State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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90_SB1258

      110 ILCS 947/35
          Amends the Higher Education  Student  Assistance  Act  to
      change  the  monetary  award  amount  to  $4,320  (instead of
      $4,120)  for  2  semesters  or  3   quarters   of   full-time
      undergraduate  enrollment or $2,160 (instead of $2,060) for 2
      semesters  or   3   quarters   of   part-time   undergraduate
      enrollment.  Effective July 1, 1998.
                                                     LRB9008513NTpk
                                               LRB9008513NTpk
 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  Commission  shall,  each  year,   receive   and
10    consider   applications   for  grant  assistance  under  this
11    Section.   Subject  to  a  separate  appropriation  for  such
12    purposes, an applicant is eligible for  a  grant  under  this
13    Section when the Commission finds that the applicant:
14             (1)  is  a  resident  of this State and a citizen or
15        permanent resident of the United States; and
16             (2)  in the absence of  grant  assistance,  will  be
17        deterred  by  financial considerations from completing an
18        educational program at the qualified institution  of  his
19        or her choice.
20        (b)  The  Commission  shall  award renewals only upon the
21    student's application and upon the Commission's finding  that
22    the applicant:
23             (1)  has remained a student in good standing;
24             (2)  remains a resident of this State; and
25             (3)  is  in  a financial situation that continues to
26        warrant assistance.
27        (c)  All grants shall be applicable only to  tuition  and
28    necessary  fee  costs  for  2  semesters  or 3 quarters in an
29    academic year.  Requests for summer term assistance  will  be
30    made  separately  and  shall  be  considered on an individual
31    basis according to Commission policy.  The  Commission  shall
                            -2-                LRB9008513NTpk
 1    determine  the  grant amount for each full-time and part-time
 2    student,  which  shall  be  the  smallest  of  the  following
 3    amounts:
 4             (1)  $4,320 $4,120 for 2 semesters or 3 quarters  of
 5        full-time undergraduate enrollment or $2,160 $2,060 for 2
 6        semesters   or  3  quarters  of  part-time  undergraduate
 7        enrollment, or such lesser amount as the Commission finds
 8        to be available; or
 9             (2)  the amount which equals the 2  semesters  or  3
10        quarters   tuition  and  other  necessary  fees  required
11        generally   by   the   institution   of   all   full-time
12        undergraduate students,  or  in  the  case  of  part-time
13        students an amount of tuition and fees for 2 semesters or
14        3  quarters which shall not exceed one-half the amount of
15        tuition and necessary fees generally charged to full-time
16        undergraduate students by the institution; or
17             (3)  such amount  as  the  Commission  finds  to  be
18        appropriate   in   view   of  the  applicant's  financial
19        resources.
20    "Tuition and other necessary fees" as used  in  this  Section
21    include  the  customary  charge  for  instruction  and use of
22    facilities in general, and the additional fixed fees  charged
23    for  specified  purposes,  which  are  required  generally of
24    nongrant recipients for each academic period  for  which  the
25    grant  applicant  actually  enrolls,  but do not include fees
26    payable only once  or  breakage  fees  and  other  contingent
27    deposits  which  are  refundable  in  whole  or in part.  The
28    Commission may prescribe, by rule not inconsistent with  this
29    Section,  detailed  provisions  concerning the computation of
30    tuition and other necessary fees.
31        (d)  No applicant, including  those  presently  receiving
32    scholarship  assistance  under  this  Act,  is  eligible  for
33    monetary  award  program  consideration  under this Act after
34    receiving a baccalaureate degree  or  the  equivalent  of  10
                            -3-                LRB9008513NTpk
 1    semesters  or  15 quarters of award payments.  The Commission
 2    shall determine when award payments for part-time  enrollment
 3    or  interim  or  summer  terms  shall be counted as a partial
 4    semester or quarter of payment.
 5        (e)  The Commission, in determining the number of  grants
 6    to  be offered, shall take into consideration past experience
 7    with the rate of grant funds unclaimed  by  recipients.   The
 8    Commission  shall  notify applicants that grant assistance is
 9    contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds.
10        (f)  The  Commission  may  request   appropriations   for
11    deposit into the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund.  Monies
12    deposited into the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund may be
13    expended  exclusively for one purpose: to make Monetary Award
14    Program grants to eligible students.  Amounts on  deposit  in
15    the  Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund may not exceed 2% of
16    the current annual State appropriation for the Monetary Award
17    Program.
18        The purpose of the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund is
19    to enable the Commission each year to assure as many students
20    as possible of their eligibility for a Monetary Award Program
21    grant and to do so before commencement of the academic  year.
22    Moneys deposited in this Reserve Fund are intended to enhance
23    the  Commission's  management  of the Monetary Award Program,
24    minimizing  the  necessity,  magnitude,  and   frequency   of
25    adjusting award amounts and ensuring that the annual Monetary
26    Award Program appropriation can be fully utilized.
27        (g)  The  Commission  shall  determine the eligibility of
28    and  make  grants  to  applicants   enrolled   at   qualified
29    for-profit  institutions  in accordance with the criteria set
30    forth  in  this  Section.   The  eligibility  of   applicants
31    enrolled  at such for-profit institutions shall be limited as
32    follows:
33             (1)  Beginning with the academic year 1997, only  to
34        eligible  first-time  freshmen  and  first-time  transfer
                            -4-                LRB9008513NTpk
 1        students who have attained an associate degree.
 2             (2)  Beginning  with the academic year 1998, only to
 3        eligible freshmen students, transfer  students  who  have
 4        attained  an associate degree, and students who receive a
 5        grant under paragraph (1) for the academic year 1997  and
 6        whose  grants  are  being  renewed  for the academic year
 7        1998.
 8             (3)  Beginning with the academic year 1999,  to  all
 9        eligible students.
10    (Source:  P.A.  89-163,  eff.  7-19-95; 89-330, eff. 8-17-95;
11    89-512, eff.  7-11-96;  89-626,  eff.  8-9-96;  90-122,  eff.
12    7-17-97.)
13        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect July
14    1, 1998.

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