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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.