SB2000 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 10578 LNS 20654 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB2000

Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Laura Fine

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

110 ILCS 66/5
110 ILCS 66/35

Amends the Student Debt Assistance Act. Redefines "institution of higher education" to mean any publicly or privately operated university, college, community college, business, technical, or vocational school, or other educational institution in this State offering degrees and instruction beyond the secondary school level. Includes the following in the report regarding financial-based transcript and registration holds to the Board of Higher Education or the Illinois Community College Board: the amount of student debt owed to the institution, number of students, and amounts written off, over certain time periods; the number of students with outstanding debt whose transcripts were released and the amount of the debt, the number of students with outstanding debt whose diplomas were released and the amount of the outstanding debt, and the number of students with outstanding debt whose transcripts were withheld because the request for release was not for a purpose outlined in the Act and the amount of outstanding debt; and the total number of students whose registration privileges are being withheld for financial reasons, the amount of outstanding debt for those students, and the total portion of that debt that has been written off for accounting purposes but the registration hold remains.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Student Debt Assistance Act is amended by changing Sections 5 and 35 as follows:

(110 ILCS 66/5)

Sec. 5. Definitions. In this Act:

"Debt" means any money, obligation, claim, or sum due or owing or alleged to be due or owing from a student to an institution of higher education. "Debt" does not include the fee, if any, that is charged to students by an applicable provider for the actual cost of providing an academic transcript to a student.

"Institution of higher education" or "institution" means any publicly or privately operated university, college, community college, business, technical, or vocational school, or other educational institution in this State offering degrees and instruction beyond the secondary school level. includes, but is not limited to, an institution to which the Private Business and Vocational Schools Act of 2012 or the Private College Act applies and a public institution of higher education included in the definition of "public institutions of higher education" under the Board of Higher Education Act. "Institution of higher education" or "institution" also includes a person engaged in the business of providing postsecondary education, via correspondence or online or in this State, to an individual located in this State, regardless of whether the person has obtained authorization from the Board of Higher Education to operate in this State or is accredited.

"Official transcript" means the academic transcript or a similar academic record of each current or former student of an institution of higher education that is deemed official, authenticated, certified, or bona fide and that contains information customarily provided on an official academic transcript, including, but not limited to, courses taken, terms, grades, degrees or credentials conferred, and any other similar information.

"Unofficial transcript" means the academic transcript or a similar academic record of each current or former student of an institution of higher education that contains information customarily provided on an official transcript, but cannot be used to transfer academic credits to another institution of higher education.

(Source: P.A. 102-998, eff. 5-27-22.)

(110 ILCS 66/35)

Sec. 35. Reporting. On or before July 1, 2024 and on or before each July 1 thereafter, each institution of higher education shall report to either the Board of Higher Education or the Illinois Community College Board, whichever is appropriate, information regarding financial-based transcript and registration holds, which must include:

(1) reporting the institution of higher education's policy developed pursuant to Section 30 of this Act; and

(2) reporting the number of students for whom the institution of higher education has withheld official transcripts, diplomas, or registration privileges, using data from the previous academic year; .

(3) reporting the amount of student debt owed to the institution, number of students,and amounts written off, over certain time periods, as specified by the Board of Higher Education;

(4) reporting the number of students with outstanding debt whose transcripts were released and the amount of the debt, the number of students with outstanding debt whose diplomas were released and the amount of the outstanding debt, and the number of students with outstanding debt whose transcripts were withheld because the request for release was not for a purpose outlined in this Act and the amount of outstanding debt; and

(5) reporting the total number of students whose registration privileges are being withheld for financial reasons, the amount of outstanding debt for those students and the total portion of that debt that has been written off for accounting purposes but the registration hold remains.

(Source: P.A. 103-54, eff. 6-9-23.)