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91_HB1657eng HB1657 Engrossed LRB9101869NTsb 1 AN ACT to amend the Higher Education Student Assistance 2 Act by changing Section 40. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act 6 is amended by changing Section 40 as follows: 7 (110 ILCS 947/40) 8 Sec. 40. Veteran grant. Any person who served in the 9 armed forces of the United States, not including members of 10 the Student Army Training Corps, who at the time of entering 11 service was an Illinois resident or was an Illinois resident 12 within 6 months of entering such service, and who returned to 13 Illinois within 6 months after leaving service or, if married 14 to a person in continued military service stationed outside 15 Illinois, within 6 months after his or her spouse has left 16 service or has been stationed within Illinois, and who has 17 been honorably discharged from such service, and who 18 possesses all necessary entrance requirements shall, except 19 as otherwise provided in this Act, upon application and 20 proper proof, be awarded an Illinois Veteran Grant consisting 21 of the equivalent of 4 calendar years of full-time 22 enrollment, including summer terms, to the State-controlled 23 college or university or community college of his choice. 24 Such veterans shall also be entitled, upon proper proof and 25 application, to enroll in any extension course offered by a 26 State-controlled college or university or community college 27 without the payment of tuition or fees. 28 Any veteran who so served, and who, at the time of 29 entering such service, was a student at a State-controlled 30 college or university or community college, and who was 31 honorably discharged from such service, shall, upon HB1657 Engrossed -2- LRB9101869NTsb 1 application and proper proof be awarded a Veteran Grant 2 entitling him to complete his course of study at any 3 State-controlled college or university or community college 4 of his choice, but shall not be entitled to a grant 5 consisting of more than the equivalent of 4 calendar years of 6 full-time enrollment including summer sessions. 7 Any member of the armed forces of the United States who 8 either (i) has served in such armed forces at least one year, 9 or (ii) has served in the armed forces of the United States 10 for less than one year in a time of hostilities in a foreign 11 country, and who would be qualified for a grant under this 12 Section if he had been discharged from such service shall be 13 eligible to receive a Veteran Grant under this Section. 14 The holder of a Veteran Grant to the State-controlled 15 college or university or community college of his choice as 16 authorized under this Section shall not be required to pay 17 any matriculation or application fees, tuition, activities 18 fees, graduation fees, or other fees except multipurpose 19 building fees or similar fees for supplies and materials. 20 Any veteran who has been or shall be awarded a Veteran 21 Grant shall be reimbursed by the appropriate college, 22 university, or community college for any fees which he has 23 paid and for which exemption is granted under this Section, 24 if application for reimbursement is made within 23months 25 following the school term for which the fees were paid. 26 A Veteran Grant shall be considered an entitlement which 27 the State-controlled college or university or community 28 college in which the holder is enrolled shall honor without 29 any condition other than the holder's maintenance of minimum 30 grade levels and a satisfactory student loan repayment record 31 pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 20. 32 A grant authorized under this Section shall not be 33 awarded to veterans who received a discharge from the armed 34 forces of the United States under dishonorable conditions, or HB1657 Engrossed -3- LRB9101869NTsb 1 to any veteran whose service with the armed forces was for 2 less than one year unless he received an honorable discharge 3 from such service for medical reasons directly connected with 4 such service, except for those veterans discharged prior to 5 August 11, 1967 whose service may be for less than one year, 6 and except for those veterans (i) who serve in the armed 7 forces of the United States for less than one year in a time 8 of hostilities in a foreign country and (ii) who receive an 9 honorable discharge. 10 The amounts that become due to any State-controlled 11 college or university or community college shall be payable 12 by the Comptroller to that institution on vouchers approved 13 by the Commission. The Commission, or its designated 14 representative at that institution, shall determine the 15 eligibility of the persons who make application for the 16 benefits provided for in this Section. The Department of 17 Veterans' Affairs shall assist the Commission in determining 18 the eligibility of applicants. On July 29, 1986, the 19 Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs shall transfer and 20 deliver to the Commission all books, records, papers, 21 documents, applications and pending business in any way 22 pertaining to the duties, responsibilities and authority 23 theretofore exercised or performed by the Illinois Department 24 of Veterans' Affairs under and pursuant to Section 4.1 of the 25 Department of Veterans Affairs Act. 26 The benefits provided for in this Section shall be 27 available as long as the federal government provides 28 educational benefits to veterans. No benefits shall be paid 29 under this Section, except for veterans who already have 30 begun their education under this Section, after 6 months 31 following the termination of educational benefits to veterans 32 by the federal government. If the federal government 33 terminates educational benefits to veterans and at a later 34 time resumes those benefits, the benefits of this Section HB1657 Engrossed -4- LRB9101869NTsb 1 shall resume. 2 As used in this Section, "time of hostilities in a 3 foreign country" means any action by the armed forces of the 4 United States that is recognized by the issuance of a 5 Presidential proclamation or a Presidential executive order 6 and in which the armed forces expeditionary medal or other 7 campaign service medals are awarded according to Presidential 8 executive order. 9 (Source: P.A. 90-752, eff. 8-14-98.) 10 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 11 1, 1999.