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LRB094 19954 RAS 57325 r |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION 1039
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| WHEREAS, The State of Illinois honors Illinois veterans for |
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| service in the United States Armed Services and Illinois |
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| National Guard with grants and scholarships to attend Illinois |
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| public universities and community colleges; and
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| WHEREAS, The Illinois Veteran Grant Program pays eligible |
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| tuition and certain fees for undergraduate study at any |
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| Illinois community college for Illinois residents who qualify; |
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| a qualified applicant is any member of the Armed Forces of the |
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| United States who has served at least one year of active duty |
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| and whose separation from such service has been characterized |
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| as honorable; and
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| WHEREAS, The Illinois National Guard Grant Program pays |
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| tuition and eligible fees at all Illinois community colleges; a |
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| qualified applicant must be on active status and have served |
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| for at least one year in the Illinois National Guard; and
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| WHEREAS, The MIA-POW Scholarship Program for dependents of |
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| Illinois residents declared to be missing in action or |
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| prisoners of war pays all tuition and fees at any Illinois |
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| community college; and
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| WHEREAS, The Illinois Veteran Grant Program, the Illinois |
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| National Guard Grant Program, and the MIA-POW Scholarship |
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| Program are all considered entitlement grants; thus, if the |
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| General Assembly does not fully fund these programs to cover |
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| all expenses, the community college must waive all tuition and |
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| fees on behalf of that student; and
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| WHEREAS, Illinois community colleges must raise tuition |
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| and fees in order to compensate for unfunded mandates placed |
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| upon them by the Governor's budget; and
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HR1039 Enrolled |
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LRB094 19954 RAS 57325 r |
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| WHEREAS, It is not fiscally responsible for the Governor to |
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| increase government spending while other parts of the budget |
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| continue to be underfunded; and
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| WHEREAS, The Governor's Fiscal Year 2007 proposed budget |
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| provides level funding for the Illinois Veteran Grant Program, |
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| the Illinois National Guard Grant Program, and the MIA-POW |
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| Scholarship Program, despite increasing enrollment primarily |
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| due to the Global War on Terrorism; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that |
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| the community colleges of the State of Illinois are entitled to |
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| reimbursement for the costs incurred in the administration of |
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| the Illinois Veteran Grant Program, the Illinois National Guard |
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| Grant Program, and the MIA-POW Scholarship Program in the past |
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| fiscal years; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education and the |
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| Illinois Community College Board conduct a joint study |
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| detailing the amount of tuition and fees each community college |
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| has waived over the current and last four fiscal years to |
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| compensate for the lack of funding in the Governor's budgets |
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| for the Illinois Veteran Grant Program, the Illinois National |
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| Guard Grant Program, and the MIA-POW Scholarship Program, with |
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| a report of the findings of the joint study submitted to the |
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| General Assembly and to the Governor no later than January 1, |
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| 2007; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the amount determined by the joint study of |
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| the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community |
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| College Board be the recommended amount of reimbursement to the |
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| community colleges of this State to be appropriated in Fiscal |
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| Year 2008; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |