State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ Enrolled ][ Senate Amendment 001 ]

90_SB1050eng

      110 ILCS 947/10
      110 ILCS 947/35
          Amends  the  Higher  Education  Student  Assistance  Act.
      Increases  the  maximum  monetary  award  program  grant  for
      full-time undergraduate students to $4,120 (from $4,000)  and
      for part-time undergraduate students to $2,060 (from $2,000).
      Also  includes  within  the  definition  of an institution of
      higher learning at which monetary award program grants may be
      used a for-profit organization that  meets  specified  degree
      and  accreditation criteria in addition to other requirements
      that are applicable to  public  and  private,  not-for-profit
      institutions.  Establishes a priority order to be followed in
      making  grants,  beginning in academic year 1997, to students
      at the for-profit organization. Effective July 1, 1997.
                                                     LRB9003451THpk
SB1050 Engrossed                               LRB9003451THpk
 1        AN ACT to amend the Higher Education  Student  Assistance
 2    Act by changing Sections 10 and 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 Sections 10 and 35 as follows:
 7        (110 ILCS 947/10)
 8        Sec.  10.  Definitions.  In  this  Act, and except to the
 9    extent  that  any  of  the  following  words  or  phrases  is
10    specifically qualified by its context:
11        "Commission"  means  the  Illinois   Student   Assistance
12    Commission created by this Act.
13        "Enrollment"  means  the establishment and maintenance of
14    an individual's status as a  student  in  an  institution  of
15    higher   learning,  regardless  of  the  terms  used  at  the
16    institution to describe that status.
17        "Approved high  school"  means  any  public  high  school
18    located  in  this State; and any high school, located in this
19    State or elsewhere (whether  designated  as  a  high  school,
20    secondary  school, academy, preparatory school, or otherwise)
21    which  in  the  judgment  of  the  State  Superintendent   of
22    Education  provides  a course of instruction at the secondary
23    level and maintains standards  of  instruction  substantially
24    equivalent  to  those  of  the public high schools located in
25    this State.
26        "Institution    of    higher    learning",     "qualified
27    institution",   or   "institution"   means   an   educational
28    organization located in this State which
29             (1)  provides  at  least an organized 2 year program
30        of collegiate grade in the liberal arts or  sciences,  or
31        both,  directly  applicable  toward  the  attainment of a
SB1050 Engrossed            -2-                LRB9003451THpk
 1        baccalaureate degree, or, beginning  with  academic  year
 2        1972,  a  program in health education directly applicable
 3        toward the attainment of a certificate,  diploma,  or  an
 4        associate degree;,
 5             (2)  either is
 6                  (A)  operated by this State, or
 7                  (B)  operated  publicly  or  privately, not for
 8             profit, or
 9                  (C)  operated for  profit,  provided  such  for
10             profit organization
11                       (i)  offers  degree  programs  which  have
12                  been  approved by the Board of Higher Education
13                  for a minimum of 3  years  under  the  Academic
14                  Degree Act, and
15                       (ii)  enrolls  a  majority of its students
16                  in such degree programs, and
17                       (iii)  maintains an accredited status with
18                  the  Commission  on  Institutions   of   Higher
19                  Education  of  the North Central Association of
20                  Colleges and Schools;
21             (3)  in  the  judgment  of  the   Commission   meets
22        standards substantially equivalent to those of comparable
23        institutions operated by this State;, and
24             (4)  if  so  required  by  the  Commission, uses the
25        State as its primary  guarantor  of  student  loans  made
26        under the federal Higher Education Act of 1965.
27    For   otherwise   eligible  educational  organizations  which
28    provide academic  programs  for  incarcerated  students,  the
29    terms    "institution   of   higher   learning",   "qualified
30    institutions", and "institution" shall  specifically  exclude
31    academic programs for incarcerated students.
32        "Academic Year" means a 12 month period of time, normally
33    but  not  exclusively,  from  September 1 of any year through
34    August 31 of the ensuing year.
SB1050 Engrossed            -3-                LRB9003451THpk
 1        "Full-time  student"  means  any  undergraduate   student
 2    enrolled  in  12  or more semester or quarter hours of credit
 3    courses in any given semester or quarter or in the equivalent
 4    number  of  units  of  registration  as  determined  by   the
 5    Commission.
 6        "Part-time  student"  means  any  undergraduate  student,
 7    other  than  a  full-time  student,  enrolled  in  6  or more
 8    semester or quarter hours of  credit  courses  in  any  given
 9    semester  or  quarter or in the equivalent number of units of
10    registration as determined by the Commission.
11    (Source: P.A. 87-997.)
12        (110 ILCS 947/35)
13        Sec. 35. Monetary award program.
14        (a)  The  Commission  shall,  each  year,   receive   and
15    consider   applications   for  grant  assistance  under  this
16    Section.   Subject  to  a  separate  appropriation  for  such
17    purposes, an applicant is eligible for  a  grant  under  this
18    Section when the Commission finds that the applicant:
19             (1)  is  a  resident  of this State and a citizen or
20        permanent resident of the United States; and
21             (2)  in the absence of  grant  assistance,  will  be
