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90_HB1323
110 ILCS 947/30
Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act.
Changes the 7th semester cumulative grade point average
required to qualify as an eligible applicant for a merit
recognition scholarship to at or above the 90th (from at or
above the 95th) percentile of the student's high school
class.
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1 AN ACT to amend the Higher Education Student Assistance
2 Act by changing Section 30.
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 30 as follows:
7 (110 ILCS 947/30)
8 Sec. 30. Merit recognition scholarship program.
9 (a) As used in this Section:
10 "Eligible applicant" means a student from any
11 approved high school located in this State whose 7th
12 semester cumulative high school grade point average is at
13 or above the 90th 95th percentile, or 90th percentile
14 with respect to students who graduated from such an
15 approved high school during the 1986-1987 or 1987-1988
16 school year, of his or her high school class, and who by
17 reason thereof is entitled to apply for scholarships to
18 be awarded under this Section.
19 "Qualified student" means a person: (i) of good
20 moral character who is a resident of this State and a
21 citizen or permanent resident of the United States, (ii)
22 who, as an eligible applicant, has made a timely
23 application for a merit recognition scholarship under
24 this Section, (iii) who has successfully completed the
25 program of instruction at any approved high school
26 located in this State, and (iv) who enrolls or is
27 enrolled in a qualified Illinois institution of higher
28 learning or a Service Academy as an undergraduate student
29 or cadet and has not received a baccalaureate degree.
30 "Merit recognition scholarship" means a $1,000
31 academic scholarship awarded under this Section during an
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1 academic year to a qualified student, without regard to
2 financial need, as a scholarship to any qualified
3 Illinois institution of higher learning or a Service
4 Academy in which that student is or will be enrolled as
5 an undergraduate student or cadet, except that a merit
6 recognition scholarship awarded under subsection (k)
7 shall be in the amount of $500.
8 "Service Academy" means the U.S. Air Force Academy,
9 the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Military Academy,
10 or the U.S. Naval Academy.
11 (b) In order to identify, encourage, promote, and reward
12 the distinguished academic achievement of students from every
13 approved high school located in this State, each qualified
14 student shall be awarded a merit recognition scholarship to
15 any qualified Illinois institution of higher learning or to
16 any Service Academy.
17 (c) No merit recognition scholarship provided for a
18 qualified student under this Section shall be considered in
19 evaluating the financial situation of that student, or be
20 deemed a financial resource of or a form of financial aid or
21 assistance to that student, for purposes of determining the
22 eligibility of the student for any scholarship, grant, or
23 monetary assistance awarded by the Commission, the State or
24 any agency thereof pursuant to the provisions of any other
25 Section of this Act or any other law of this State; nor shall
26 any merit recognition scholarship provided for a qualified
27 student under this Section reduce the amount of any
28 scholarship, grant, or monetary assistance which that student
29 is eligible to be awarded by the Commission, the State, or
30 any agency thereof in accordance with the provisions of any
31 other Section of this Act or any other law of this State.
32 (d) Each approved high school located in this State
33 shall certify to the Commission the names of its students who
34 are eligible applicants, specifying which of the students
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1 certified as eligible applicants have completed the program
2 of instruction at that high school and the graduation date
3 fixed for their high school class, and specifying for each of
4 the other eligible applicants whose names appear on the
5 certification the semester of high school last completed by
6 them. The Commission shall promptly notify those eligible
7 applicants so certified who are reasonably assured of
8 receiving a Merit Recognition Scholarship in accordance with
9 the annual funding levels recommended in the Governor's
10 Budget -- other than any eligible applicant named on any such
11 certification who, as an eligible applicant, has previously
12 made application to the Commission for a merit recognition
13 scholarship under this Section -- of their eligibility to
14 apply for a scholarship under this Section. An otherwise
15 eligible applicant who fails to make a timely application (as
16 determined by the Commission) for a merit recognition
17 scholarship under this Section shall no longer be deemed an
18 eligible applicant and shall not qualify for the award of any
19 merit recognition scholarship.
