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| Public Act 102-0800 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Public Community College Act is amended by | ||||
changing Section 6-4 as follows:
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(110 ILCS 805/6-4) (from Ch. 122, par. 106-4)
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Sec. 6-4. Variable rates and fees. Any community college | ||||
district, by
resolution of the board, may establish variable | ||||
tuition rates and fees for
students attending its college in | ||||
an amount not to exceed 1/3 of the per capita
cost as defined | ||||
in Section 6-2, provided that voluntary contributions, as
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defined in Section 65 of the Higher Education Student | ||||
Assistance Act, shall not
be included in any calculation
of | ||||
community college tuition and fee rates for the purpose of | ||||
this Section. Beginning with the 2013-2014 academic year, if a | ||||
person is utilizing benefits under the federal Post-9/11 | ||||
Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or any subsequent | ||||
variation of that Act, then the board shall deem that person an | ||||
in-district resident for tuition purposes. Beginning with the | ||||
2015-2016 academic year, if a person is utilizing benefits | ||||
under the federal All-Volunteer Force Educational Assistance | ||||
Program, then the board shall deem that person an in-district | ||||
resident for tuition purposes. Beginning with the 2019-2020 | ||||
academic year through the 2021-2022 academic year, per the | ||
federal requirements for maintaining approval for veterans' | ||
education benefits under 38 U.S.C. 3679(c), if a person is on | ||
active military duty or is receiving veterans' education | ||
benefits, then the board shall deem that person an Illinois | ||
resident for tuition purposes for any academic quarter, | ||
semester, or term, as applicable. Beginning with the 2022-2023 | ||
academic year, per the federal requirements for maintaining | ||
approval for veterans' education benefits under 38 U.S.C. | ||
3679(c), if a person is on active duty or is an individual | ||
entitled to assistance as described in 38 U.S.C. 3679(c), then | ||
the board shall deem that person an in-district resident for | ||
tuition purposes for any academic quarter, semester, or term, | ||
as applicable.
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(Source: P.A. 101-424, eff. 8-16-19.)
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Section 10. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is | ||
amended by changing Section 40 as follows:
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(110 ILCS 947/40)
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Sec. 40. Illinois Veteran grant program. | ||
(a) As used in this Section: | ||
"Qualified applicant" means a person who served in the | ||
Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve component of the | ||
Armed Forces, or the Illinois National Guard, excluding | ||
members of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and those | ||
whose only service has been attendance at a service academy, | ||
and who meets all of the qualifications of either paragraphs | ||
(1) through (4) or paragraphs (2), (3), and (5): | ||
(1) At the time of entering federal active duty | ||
service the person was one of the following: | ||
(A) An Illinois resident. | ||
(B) An Illinois resident within 6 months of | ||
entering such service. | ||
(C) Enrolled at a State-controlled university or | ||
public community college in this State. | ||
(2) The person meets one of the following | ||
requirements: | ||
(A) He or she served at least one year of federal | ||
active duty. | ||
(B) He or she served less than one year of federal | ||
active duty and received an honorable discharge for | ||
medical reasons directly connected with such service. | ||
(C) He or she served less than one year of federal | ||
active duty and was discharged prior to August 11, | ||
1967. | ||
(D) He or she served less than one year of federal | ||
active duty in a foreign country during a time of | ||
hostilities in that foreign country. | ||
(3) The person received an honorable discharge after | ||
leaving each period of federal active duty service. | ||
(4) The person returned to this State within 6 months | ||
after leaving federal active duty service, or, if married | ||
to a person in continued military service stationed | ||
outside this State, returned to this State within 6 months | ||
after his or her spouse left service or was stationed | ||
within this State. | ||
(5) The person does not meet the requirements of | ||
paragraph (1), but (i) is a resident of Illinois at the | ||
time of application to the Commission and (ii) at some | ||
point after leaving federal active duty service, was a | ||
resident of Illinois for at least 15 consecutive years. | ||
"Time of hostilities" means any action by the Armed Forces | ||
of the United States that is recognized by the issuance of a | ||
Presidential proclamation or a Presidential executive order | ||
and in which the Armed Forces expeditionary medal or other | ||
campaign service medals are awarded according to Presidential | ||
executive order. | ||
(b) A person who otherwise qualifies under subsection (a) | ||
of this Section but has not left federal active duty service | ||
and has served at least one year of federal active duty or has | ||
served for less than one year of federal active duty in a | ||
foreign country during a time of hostilities in that foreign | ||
country and who can provide documentation demonstrating an | ||
honorable service record is eligible to receive assistance | ||
under this Section. | ||
(c) A qualified applicant is not required to pay any | ||
tuition or mandatory fees while attending a State-controlled | ||
university or public community college in this State for a | ||
period that is equivalent to 4 years of full-time enrollment, | ||
including summer terms. | ||
A qualified applicant who has previously received benefits | ||
under this Section for a non-mandatory fee shall continue to | ||
receive benefits covering such fees while he or she is | ||
enrolled in a continuous program of study. The qualified | ||
applicant shall no longer receive a grant covering | ||
non-mandatory fees if he or she fails to enroll during an | ||
academic term, unless he or she is serving federal active duty | ||
service.
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(d) A qualified applicant who has been or is to be awarded | ||
assistance under this Section shall receive that assistance if | ||
the qualified applicant notifies his or her postsecondary | ||
institution of that fact by the end of the school term for | ||
which assistance is requested. | ||
(e) Assistance under this Section is considered an | ||
entitlement that the State-controlled college or public | ||
community college in which the qualified applicant is enrolled | ||
shall honor without any condition other than the qualified | ||
applicant's maintenance of minimum grade levels and a | ||
satisfactory student loan repayment record pursuant to | ||
subsection (c) of Section 20 of this Act. | ||
(f) The Commission shall administer the grant program | ||
established by this Section and shall make all necessary and | ||
proper rules not inconsistent with this Section for its | ||
effective implementation. | ||
(g) All applications for assistance under this Section | ||
must be made to the Commission on forms that the Commission | ||
shall provide. The Commission shall determine the form of | ||
application and the information required to be set forth in | ||
the application, and the Commission shall require qualified | ||
applicants to submit with their applications any supporting | ||
documents that the Commission deems necessary. Upon request, | ||
the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall assist the | ||
Commission in determining the eligibility of applicants for | ||
assistance under this Section. | ||
(h) Assistance under this Section is available as long as | ||
the federal government provides educational benefits to | ||
veterans. Assistance must not be paid under this Section after | ||
6 months following the termination of educational benefits to | ||
veterans by the federal government, except for persons who | ||
already have begun their education with assistance under this | ||
Section. If the federal government terminates educational | ||
benefits to veterans and at a later time resumes those | ||
benefits, assistance under this Section shall resume.
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(Source: P.A. 101-334, eff. 8-9-19.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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