State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Engrossed ][ House Amendment 001 ]

90_HB0467

      110 ILCS 947/40
          Amends  the  Higher  Education  Student  Assistance  Act.
      Excepts from the general requirement that in order to receive
      a Veteran Grant a veteran's service with the armed forces  be
      for  at least one year a veteran whose service with the armed
      forces is for less than one year but includes active military
      duty in Bosnia.  Effective immediately.
                                                    LRB9002424THpkA
                                              LRB9002424THpkA
 1        AN ACT to amend the Higher Education  Student  Assistance
 2    Act by changing Section 40.
 3        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section 5.  The Higher Education Student  Assistance  Act
 6    is amended by changing Section 40 as follows:
 7        (110 ILCS 947/40)
 8        Sec.  40.  Veteran  grant.  Any  person who served in the
 9    armed forces of the United States, not including  members  of
10    the  Student Army Training Corps, who at the time of entering
11    service was an Illinois resident or was an Illinois  resident
12    within 6 months of entering such service, and who returned to
13    Illinois within 6 months after leaving service or, if married
14    to  a  person in continued military service stationed outside
15    Illinois, within 6 months after his or her  spouse  has  left
16    service  or  has  been stationed within Illinois, and who has
17    been  honorably  discharged  from  such  service,   and   who
18    possesses  all  necessary entrance requirements shall, except
19    as otherwise provided  in  this  Act,  upon  application  and
20    proper proof, be awarded an Illinois Veteran Grant consisting
21    of   the   equivalent   of  4  calendar  years  of  full-time
22    enrollment, including summer terms, to  the  State-controlled
23    college  or  university  or  community college of his choice.
24    Such veterans shall also be entitled, upon proper  proof  and
25    application,  to  enroll in any extension course offered by a
26    State-controlled college or university or  community  college
27    without the payment of tuition or fees.
28        Any  veteran  who  so  served,  and  who,  at the time of
29    entering such service, was a student  at  a  State-controlled
30    college  or  university  or  community  college,  and who was
31    honorably  discharged  from   such   service,   shall,   upon
                            -2-               LRB9002424THpkA
 1    application  and  proper  proof  be  awarded  a Veteran Grant
 2    entitling  him  to  complete  his  course  of  study  at  any
 3    State-controlled college or university or  community  college
 4    of  his  choice,  but  shall  not  be  entitled  to  a  grant
 5    consisting of more than the equivalent of 4 calendar years of
 6    full-time enrollment including summer sessions.
 7        Any  member  of the armed forces of the United States who
 8    either (i) has served in such armed forces at least one year,
 9    or (ii) whose service with the armed  forces  of  the  United
10    States is for less than one year but includes active military
11    duty,  including service in the Persian Gulf War or in Bosnia
12    or in military operations to  aid  Somalia,  with  the  armed
13    forces of the United States, and who would be qualified for a
14    grant  under this Section if he had been discharged from such
15    service shall be eligible to receive a  Veteran  Grant  under
16    this Section.
17        The  holder  of  a  Veteran Grant to the State-controlled
18    college or university or community college of his  choice  as
19    authorized  under  this  Section shall not be required to pay
20    any matriculation or application  fees,  tuition,  activities
21    fees,  graduation  fees,  or  other  fees except multipurpose
22    building fees or similar fees for supplies and materials.
23        Any veteran who has been or shall be  awarded  a  Veteran
24    Grant   shall  be  reimbursed  by  the  appropriate  college,
25    university, or community college for any fees  which  he  has
26    paid  and  for which exemption is granted under this Section,
27    if application for reimbursement  is  made  within  3  months
28    following the school term for which the fees were paid.
29        A  Veteran Grant shall be considered an entitlement which
30    the  State-controlled  college  or  university  or  community
31    college in which the holder is enrolled shall  honor  without
32    any  condition other than the holder's maintenance of minimum
33    grade levels and a satisfactory student loan repayment record
34    pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 20.
                            -3-               LRB9002424THpkA
 1        A grant  authorized  under  this  Section  shall  not  be
 2    awarded  to  veterans who received a discharge from the armed
 3    forces of the United States under dishonorable conditions, or
 4    to any veteran whose service with the armed  forces  was  for
 5    less  than one year unless he received an honorable discharge
 6    from such service for medical reasons directly connected with
 7    such service, except for those veterans discharged  prior  to
 8    August  11, 1967 whose service may be for less than one year,
 9    and except for those veterans  (i)  whose  service  with  the
10    armed  forces  of the United States is for less than one year
11    but includes active military duty, including service  in  the
12    Persian  Gulf  War  or in Bosnia or in military operations to
13    aid Somalia, with the armed forces of the United States,  and
14    (ii) who receive an honorable discharge.
15        The  amounts  that  become  due  to  any State-controlled
16    college or university or community college shall  be  payable
17    by  the  Comptroller to that institution on vouchers approved
18    by  the  Commission.   The  Commission,  or  its   designated
19    representative  at  that  institution,  shall  determine  the
20    eligibility  of  the  persons  who  make  application for the
21    benefits provided for in this  Section.   The  Department  of
22    Veterans'  Affairs shall assist the Commission in determining
23    the  eligibility  of  applicants.   On  July  29,  1986,  the
24    Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs shall  transfer  and
25    deliver   to  the  Commission  all  books,  records,  papers,
26    documents, applications  and  pending  business  in  any  way
27    pertaining  to  the  duties,  responsibilities  and authority
28    theretofore exercised or performed by the Illinois Department
29    of Veterans' Affairs under and pursuant to Section 4.1 of the
30    Department of Veterans Affairs Act.
31        The benefits  provided  for  in  this  Section  shall  be
32    available   as   long  as  the  federal  government  provides
33    educational benefits to veterans.  No benefits shall be  paid
34    under  this  Section,  except  for  veterans who already have
                            -4-               LRB9002424THpkA
 1    begun their education under  this  Section,  after  6  months
 2    following the termination of educational benefits to veterans
 3    by   the  federal  government.   If  the  federal  government
 4    terminates educational benefits to veterans and  at  a  later
 5    time  resumes  those  benefits,  the benefits of this Section
 6    shall resume.
 7    (Source: P.A. 87-895; 87-997; 88-179.)
 8        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
 9    becoming law.

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