Public Act 096-1415
 
SB3630 EnrolledLRB096 20415 MJR 36159 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
30-14.2 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/30-14.2)  (from Ch. 122, par. 30-14.2)
    Sec. 30-14.2. MIA/POW scholarships.
    (a) Any spouse, natural child, legally adopted child, or
any step-child of an eligible veteran or serviceperson who
possesses all necessary entrance requirements shall, upon
application and proper proof, be awarded a MIA/POW Scholarship
consisting of the equivalent of 4 calendar years of full-time
enrollment including summer terms, to the state supported
Illinois institution of higher learning of his choice, subject
to the restrictions listed below.
    "Eligible veteran or serviceperson" means any veteran or
serviceperson, including an Illinois National Guard member who
is on active duty or is active on a training assignment, who
has been declared by the U. S. Department of Defense or the
U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs to be a prisoner of war,
be missing in action, have died as the result of a
service-connected disability or be permanently disabled from
service-connected causes with 100% disability and who (i) at
the time of entering service was an Illinois resident, (ii) or
was an Illinois resident within 6 months after of entering such
service, or (iii) until July 1, 2014, became an Illinois
resident within 6 months after leaving the service and can
establish at least 30 years of continuous residency in the
State of Illinois.
    Full-time enrollment means 12 or more semester hours of
courses per semester, or 12 or more quarter hours of courses
per quarter, or the equivalent thereof per term. Scholarships
utilized by dependents enrolled in less than full-time study
shall be computed in the proportion which the number of hours
so carried bears to full-time enrollment.
    Scholarships awarded under this Section may be used by a
spouse or child without regard to his or her age. The holder of
a Scholarship awarded under this Section shall be subject to
all examinations and academic standards, including the
maintenance of minimum grade levels, that are applicable
generally to other enrolled students at the Illinois
institution of higher learning where the Scholarship is being
used. If the surviving spouse remarries or if there is a
divorce between the veteran or serviceperson and his or her
spouse while the dependent is pursuing his or her course of
study, Scholarship benefits will be terminated at the end of
the term for which he or she is presently enrolled. Such
dependents shall also be entitled, upon proper proof and
application, to enroll in any extension course offered by a
State supported Illinois institution of higher learning
without payment of tuition and approved fees.
    The holder of a MIA/POW Scholarship authorized under this
Section shall not be required to pay any matriculation or
application fees, tuition, activities fees, graduation fees or
other fees, except multipurpose building fees or similar fees
for supplies and materials.
    Any dependent who has been or shall be awarded a MIA/POW
Scholarship shall be reimbursed by the appropriate institution
of higher learning for any fees which he or she has paid and
for which exemption is granted under this Section if
application for reimbursement is made within 2 months following
the end of the school term for which the fees were paid.
    (b) In lieu of the benefit provided in subsection (a), any
spouse, natural child, legally adopted child, or step-child of
an eligible veteran or serviceperson, which spouse or child has
a physical, mental or developmental disability, shall be
entitled to receive, upon application and proper proof, a
benefit to be used for the purpose of defraying the cost of the
attendance or treatment of such spouse or child at one or more
appropriate therapeutic, rehabilitative or educational
facilities. The application and proof may be made by the parent
or legal guardian of the spouse or child on his or her behalf.
    The total benefit provided to any beneficiary under this
subsection shall not exceed the cost equivalent of 4 calendar
years of full-time enrollment, including summer terms, at the
University of Illinois. Whenever practicable in the opinion of
the Department of Veterans' Affairs, payment of benefits under
this subsection shall be made directly to the facility, the
cost of attendance or treatment at which is being defrayed, as
such costs accrue.
    (c) The benefits of this Section shall be administered by
and paid for out of funds made available to the Illinois
Department of Veterans' Affairs. The amounts that become due to
any state supported Illinois institution of higher learning
shall be payable by the Comptroller to such institution on
vouchers approved by the Illinois Department of Veterans'
Affairs. The amounts that become due under subsection (b) of
this Section shall be payable by warrant upon vouchers issued
by the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs and approved by
the Comptroller. The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs
shall determine the eligibility of the persons who make
application for the benefits provided for in this Section.
(Source: P.A. 93-825, eff. 7-28-04.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2010.

Effective Date: 7/30/2010