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| Public Act 098-0967 | ||||
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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 35 as follows:
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(110 ILCS 947/35)
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Sec. 35. Monetary award program.
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(a) The Commission shall, each year, receive and consider | ||||
applications
for grant assistance under this Section. Subject | ||||
to a separate
appropriation for such purposes, an applicant is | ||||
eligible for a grant under
this Section when the Commission | ||||
finds that the applicant:
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(1) is a resident of this State and a citizen or | ||||
permanent resident
of the United States; and
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(2) in the absence of grant assistance, will be | ||||
deterred by
financial considerations from completing an | ||||
educational program at the
qualified institution of his or | ||||
her choice.
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(b) The Commission shall award renewals only upon the | ||||
student's application
and upon the Commission's finding that | ||||
the applicant:
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(1) has remained a student in good standing;
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(2) remains a resident of this State; and
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(3) is in a financial situation that continues to | ||
warrant assistance.
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(c) All grants shall be applicable only to tuition and | ||
necessary fee costs. The Commission shall determine the grant
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amount for each student, which shall not exceed the smallest of
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the following amounts:
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(1) subject to appropriation, $5,468 for fiscal year | ||
2009, $5,968 for fiscal year 2010, and $6,468 for fiscal | ||
year 2011 and each fiscal year thereafter, or such lesser | ||
amount as
the Commission finds to be available, during an | ||
academic year;
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(2) the amount which equals 2 semesters or 3 quarters | ||
tuition
and other necessary fees required generally by the | ||
institution of all
full-time undergraduate students; or
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(3) such amount as the Commission finds to be | ||
appropriate in view of
the applicant's financial | ||
resources.
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Subject to appropriation, the maximum grant amount for | ||
students not subject to subdivision (1) of this subsection (c) | ||
must be increased by the same percentage as any increase made | ||
by law to the maximum grant amount under subdivision (1) of | ||
this subsection (c). | ||
"Tuition and other necessary fees" as used in this Section | ||
include the
customary charge for instruction and use of | ||
facilities in general, and the
additional fixed fees charged | ||
for specified purposes, which are required
generally of | ||
nongrant recipients for each academic period for which the | ||
grant
applicant actually enrolls, but do not include fees | ||
payable only once or
breakage fees and other contingent | ||
deposits which are refundable in whole or in
part. The | ||
Commission may prescribe, by rule not inconsistent with this
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Section, detailed provisions concerning the computation of | ||
tuition and other
necessary fees.
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(d) No applicant, including those presently receiving | ||
scholarship
assistance under this Act, is eligible for monetary | ||
award program
consideration under this Act after receiving a | ||
baccalaureate degree or
the equivalent of 135 semester credit | ||
hours of award payments.
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(e) The Commission, in determining the number of grants to | ||
be offered,
shall take into consideration past experience with | ||
the rate of grant funds
unclaimed by recipients. The Commission | ||
shall notify applicants that grant
assistance is contingent | ||
upon the availability of appropriated funds.
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(e-5) The General Assembly finds and declares that it is an | ||
important purpose of the Monetary Award Program to facilitate | ||
access to college both for students who pursue postsecondary | ||
education immediately following high school and for those who | ||
pursue postsecondary education later in life, particularly | ||
Illinoisans who are dislocated workers with financial need and | ||
who are seeking to improve their economic position through | ||
education. For the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 academic years, the | ||
Commission shall give additional and specific consideration to | ||
the needs of dislocated workers with the intent of allowing | ||
applicants who are dislocated workers an opportunity to secure | ||
financial assistance even if applying later than the general | ||
pool of applicants. The Commission's consideration shall | ||
include, in determining the number of grants to be offered, an | ||
estimate of the resources needed to serve dislocated workers | ||
who apply after the Commission initially suspends award | ||
announcements for the upcoming regular academic year, but prior | ||
to the beginning of that academic year. For the purposes of | ||
this subsection (e-5), a dislocated worker is defined as in the | ||
federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998. | ||
(f) The Commission may request appropriations for deposit | ||
into the
Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund. Monies deposited | ||
into the Monetary Award
Program Reserve Fund may be expended | ||
exclusively for one purpose: to make
Monetary Award Program | ||
grants to eligible students. Amounts on deposit in the
Monetary | ||
Award Program Reserve Fund may not exceed 2% of the current | ||
annual
State appropriation for the Monetary Award Program.
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The purpose of the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund is | ||
to enable the
Commission each year to assure as many students | ||
as possible of their
eligibility for a Monetary Award Program | ||
grant and to do so before commencement
of the academic year. | ||
Moneys deposited in this Reserve Fund are intended to
enhance | ||
the Commission's management of the Monetary Award Program, | ||
minimizing
the necessity, magnitude, and frequency of | ||
adjusting award amounts and ensuring
that the annual Monetary | ||
Award Program appropriation can be fully utilized.
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(g) The Commission shall determine the eligibility of and | ||
make grants to
applicants enrolled at qualified for-profit | ||
institutions in accordance with the
criteria set forth in this | ||
Section. The eligibility of applicants enrolled at
such | ||
for-profit institutions shall be limited as follows:
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(1) Beginning with the academic year 1997, only to | ||
eligible first-time
freshmen and
first-time transfer | ||
students who have attained an associate degree.
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(2) Beginning with the academic year 1998, only to | ||
eligible freshmen
students,
transfer students who have | ||
attained an associate degree, and students who
receive a | ||
grant under paragraph (1) for the academic year 1997 and | ||
whose grants
are being renewed for the academic year 1998.
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(3) Beginning with the academic year 1999, to all | ||
eligible students.
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(Source: P.A. 95-917, eff. 8-26-08.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law. | ||