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91_SB1444eng SB1444 Engrossed LRB9110535NTksA 1 AN ACT to amend the Higher Education Student Assistance 2 Act by adding Section 65.57. 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 adding Section 65.57 as follows: 7 (110 ILCS 947/65.57 new) 8 Sec. 65.57. Arthur F. Quern Information Technology Grant 9 Program. 10 (a) In order to strengthen the workforce in this State 11 by increasing the supply of skilled information technology 12 workers in this State, the Commission shall, each year and 13 subject to available appropriations, receive and consider 14 applications for grant assistance under this Section to 15 provide need-based grants for retraining in information 16 technology fields, to be named Arthur F. Quern Information 17 Technology Grants, to qualified students pursuing additional 18 certification or a degree in an information technology field 19 at a degree-granting institution. An applicant is eligible 20 for a grant under this Section if the Commission finds that 21 the applicant: 22 (1) is a United States citizen or a permanent 23 resident of the United States; 24 (2) is a resident of this State; 25 (3) has made a timely application to the Commission 26 for an information technology grant; and 27 (4) enrolls or is enrolled in an eligible program 28 of undergraduate information technology related study, as 29 determined by the Board of Higher Education, at a 30 qualified institution of higher learning in this State. 31 (b) Recipients shall be selected from among applicants SB1444 Engrossed -2- LRB9110535NTksA 1 who qualify pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section based 2 on financial need, as determined by the Commission. 3 Preference may be given to individuals who have received a 4 baccalaureate degree and who seek information technology 5 training or certification. Preference may also be given to 6 previous recipients of assistance under this Section. 7 (c) A recipient must maintain satisfactory academic 8 progress, as determined by the institution of higher learning 9 at which he or she is enrolled. 10 (d) The Commission shall receive initial and subsequent 11 State appropriations for distribution to participating 12 institutions on behalf of information technology grant 13 recipients under this Section. The Commission shall also 14 receive appropriate annual State appropriations for program 15 administration under this Section. 16 (e) The Commission shall administer the information 17 technology grant program established by this Section and 18 shall make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent 19 with this Section for the program's effective implementation. 20 (f) Each information technology grant is an award of up 21 to $2,500, payable to a qualified institution on behalf of 22 the award recipient and applicable towards tuition and fees 23 and other educational costs, as determined by the Commission. 24 A qualified student may be eligible to receive an information 25 technology grant for up to 2 years. 26 (g) The total amount of grant assistance awarded by the 27 Commission under this Section to an individual in any given 28 fiscal year, when added to other financial assistance awarded 29 to that individual for that year, shall not exceed the cost 30 of attendance at the institution of higher learning at which 31 the student is enrolled. If a recipient does not qualify for 32 the maximum $2,500 grant amount during the academic year, the 33 excess award amount shall not be carried forward to the award 34 amount for the following academic year for which the SB1444 Engrossed -3- LRB9110535NTksA 1 recipient is eligible for a grant award under this Section. 2 (h) All applications for grant assistance to be awarded 3 under this Section shall be made to the Commission in a 4 format set forth by the Commission. The format of the 5 application and the information required to be set forth in 6 the application shall be determined by the Commission. 7 (i) Subject to a separate appropriation made for such 8 purposes, payment of a grant awarded under this Section shall 9 be determined by the Commission. All grant funds distributed 10 in accordance with this Section shall be paid to the 11 institution on behalf of the recipients. 12 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on 13 July 1, 2000.