22        deterred  by  financial considerations from completing an
23        educational program at the qualified institution  of  his
24        or her choice.
25        (b)  The  Commission  shall  award renewals only upon the
26    student's application and upon the Commission's finding  that
27    the applicant:
28             (1)  has remained a student in good standing;
29             (2)  remains a resident of this State; and
30             (3)  is  in  a financial situation that continues to
31        warrant assistance.
32        (c)  All grants shall be applicable only to  tuition  and
33    necessary  fee  costs  for  2  semesters  or 3 quarters in an
SB1050 Engrossed            -4-                LRB9003451THpk
 1    academic year.  Requests for summer term assistance  will  be
 2    made  separately  and  shall  be  considered on an individual
 3    basis according to Commission policy.  The  Commission  shall
 4    determine  the  grant amount for each full-time and part-time
 5    student,  which  shall  be  the  smallest  of  the  following
 6    amounts:
 7             (1)  $4,120 $4,000 for 2 semesters or 3 quarters  of
 8        full-time undergraduate enrollment or $2,060 $2,000 for 2
 9        semesters   or  3  quarters  of  part-time  undergraduate
10        enrollment, or such lesser amount as the Commission finds
11        to be available; or
12             (2)  the amount which equals the 2  semesters  or  3
13        quarters   tuition  and  other  necessary  fees  required
14        generally   by   the   institution   of   all   full-time
15        undergraduate students,  or  in  the  case  of  part-time
16        students an amount of tuition and fees for 2 semesters or
17        3  quarters which shall not exceed one-half the amount of
18        tuition and necessary fees generally charged to full-time
19        undergraduate students by the institution; or
20             (3)  such amount  as  the  Commission  finds  to  be
21        appropriate   in   view   of  the  applicant's  financial
22        resources.
23    "Tuition and other necessary fees" as used  in  this  Section
24    include  the  customary  charge  for  instruction  and use of
25    facilities in general, and the additional fixed fees  charged
26    for  specified  purposes,  which  are  required  generally of
27    nongrant recipients for each academic period  for  which  the
28    grant  applicant  actually  enrolls,  but do not include fees
29    payable only once  or  breakage  fees  and  other  contingent
30    deposits  which  are  refundable  in  whole  or in part.  The
31    Commission may prescribe, by rule not inconsistent with  this
32    Section,  detailed  provisions  concerning the computation of
33    tuition and other necessary fees.
34        (d)  No applicant, including  those  presently  receiving
SB1050 Engrossed            -5-                LRB9003451THpk
 1    scholarship  assistance  under  this  Act,  is  eligible  for
 2    monetary  award  program  consideration  under this Act after
 3    receiving a baccalaureate degree  or  the  equivalent  of  10
 4    semesters  or  15 quarters of award payments.  The Commission
 5    shall determine when award payments for part-time  enrollment
 6    or  interim  or  summer  terms  shall be counted as a partial
 7    semester or quarter of payment.
 8        (e)  The Commission, in determining the number of  grants
 9    to  be offered, shall take into consideration past experience
10    with the rate of grant funds unclaimed  by  recipients.   The
11    Commission  shall  notify applicants that grant assistance is
12    contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds.
13        (f)  The  Commission  may  request   appropriations   for
14    deposit into the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund.  Monies
15    deposited into the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund may be
16    expended  exclusively for one purpose: to make Monetary Award
17    Program grants to eligible students.  Amounts on  deposit  in
18    the  Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund may not exceed 2% of
19    the current annual State appropriation for the Monetary Award
20    Program.
21        The purpose of the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund is
22    to enable the Commission each year to assure as many students
23    as possible of their eligibility for a Monetary Award Program
24    grant and to do so before commencement of the academic  year.
25    Moneys deposited in this Reserve Fund are intended to enhance
26    the  Commission's  management  of the Monetary Award Program,
27    minimizing  the  necessity,  magnitude,  and   frequency   of
28    adjusting award amounts and ensuring that the annual Monetary
29    Award Program appropriation can be fully utilized.
30        (g)  The  Commission  shall  determine the eligibility of
31    and  make  grants  to  applicants   enrolled   at   qualified
32    for-profit  institutions  in accordance with the criteria set
33    forth  in  this  Section.   The  eligibility  of   applicants
34    enrolled  at such for-profit institutions shall be limited as
SB1050 Engrossed            -6-                LRB9003451THpk
 1    follows:
 2             (1)  Beginning with the academic year 1997, only  to
 3        eligible  first-time  freshmen  and  first-time  transfer
 4        students who have attained an associate degree.
 5             (2)  Beginning  with the academic year 1998, only to
 6        eligible freshmen students, transfer  students  who  have
 7        attained  an associate degree, and students who receive a
 8        grant under paragraph (1) for the academic year 1997  and
 9        whose  grants  are  being  renewed  for the academic year
10        1998.
11             (3)  Beginning with the academic year 1999,  to  all
12        eligible students.
13    (Source:  P.A.  88-553;  89-163,  eff.  7-19-95; 89-330, eff.
14    8-17-95; 89-512, eff. 7-11-96; 89-626, eff. 8-9-96.)
15        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  July
16    1, 1997.

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