | college attendance is met, the federally determined | 20 | | Expected Family Contribution can still be a daunting | 21 | | amount. | 22 | | (8) This State is the second largest exporter of | 23 | | students in the country. | 24 | | (9) When talented Illinois students attend | 25 | | universities in this State, the State and those | 26 | | universities benefit. |
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| 1 | | (10) State universities in other states have adopted | 2 | | pricing and incentives that allow many Illinois residents | 3 | | to pay less to attend an out-of-state university than to | 4 | | remain in this State for college. | 5 | | (11) Supporting Illinois student attendance at | 6 | | Illinois public universities can assist in State efforts to | 7 | | maintain and educate a highly trained workforce. | 8 | | (12) Modest tuition discounts that are individually | 9 | | targeted and tailored can result in enhanced revenue for | 10 | | public universities. | 11 | | (13) By increasing a public university's capacity to | 12 | | strategically use tuition discounting, the public | 13 | | university will be capable of creating enhanced tuition | 14 | | revenue by increasing enrollment yields. | 15 | | (b) In this Section: | 16 | | "Eligible applicant" means a student from any high school | 17 | | in this State, whether or not recognized by the State Board of | 18 | | Education, who is engaged in a program of study that in due | 19 | | course will be completed by the end of the school year and who | 20 | | meets all of the qualifications and requirements under this | 21 | | Section. | 22 | | "Tuition and other necessary fees" includes the customary | 23 | | charge for instruction and use of facilities in general and the | 24 | | additional fixed fees charged for specified purposes that are | 25 | | required generally of non-grant recipients for each academic | 26 | | period for which the grant applicant actually enrolls, but does |
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| 1 | | not include fees payable only once or breakage fees and other | 2 | | contingent deposits that are refundable in whole or in part. | 3 | | The Commission may adopt, by rule not inconsistent with this | 4 | | Section, detailed provisions concerning the computation of | 5 | | tuition and other necessary fees. | 6 | | (c) Beginning with the 2019-2020 academic year, each public | 7 | | university may establish a merit-based scholarship pilot | 8 | | program known as the AIM HIGH Grant Pilot Program. Each year, | 9 | | the Commission shall receive and consider applications from | 10 | | public universities under this Section. Subject to | 11 | | appropriation and any tuition waiver limitation established by | 12 | | the Board of Higher Education, a public university campus may | 13 | | award a grant to a student under this Section if it finds that | 14 | | the applicant meets all of the following criteria: | 15 | | (1) He or she is a resident of this State and a citizen | 16 | | or eligible noncitizen of the United States. | 17 | | (2) He or she files a Free Application for Federal | 18 | | Student Aid and demonstrates financial need with a | 19 | | household income no greater than 6 times the poverty | 20 | | guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by | 21 | | the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the | 22 | | authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2). | 23 | | (3) He or she meets the minimum cumulative grade point | 24 | | average or ACT or SAT college admissions test score, as | 25 | | determined by the public university campus. | 26 | | (4) He or she is enrolled in a public university as an |
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| 1 | | undergraduate student on a full-time basis. | 2 | | (5) He or she has not yet received a baccalaureate | 3 | | degree or the equivalent of 135 semester credit hours. | 4 | | (6) He or she is not incarcerated. | 5 | | (7) He or she is not in default on any student loan or | 6 | | does not owe a refund or repayment on any State or federal | 7 | | grant or scholarship. | 8 | | (8) Any other reasonable criteria, as determined by the | 9 | | public university campus. | 10 | | (d) Each public university campus shall determine grant | 11 | | renewal criteria consistent with the requirements under this | 12 | | Section. | 13 | | (e) Each participating public university campus shall post | 14 | | on its Internet website criteria and eligibility requirements | 15 | | for receiving awards that use funds under this Section that | 16 | | includes a range in the sizes of these individual awards. The | 17 | | criteria and amounts must also be reported to the Commission | 18 | | and the Board of Higher Education, who shall post the | 19 | | information on their respective Internet websites. | 20 | | (f) After enactment of an appropriation for this Program, | 21 | | the Commission shall determine an allocation of funds to each | 22 | | public university in an amount proportionate to the number of | 23 | | undergraduate students who are residents of this State and | 24 | | citizens or eligible noncitizens of the United States and who | 25 | | were enrolled at each public university campus in the previous | 26 | | academic year. All applications must be made to the Commission |
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| 1 | | on or before a date determined by the Commission and on forms | 2 | | that the Commission shall provide to each public university | 3 | | campus. The form of the application and the information | 4 | | required shall be determined by the Commission and shall | 5 | | include, without limitation, the total public university | 6 | | campus funds used to match funds received from the Commission | 7 | | in the previous academic year under this Section, if any, the | 8 | | total enrollment of undergraduate students who are residents of | 9 | | this State from the previous academic year, and any supporting | 10 | | documents as the Commission deems necessary. Each public | 11 | | university campus shall match the amount of funds received by | 12 | | the Commission with financial aid for eligible students. | 13 | | A public university campus is not required to claim its | 14 | | entire allocation. The Commission shall make available to all | 15 | | public universities, on a date determined by the Commission, | 16 | | any unclaimed funds and the funds must be made available to | 17 | | those public university campuses in the proportion determined | 18 | | under this subsection (f), excluding from the calculation those | 19 | | public university campuses not claiming their full | 20 | | allocations. | 21 | | Each public university campus may determine the award | 22 | | amounts for eligible students on an individual or broad basis, | 23 | | but, subject to renewal eligibility, each renewed award may not | 24 | | be less than the amount awarded to the eligible student in his | 25 | | or her first year attending the public university campus. | 26 | | Notwithstanding this limitation, a renewal grant may be reduced |
