State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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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.
                                                     LRB9005121THpk
                                               LRB9005121THpk
 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
                            -2-                LRB9005121THpk
 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
                            -3-                LRB9005121THpk
 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
                            -4-                LRB9005121THpk
 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
                            -5-                LRB9005121THpk
 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
                            -6-                LRB9005121THpk
 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.)

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