Public Act 90-0728 of the 90th General Assembly
Public Act 90-0728
SB1892 Enrolled SRS90S0081KSaw
AN ACT to amend the Higher Education Student Assistance
Act by amending Section 30.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
amended by changing Section 30 as follows:
(110 ILCS 947/30)
(Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 90-372)
Sec. 30. Merit recognition scholarship program.
(a) As used in this Section:
"Eligible applicant" means a student from any
approved high school located in this State whose 7th
semester cumulative high school grade point average is at
or above the 95th percentile, or 90th percentile with
respect to students who graduated from such an approved
high school during the 1986-1987 or 1987-1988 school
year, of his or her high school class, or a student from
any non-recognized high school whose cumulative score on
the ACT is at least 7 points above the statewide average
cumulative ACT score as determined by the State Board of
Education, and who by reason thereof is entitled to apply
for scholarships to be awarded under this Section.
"Qualified student" means a person: (i) of good
moral character who is a resident of this State and a
citizen or permanent resident of the United States, (ii)
who, as an eligible applicant, has made a timely
application for a merit recognition scholarship under
this Section, (iii) who has successfully completed the
program of instruction at any approved high school
located in this State, and (iv) who enrolls or is
enrolled in a qualified Illinois institution of higher
learning or a Service Academy as an undergraduate student
or cadet and has not received a baccalaureate degree.
"Merit recognition scholarship" means a $1,000
academic scholarship awarded under this Section during an
academic year to a qualified student, without regard to
financial need, as a scholarship to any qualified
Illinois institution of higher learning or a Service
Academy in which that student is or will be enrolled as
an undergraduate student or cadet.
"Service Academy" means the U.S. Air Force Academy,
the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Military Academy,
or the U.S. Naval Academy.
(b) In order to identify, encourage, promote, and reward
the distinguished academic achievement of students from every
approved high school located in this State, each qualified
student shall be awarded a merit recognition scholarship to
any qualified Illinois institution of higher learning or to
any Service Academy.
(c) No merit recognition scholarship provided for a
qualified student under this Section shall be considered in
evaluating the financial situation of that student, or be
deemed a financial resource of or a form of financial aid or
assistance to that student, for purposes of determining the
eligibility of the student for any scholarship, grant, or
monetary assistance awarded by the Commission, the State or
any agency thereof pursuant to the provisions of any other
Section of this Act or any other law of this State; nor shall
any merit recognition scholarship provided for a qualified
student under this Section reduce the amount of any
scholarship, grant, or monetary assistance which that student
is eligible to be awarded by the Commission, the State, or
any agency thereof in accordance with the provisions of any
other Section of this Act or any other law of this State.
(d) Each approved high school located in this State
shall certify to the Commission the names of its students who
are eligible applicants, specifying which of the students
certified as eligible applicants have completed the program
of instruction at that high school and the graduation date
fixed for their high school class, and specifying for each of
the other eligible applicants whose names appear on the
certification the semester of high school last completed by
them. The Commission shall promptly notify those eligible
applicants so certified who are reasonably assured of
receiving a Merit Recognition Scholarship in accordance with
the annual funding levels recommended in the Governor's
Budget -- other than any eligible applicant named on any such
certification who, as an eligible applicant, has previously
made application to the Commission for a merit recognition
scholarship under this Section -- of their eligibility to
apply for a scholarship under this Section. An otherwise
eligible applicant who fails to make a timely application (as
determined by the Commission) for a merit recognition
scholarship under this Section shall no longer be deemed an
eligible applicant and shall not qualify for the award of any
merit recognition scholarship.
(e) All applications for merit recognition scholarships
to be awarded under this Section shall be made to the
Commission on forms which the Commission shall provide for
eligible applicants. The form of applications and the
information required to be set forth therein shall be
determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall
require eligible applicants to submit with their applications
such supporting documents or recommendations as the
Commission deems necessary.
(f) Whenever an eligible applicant who has completed the
program of instruction at any approved high school located in
this State thereafter makes timely application to the
Commission for a merit recognition scholarship under this
Section, the Commission shall promptly determine whether that
eligible applicant is a qualified student as defined in
subsection (a) of this Section. Each such eligible applicant
so determined by the Commission to be a qualified student
shall be designated as such by the Commission and shall be
awarded a merit recognition scholarship in the amount of
$1,000, effective during the academic year following the
qualified student's high school graduation or, should the
General Assembly specifically so provide in an appropriation
under this Section, effective for a subsequent academic year.
(g) Subject to a separate appropriation for purposes of
this Section, payment of any merit recognition scholarship
awarded under this Section shall be determined by the
Commission. All scholarship funds distributed in accordance
with this subsection shall be paid to the qualified Illinois
institution of higher learning or Service Academy and used
only for payment of the educational expenses incurred by the
student in connection with his or her attendance as an
undergraduate student or cadet at that institution or Service
Academy, including but not limited to tuition and fees, room
and board, books and supplies, required Service Academy
uniforms, and travel and personal expenses related to the
student's attendance at that institution or Service Academy.
Any merit recognition scholarship awarded under this Section
shall be applicable to 2 semesters or 3 quarters of
enrollment. Should a qualified student withdraw from
enrollment prior to completion of the first semester or
quarter for which the merit recognition scholarship is
applicable, the student shall refund to the Commission the
full amount of the merit recognition scholarship.
(h) The Commission shall administer the merit
recognition scholarship aid program established by this
Section and shall make all necessary and proper rules, not
inconsistent with this Section, for its effective
implementation.
(i) When an appropriation to the Commission for purposes
of this Section is insufficient to provide scholarships to
all qualified students, the Commission shall allocate the
appropriation in accordance with this subsection. If funds
are insufficient to provide all qualified students with a
scholarship as authorized by subsection (f), the Commission
shall allocate the scholarships to qualified students in
order of decreasing percentile as determined by the eligible
applicant's cumulative grade point average, except that the
percentile placement of qualified students from
non-recognized high schools shall be determined as follows:
those with a cumulative ACT score of 34 or above shall be in
the 99th percentile, those with a cumulative ACT score that
is at least 33 but less than 34 shall be in the 98th
percentile, those with a cumulative ACT score that is at
least 32 but less than 33 shall be in the 97th percentile,
those with a cumulative ACT score that is at least 31 but
less than 32 shall be in the 96th percentile, and those with
a cumulative ACT score that is at least 7 points above the
statewide average cumulative ACT score but less than 31 shall
be in the 95th percentile. All merit recognition
scholarships shall be in the amount of $1,000.
(j) The Commission, in determining the number of
scholarships to be offered pursuant to subsection (i), shall
take into consideration past experience with the rate of
scholarship funds unclaimed by qualified students. To the
extent necessary to avoid an overcommitment of funds, the
Commission may allocate scholarship funds on the basis of the
date the Commission receives a complete application form.
(k) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 90-372, eff. 7-1-98.)