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90_HB1065
110 ILCS 947/35
Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act.
Replaces a reference to the Commission with the full name of
the Illinois Student Assistance Commission in the provisions
relating to the administration of the monetary award program.
LRB9004818THpk
LRB9004818THpk
1 AN ACT to amend the Higher Education Student Assistance
2 Act by changing Section 35.
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 35 as follows:
7 (110 ILCS 947/35)
8 Sec. 35. Monetary award program.
9 (a) The Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall,
10 each year, receive and consider applications for grant
11 assistance under this Section. Subject to a separate
12 appropriation for such purposes, an applicant is eligible for
13 a grant under this Section when the Commission finds that the
14 applicant:
15 (1) is a resident of this State and a citizen or
16 permanent resident of the United States; and
17 (2) in the absence of grant assistance, will be
18 deterred by financial considerations from completing an
19 educational program at the qualified institution of his
20 or her choice.
21 (b) The Commission shall award renewals only upon the
22 student's application and upon the Commission's finding that
23 the applicant:
24 (1) has remained a student in good standing;
25 (2) remains a resident of this State; and
26 (3) is in a financial situation that continues to
27 warrant assistance.
28 (c) All grants shall be applicable only to tuition and
29 necessary fee costs for 2 semesters or 3 quarters in an
30 academic year. Requests for summer term assistance will be
31 made separately and shall be considered on an individual
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1 basis according to Commission policy. The Commission shall
2 determine the grant amount for each full-time and part-time
3 student, which shall be the smallest of the following
4 amounts:
5 (1) $4,000 for 2 semesters or 3 quarters of
6 full-time undergraduate enrollment or $2,000 for 2
7 semesters or 3 quarters of part-time undergraduate
8 enrollment, or such lesser amount as the Commission finds
9 to be available; or
10 (2) the amount which equals the 2 semesters or 3
11 quarters tuition and other necessary fees required
12 generally by the institution of all full-time
13 undergraduate students, or in the case of part-time
14 students an amount of tuition and fees for 2 semesters or
15 3 quarters which shall not exceed one-half the amount of
16 tuition and necessary fees generally charged to full-time
17 undergraduate students by the institution; or
18 (3) such amount as the Commission finds to be
19 appropriate in view of the applicant's financial
20 resources.
21 "Tuition and other necessary fees" as used in this Section
22 include the customary charge for instruction and use of
23 facilities in general, and the additional fixed fees charged
24 for specified purposes, which are required generally of
25 nongrant recipients for each academic period for which the
26 grant applicant actually enrolls, but do not include fees
27 payable only once or breakage fees and other contingent
28 deposits which are refundable in whole or in part. The
29 Commission may prescribe, by rule not inconsistent with this
30 Section, detailed provisions concerning the computation of
31 tuition and other necessary fees.
32 (d) No applicant, including those presently receiving
33 scholarship assistance under this Act, is eligible for
34 monetary award program consideration under this Act after
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1 receiving a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent of 10
2 semesters or 15 quarters of award payments. The Commission
3 shall determine when award payments for part-time enrollment
4 or interim or summer terms shall be counted as a partial
5 semester or quarter of payment.
6 (e) The Commission, in determining the number of grants
7 to be offered, shall take into consideration past experience
8 with the rate of grant funds unclaimed by recipients. The
9 Commission shall notify applicants that grant assistance is
10 contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds.
11 (f) The Commission may request appropriations for
12 deposit into the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund. Monies
13 deposited into the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund may be
14 expended exclusively for one purpose: to make Monetary Award
15 Program grants to eligible students. Amounts on deposit in
16 the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund may not exceed 2% of
17 the current annual State appropriation for the Monetary Award
18 Program.
19 The purpose of the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund is
20 to enable the Commission each year to assure as many students
21 as possible of their eligibility for a Monetary Award Program
22 grant and to do so before commencement of the academic year.
23 Moneys deposited in this Reserve Fund are intended to enhance
24 the Commission's management of the Monetary Award Program,
25 minimizing the necessity, magnitude, and frequency of
26 adjusting award amounts and ensuring that the annual Monetary
27 Award Program appropriation can be fully utilized.
28 (Source: P.A. 88-553; 89-163, eff. 7-19-95; 89-330, eff.
29 8-17-95; 89-512, eff. 7-11-96; 89-626, eff. 8-9-96.)