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| Public Act 101-0596 | ||||
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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 Higher Education Student Assistance Act is | ||||
amended by changing Section 70 as follows:
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(110 ILCS 947/70)
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Sec. 70. Administration of scholarship and grant programs.
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(a) An applicant to whom the Commission has awarded a | ||||
scholarship or
grant under this Act may apply for enrollment as | ||||
a student in any
qualified institution of higher learning. The | ||||
institution is not required to
accept the applicant for | ||||
enrollment, but is free to exact compliance with its
own | ||||
admissions requirements, standards, and policies. The | ||||
institution may
receive the payments of tuition and other | ||||
necessary fees provided by the
scholarship or grant, for credit | ||||
against the student's obligation for such
tuition and fees, and | ||||
for no other purpose, and shall be contractually
obligated:
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(1) to provide facilities and instruction to the | ||||
student on the
same terms as to other students generally;
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(2) to provide the notices and information described in | ||||
this Act; and
to maintain records and documents which | ||||
demonstrate the eligibility of the
students for whom | ||||
scholarships and grants are claimed.
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(b) If, in the course of any academic period, any student | ||
enrolled in
any institution pursuant to a scholarship or grant | ||
awarded under this Act
for any reason ceases to be a student in | ||
good standing, the institution shall
promptly give written | ||
notice to the Commission concerning that change of status
and | ||
the reason therefor. For purposes of this Section, a student | ||
does not cease
to be a student in good standing merely because | ||
he or she is not classified as
a full-time student.
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(c) A student to whom a renewal scholarship or grant has | ||
been awarded
may either re-enroll in the institution which he | ||
or she attended during the
preceding year, or enroll in any | ||
other qualified institution of higher
learning; and in either | ||
event, the institution accepting the student for
enrollment or | ||
re-enrollment shall notify the Commission of
that acceptance | ||
and may receive payments and shall be contractually
obligated | ||
as provided with respect to a first-year scholarship or grant.
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(d) The Commission shall administer the scholarship and | ||
grant accounts
and related records of each student who is | ||
attending an institution of
higher learning under financial | ||
assistance awarded pursuant to this Act,
and at each proper | ||
time shall certify to the State Comptroller, in the manner
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prescribed by law, the current payment to be made to the | ||
institution on account
of such financial assistance, in | ||
accordance with an appropriate certificate
from the | ||
institution. The Commission may require the participating | ||
institution
of higher learning to perform specific eligibility | ||
evaluation procedures as a
condition of participation.
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(e) The Commission shall conduct on-site audits of | ||
educational
institutions participating in Commission | ||
administered programs. When
institutions have claimed and | ||
received funds on behalf of ineligible
recipients, the | ||
Commission may adjust subsequent institutional payments to
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recover those funds.
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(f) The Commission may, upon the request of any institution
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which
received payment for scholarship and grant awards for | ||
each of the last 5
years, certify to the Comptroller an advance | ||
payment for the current term
to be made to the institution on | ||
account of such financial assistance in an
amount not to exceed | ||
75% of announced awards for the institution for such
financial | ||
assistance for the current term, adjusted for attrition over | ||
the
last 5 years. For the purposes of this Section, "attrition" | ||
is the number
of announced award winners enrolled on the 10th | ||
class day as a percentage
of the total announced awards. The | ||
request for an advance payment for the
current term shall not | ||
be submitted until 10 class days after the last day
for | ||
registration for that term. Upon appropriate certification | ||
from the
institution presented for each payment period, after | ||
the standard tuition
and mandatory fees have been established | ||
for all students for the term of
payment and the award | ||
recipient has enrolled, the Commission shall certify
to the | ||
State Comptroller the balance of the current payment to be made | ||
to
the institution on account of such financial assistance. If | ||
an advance
payment received by an institution exceeds the | ||
payment to which that
institution is entitled, the Commission | ||
shall reduce subsequent payments
to that institution for later | ||
terms within the same academic year as the
overpayment by an | ||
amount equal to the overpayment; if the reduction cannot
be | ||
made, the institution shall refund the overpayment to the | ||
Commission.
The Commission may deny or reduce the advance | ||
payment provided to any
institution under this Section if it | ||
has reason to believe that the advance
payment for the current | ||
term may exceed the full payment the institution is
entitled to | ||
receive for such assistance for that term.
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(g) The personal identity and address of a scholarship, | ||
grant, or other financial assistance applicant or recipient | ||
under a non-discretionary program administered by the | ||
Commission, including, but not limited to, the Monetary Award | ||
Program under Section 35 of this Act, where eligibility data is | ||
obtained from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid | ||
authorized by 20 U.S.C. 1090 or is protected from disclosure | ||
under federal or State law or under rules and regulations | ||
implementing federal or State law, is information that is | ||
intended to remain private and shall be exempt from inspection | ||
and copying under the Freedom of Information Act. This | ||
subsection does not apply to the publication of the names of | ||
State Scholars designated pursuant to Section 25 of this Act or | ||
information disclosed in the aggregate in which a person's | ||
identity cannot be determined. | ||
(Source: P.A. 100-887, eff. 8-14-18.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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