Section 2766.30  Program Procedures

a)         Each year, in the month of August, ISAC will request from each public university campus the number of undergraduate students who are residents of Illinois and citizens or eligible noncitizens of the U.S. and who were enrolled at that public university campus in the previous academic year.

b)         ISAC will determine for each public university campus its proportionate allocation of appropriated funds for the following academic year using enrollment data provided in subsection (a).

c)         After determining the allocation of the appropriation for each public university campus, ISAC will inform each public university campus of the amount of its available allocation for the following academic year. 

d)         Annually, each public university campus may opt to apply for all or part of its allocation of appropriated funds after any reduction per Section 2766.20(b)(2) and (3).

e)         If a public institution does not request, or is not eligible to receive all or part of its allocation, ISAC will reallocate those unallocated or unclaimed funds, using the same methodology as the initial allocation determination, among the remaining universities that have indicated a desire to receive an additional allocation.

f)         In order to receive a disbursement of AIM HIGH funds, the university campus shall complete an application that shall be in a form provided by ISAC and shall include, at a minimum, the following information and documentation:

1)         the amount of the allocation the university has claimed for the upcoming academic year;

2)         the total university campus funds used to match funds received from ISAC in the previous academic year, if any;

3)         the total number of undergraduate students who are residents of Illinois from the previous academic year;

4)         all information and certifications that demonstrate eligibility as described in Section 2766.20; and

5)         any other information or certifications required by law or the Grant Agreement.

g)         If the application is incomplete, ISAC will notify the applicant, who will have an opportunity to furnish the missing information. The application will only be considered for processing as of the date the completed application is received at ISAC's Springfield office at 500 West Monroe, 3^rd Floor, Springfield IL 62704.

h)         A university that does not submit a complete and timely application may not be eligible to receive its allocation.  Instead, its share may be distributed by ISAC using the allocation determination methodology in subsection (a) to make the remaining funds available for other universities that filed timely applications and indicate a desire for an additional allocation. 

i)          The total amount of grant funds to be distributed among eligible applicant universities in a given academic year is contingent upon available funding from the previous fiscal year and whether all eligible institutions elect to receive their full allocation.

j)          No funds shall be distributed to the public university campus until all AIM HIGH funds from the previous academic year have been reconciled, including any claimed and unexpended funds that were retained by the public university campus.

k)         Depending upon the number of academic years and the degree to which the public university campus fails to make its matching requirement or MOE, the university campus may be suspended from participating in AIM HIGH in an academic year, but shall be eligible to regain eligibility in the academic year following the suspension.

l)          When making the determination to reduce an award under Section 2766.20(b)(2) and (3), or suspend a university campus from AIM HIGH for not meeting its matching requirement or MOE under subsection (k), ISAC shall take into account the circumstances that may have contributed to this failure, such as, but not limited to:

1)         a reduction in State appropriations to fund the public university campus in that academic year;

2)         the number of matching requirements or MOE qualifying awards offered by the public institution, but not accepted by students in that academic year;

3)         the matching award commitments already made to students for the academic year for which the AIM HIGH funds will be used; and

4)         the commitment demonstrated by the public university campus to maintaining level tuition and mandatory fees for Illinois residents over multiple academic years. 

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 8494, effective July 1, 2021)