(110 ILCS 220/4) (from Ch. 144, par. 284)

Sec. 4. A program of financial assistance to programs of interinstitutional cooperation in higher education is established to implement the policy of encouraging such cooperation in order to achieve an efficient use of educational resources, an equitable distribution of educational services, the development of innovative concepts and applications, and other public purposes.

The Board of Higher Education shall administer this program of financial assistance and shall distribute the funds appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose in the form of grants to not-for-profit corporations organized to administer programs of interinstitutional cooperation in higher education or to public or nonpublic institutions of higher education participating in such programs.

In awarding grants to interinstitutional programs under this Act, the Board shall consider in relation to each such program whether it serves the public purposes expressed in this Act, whether the local community is substantially involved, whether its function could be performed better by a single existing institution, whether the program is consistent with the Illinois strategic plan for higher education, and such other criteria as it determines to be appropriate.

No grant may be awarded under this Section for any program of sectarian instruction or for any program designed to serve a sectarian purpose.

As a part of its administration of this Act, the Board may require audits or reports in relation to the administrative, fiscal and academic aspects of any interinstitutional program for which a grant is awarded under this Act. The Board shall annually submit to the Governor and the General Assembly a budgetary recommendation for grants under this Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-1046, eff. 6-7-22; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)