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| 1 | | due to changes in the student's cost of attendance, including, | 2 | | but not limited to, if a student reduces the number of credit | 3 | | hours in which he or she is enrolled, but remains a full-time | 4 | | student, or switches to a course of study with a lower tuition | 5 | | rate. | 6 | | An eligible applicant awarded grant assistance under this | 7 | | Section is eligible to receive other financial aid. Total grant | 8 | | aid to the student from all sources may not exceed the total | 9 | | cost of attendance at the public university campus. | 10 | | (g) All money allocated to a public university campus under | 11 | | this Section may be used only for financial aid purposes for | 12 | | students attending the public university campus during the | 13 | | academic year, not including summer terms. Any funds received | 14 | | by a public university campus under this Section that are not | 15 | | granted to students in the academic year for which the funds | 16 | | are received must be refunded to the Commission before any new | 17 | | funds are received by the public university campus for the next | 18 | | academic year. | 19 | | (h) Each public university campus that establishes a | 20 | | Program under this Section must annually report to the | 21 | | Commission, on or before a date determined by the Commission, | 22 | | the number of undergraduate students enrolled at that campus | 23 | | who are residents of this State. | 24 | | (i) Each public university campus must report to the | 25 | | Commission the total non-loan financial aid amount given by the | 26 | | public university campus to undergraduate students in fiscal |
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| 1 | | year 2018. To be eligible to receive funds under the Program, a | 2 | | public university campus may not decrease the total amount of | 3 | | non-loan financial aid for undergraduate students to an amount | 4 | | lower than the total non-loan financial aid amount given by the | 5 | | public university campus to undergraduate students in fiscal | 6 | | year 2018, not including any funds received from the Commission | 7 | | under this Section or any funds used to match grant awards | 8 | | under this Section. | 9 | | (j) On or before a date determined by the Commission, each | 10 | | public university campus that participates in the Program under | 11 | | this Section shall annually submit a report to the Commission | 12 | | with all of the following information: | 13 | | (1) The Program's impact on tuition revenue and | 14 | | enrollment goals and increase in access and affordability | 15 | | at the public university campus. | 16 | | (2) Total funds received by the public university | 17 | | campus under the Program. | 18 | | (3) Total non-loan financial aid awarded to | 19 | | undergraduate students attending the public university | 20 | | campus. | 21 | | (4) Total amount of funds matched by the public | 22 | | university campus. | 23 | | (5) Total amount of funds refunded to the Commission by | 24 | | the public university campus. | 25 | | (6) The percentage of total financial aid distributed | 26 | | under the Program by the public university campus. |
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| 1 | | (7) The total number of students receiving grants from | 2 | | the public university campus under the Program and those | 3 | | students' grade level, race, gender, income level, family | 4 | | size, Monetary Award Program eligibility, Pell Grant | 5 | | eligibility, and zip code of residence and the amount of | 6 | | each grant award. This information shall include unit | 7 | | record data on those students regarding variables | 8 | | associated with the parameters of the public university's | 9 | | Program, including, but not limited to, a student's ACT or | 10 | | SAT college admissions test score, high school or | 11 | | university cumulative grade point average, or program of | 12 | | study. | 13 | | On or before October 1, 2020 and annually on or before | 14 | | October 1 thereafter, the Commission shall submit a report with | 15 | | the findings under this subsection (j) and any other | 16 | | information regarding the AIM HIGH Grant Pilot Program to (i) | 17 | | the Governor, (ii) the Speaker of the House of Representatives, | 18 | | (iii) the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, (iv) | 19 | | the President of the Senate, and (v) the Minority Leader of the | 20 | | Senate. The reports to the General Assembly shall be filed with | 21 | | the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of | 22 | | the Senate in electronic form only, in the manner that the | 23 | | Clerk and the Secretary shall direct. The Commission's report | 24 | | may not disaggregate data to a level that may disclose | 25 | | personally identifying information of individual students. | 26 | | The sharing and reporting of student data under this |
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| 1 | | subsection (j) must be in accordance with the requirements | 2 | | under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of | 3 | | 1974 and the Illinois School Student Records Act. All parties | 4 | | must preserve the confidentiality of the information as | 5 | | required by law. The names of the grant recipients under this | 6 | | Section are not subject to disclosure under the Freedom of | 7 | | Information Act. | 8 | | Public university campuses that fail to submit a report | 9 | | under this subsection (j) or that fail to adhere to any other | 10 | | requirements under this Section may not be eligible for | 11 | | distribution of funds under the Program for the next academic | 12 | | year, but may be eligible for distribution of funds for each | 13 | | academic year thereafter. | 14 | | (k) The Commission shall adopt rules to implement this | 15 | | Section. | 16 | | (l) This Section is repealed on October 1, 2024.
| 17 | | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | 18 | | becoming law.
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