State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ Engrossed ][ Senate Amendment 001 ]
[ Senate Amendment 002 ]

90_SB1892enr

      110 ILCS 947/30
          Amends the Higher Education  Student  Assistance  Act  to
      make  students who score 7 points or more above the statewide
      average cumulative ACT score eligible for  merit  recognition
      scholarships.
                                                     SRS90S0081KSaw
SB1892 Enrolled                                SRS90S0081KSaw
 1        AN  ACT  to amend the Higher Education Student Assistance
 2    Act by amending 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 is
 6    amended by changing Section 30 as follows:
 7        (110 ILCS 947/30)
 8        (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 90-372)
 9        Sec. 30.  Merit recognition scholarship program.
10        (a)  As used in this Section:
11             "Eligible   applicant"  means  a  student  from  any
12        approved high school located  in  this  State  whose  7th
13        semester cumulative high school grade point average is at
14        or  above  the  95th  percentile, or 90th percentile with
15        respect to students who graduated from such  an  approved
16        high  school  during  the  1986-1987  or 1987-1988 school
17        year, of his or her high school class, or a student  from
18        any  non-recognized high school whose cumulative score on
19        the ACT is at least 7 points above the statewide  average
20        cumulative  ACT score as determined by the State Board of
21        Education, and who by reason thereof is entitled to apply
22        for scholarships to be awarded under this Section.
23             "Qualified student" means a  person:   (i)  of  good
24        moral  character  who  is  a resident of this State and a
25        citizen or permanent resident of the United States,  (ii)
26        who,   as  an  eligible  applicant,  has  made  a  timely
27        application for a  merit  recognition  scholarship  under
28        this  Section,  (iii)  who has successfully completed the
29        program  of  instruction  at  any  approved  high  school
30        located in  this  State,  and  (iv)  who  enrolls  or  is
31        enrolled  in  a  qualified Illinois institution of higher
SB1892 Enrolled          -2-                   SRS90S0081KSaw
 1        learning or a Service Academy as an undergraduate student
 2        or cadet and has not received a baccalaureate degree.
 3             "Merit  recognition  scholarship"  means  a   $1,000
 4        academic scholarship awarded under this Section during an
 5        academic  year  to a qualified student, without regard to
 6        financial  need,  as  a  scholarship  to  any   qualified
 7        Illinois  institution  of  higher  learning  or a Service
 8        Academy in which that student is or will be  enrolled  as
 9        an undergraduate student or cadet.
10             "Service  Academy" means the U.S. Air Force Academy,
11        the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Military  Academy,
12        or the U.S. Naval Academy.
13        (b)  In order to identify, encourage, promote, and reward
14    the distinguished academic achievement of students from every
15    approved  high  school  located in this State, each qualified
16    student shall be awarded a merit recognition  scholarship  to
17    any  qualified  Illinois institution of higher learning or to
18    any Service Academy.
19        (c)  No merit  recognition  scholarship  provided  for  a
20    qualified  student  under this Section shall be considered in
21    evaluating the financial situation of  that  student,  or  be
22    deemed  a financial resource of or a form of financial aid or
23    assistance to that student, for purposes of  determining  the
24    eligibility  of  the  student  for any scholarship, grant, or
25    monetary assistance awarded by the Commission, the  State  or
26    any  agency  thereof  pursuant to the provisions of any other
27    Section of this Act or any other law of this State; nor shall
28    any merit recognition scholarship provided  for  a  qualified
29    student   under   this  Section  reduce  the  amount  of  any
30    scholarship, grant, or monetary assistance which that student
31    is eligible to be awarded by the Commission,  the  State,  or
32    any  agency  thereof in accordance with the provisions of any
33    other Section of this Act or any other law of this State.
34        (d)  Each approved high  school  located  in  this  State
SB1892 Enrolled          -3-                   SRS90S0081KSaw
 1    shall certify to the Commission the names of its students who
 2    are  eligible  applicants,  specifying  which of the students
 3    certified as eligible applicants have completed  the  program
 4    of  instruction  at  that high school and the graduation date
 5    fixed for their high school class, and specifying for each of
 6    the other eligible  applicants  whose  names  appear  on  the
 7    certification  the  semester of high school last completed by
 8    them.  The Commission shall promptly  notify  those  eligible
 9    applicants   so  certified  who  are  reasonably  assured  of
10    receiving a Merit Recognition Scholarship in accordance  with
11    the  annual  funding  levels  recommended  in  the Governor's
12    Budget -- other than any eligible applicant named on any such
13    certification who, as an eligible applicant,  has  previously
14    made  application  to  the Commission for a merit recognition
15    scholarship under this Section --  of  their  eligibility  to