20 (e) All applications for merit recognition scholarships
21 to be awarded under this Section shall be made to the
22 Commission on forms which the Commission shall provide for
23 eligible applicants. The form of applications and the
24 information required to be set forth therein shall be
25 determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall
26 require eligible applicants to submit with their applications
27 such supporting documents or recommendations as the
28 Commission deems necessary.
29 (f) Whenever an eligible applicant who has completed the
30 program of instruction at any approved high school located in
31 this State thereafter makes timely application to the
32 Commission for a merit recognition scholarship under this
33 Section, the Commission shall promptly determine whether that
34 eligible applicant is a qualified student as defined in
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1 subsection (a) of this Section. Each such eligible applicant
2 so determined by the Commission to be a qualified student
3 shall be designated as such by the Commission and, except as
4 otherwise provided under subsection (k), shall be awarded a
5 merit recognition scholarship in the amount of $1,000,
6 effective during the academic year following the qualified
7 student's high school graduation or, should the General
8 Assembly specifically so provide in an appropriation under
9 this Section, effective for a subsequent academic year.
10 (g) Subject to a separate appropriation for purposes, of
11 this Section other than subsection (k), and subject to a
12 separate appropriation for purposes of subsection (k),
13 payment of any merit recognition scholarship awarded under
14 this Section shall be determined by the Commission. All
15 scholarship funds distributed in accordance with this
16 subsection or subsection (k) shall be paid to the qualified
17 Illinois institution of higher learning or Service Academy
18 and used only for payment of the educational expenses
19 incurred by the student in connection with his or her
20 attendance as an undergraduate student or cadet at that
21 institution or Service Academy, including but not limited to
22 tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies,
23 required Service Academy uniforms, and travel and personal
24 expenses related to the student's attendance at that
25 institution or Service Academy. Any merit recognition
26 scholarship awarded under this Section shall be applicable to
27 2 semesters or 3 quarters of enrollment. Should a qualified
28 student withdraw from enrollment prior to completion of the
29 first semester or quarter for which the merit recognition
30 scholarship is applicable, the student shall refund to the
31 Commission the full amount of the merit recognition
32 scholarship.
33 (h) The Commission shall administer the merit
34 recognition scholarship aid program established by this
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1 Section and shall make all necessary and proper rules, not
2 inconsistent with this Section, for its effective
3 implementation.
4 (i) When an appropriation to the Commission for purposes
5 of this Section other than for purposes of subsection (k) is
6 insufficient to provide scholarships to all qualified
7 students (excluding qualified students under subsection (k)),
8 the Commission shall allocate the appropriation in accordance
9 with this subsection. If funds are insufficient to provide
10 all qualified students (excluding qualified students under
11 subsection (k)), with a scholarship as authorized by
12 subsection (f), the Commission shall allocate the
13 scholarships to qualified students (excluding qualified
14 students under subsection (k)) in order of decreasing
15 percentile as determined by the eligible applicant's
16 cumulative grade point average. All merit recognition
17 scholarships, other than merit recognition scholarships
18 awarded under subsection (k), shall be in the amount of
19 $1,000.
20 (j) The Commission, in determining the number of
21 scholarships to be offered pursuant to subsection (i), shall
22 take into consideration past experience with the rate of
23 scholarship funds unclaimed by qualified students. To the
24 extent necessary to avoid an overcommitment of funds, the
25 Commission may allocate scholarship funds on the basis of the
26 date the Commission receives a complete application form.
27 (k) A $500 merit recognition scholarship shall be
28 awarded under this subsection to those qualified students
29 graduating from any approved high school located in this
30 Section whose 7th semester cumulative high school grade point
31 average was at or above the 90th percentile of their high
32 school class and who graduated from any such high school
33 during the 1986-1987 or 1987-1988 school year and have not
34 already received an initial award under this Section due to
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1 insufficient appropriations. Funds for merit recognition
2 scholarships awarded under this subsection shall be provided
3 by a separate appropriation made for purposes of this
4 subsection. If the funds so appropriated are insufficient to
5 provide all qualified students under this subsection with an
6 initial award, the Commission shall allocate the merit
7 recognition scholarships awarded under this subsection to
8 those qualified students in order of decreasing percentile as
9 determined by their 7th semester cumulative high school grade
10 point average.
11 (Source: P.A. 87-997; 88-69; 88-203; 88-670, eff. 12-2-94.)