16    apply  for  a  scholarship  under  this Section. An otherwise
17    eligible applicant who fails to make a timely application (as
18    determined  by  the  Commission)  for  a  merit   recognition
19    scholarship  under  this Section shall no longer be deemed an
20    eligible applicant and shall not qualify for the award of any
21    merit recognition scholarship.
22        (e)  All applications for merit recognition  scholarships
23    to  be  awarded  under  this  Section  shall  be  made to the
24    Commission on forms which the Commission  shall  provide  for
25    eligible  applicants.   The  form  of  applications  and  the
26    information  required  to  be  set  forth  therein  shall  be
27    determined  by  the  Commission,  and  the  Commission  shall
28    require eligible applicants to submit with their applications
29    such   supporting   documents   or   recommendations  as  the
30    Commission deems necessary.
31        (f)  Whenever an eligible applicant who has completed the
32    program of instruction at any approved high school located in
33    this  State  thereafter  makes  timely  application  to   the
34    Commission  for  a  merit  recognition scholarship under this
SB1892 Enrolled          -4-                   SRS90S0081KSaw
 1    Section, the Commission shall promptly determine whether that
 2    eligible applicant is  a  qualified  student  as  defined  in
 3    subsection (a) of this Section.  Each such eligible applicant
 4    so  determined  by  the  Commission to be a qualified student
 5    shall be designated as such by the Commission  and  shall  be
 6    awarded  a  merit  recognition  scholarship  in the amount of
 7    $1,000, effective during  the  academic  year  following  the
 8    qualified  student's  high  school  graduation or, should the
 9    General Assembly specifically so provide in an  appropriation
10    under this Section, effective for a subsequent academic year.
11        (g)  Subject  to a separate appropriation for purposes of
12    this Section, payment of any  merit  recognition  scholarship
13    awarded  under  this  Section  shall  be  determined  by  the
14    Commission.   All scholarship funds distributed in accordance
15    with this subsection shall be paid to the qualified  Illinois
16    institution  of  higher  learning or Service Academy and used
17    only for payment of the educational expenses incurred by  the
18    student  in  connection  with  his  or  her  attendance as an
19    undergraduate student or cadet at that institution or Service
20    Academy, including but not limited to tuition and fees,  room
21    and  board,  books  and  supplies,  required  Service Academy
22    uniforms, and travel and personal  expenses  related  to  the
23    student's  attendance at that institution or Service Academy.
24    Any merit recognition scholarship awarded under this  Section
25    shall   be  applicable  to  2  semesters  or  3  quarters  of
26    enrollment.  Should  a  qualified   student   withdraw   from
27    enrollment  prior  to  completion  of  the first  semester or
28    quarter  for  which  the  merit  recognition  scholarship  is
29    applicable, the student shall refund to  the  Commission  the
30    full amount of the merit recognition scholarship.
31        (h)  The    Commission   shall   administer   the   merit
32    recognition  scholarship  aid  program  established  by  this
33    Section and shall make all necessary and  proper  rules,  not
34    inconsistent   with   this   Section,   for   its   effective
SB1892 Enrolled          -5-                   SRS90S0081KSaw
 1    implementation.
 2        (i)  When an appropriation to the Commission for purposes
 3    of  this  Section  is insufficient to provide scholarships to
 4    all qualified students, the  Commission  shall  allocate  the
 5    appropriation  in accordance with this subsection.   If funds
 6    are insufficient to provide all  qualified  students  with  a
 7    scholarship  as  authorized by subsection (f), the Commission
 8    shall allocate the  scholarships  to  qualified  students  in
 9    order  of decreasing percentile as determined by the eligible
10    applicant's cumulative grade point  average, except that  the
11    percentile    placement    of    qualified    students   from
12    non-recognized high schools shall be determined  as  follows:
13    those  with a cumulative ACT score of 34 or above shall be in
14    the 99th percentile, those with a cumulative ACT  score  that
15    is  at  least  33  but  less  than  34  shall  be in the 98th
16    percentile, those with a cumulative  ACT  score  that  is  at
17    least  32  but  less than 33 shall be in the 97th percentile,
18    those with a cumulative ACT score that is  at  least  31  but
19    less  than 32 shall be in the 96th percentile, and those with
20    a cumulative ACT score that is at least 7  points  above  the
21    statewide average cumulative ACT score but less than 31 shall
22    be   in   the   95th  percentile.     All  merit  recognition
23    scholarships shall be in the amount of $1,000.
24        (j)  The  Commission,  in  determining  the   number   of
25    scholarships  to be offered pursuant to subsection (i), shall
26    take into consideration past  experience  with  the  rate  of
27    scholarship  funds  unclaimed  by qualified students.  To the
28    extent necessary to avoid an  overcommitment  of  funds,  the
29    Commission may allocate scholarship funds on the basis of the
30    date the Commission receives a complete application form.
31        (k)  (Blank).
32    (Source: P.A. 90-372, eff. 7-1-98.)

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