Bill Text: IL SB3306 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. With respect to the Monetary Award Program, provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall, twice a year (instead of each year), receive and consider applications for grant assistance. Provides that the first application period for grants for the next academic year shall be open to all eligible students and the second application period shall occur immediately before commencement of the academic year and shall be open only to non-traditional students and traditional students who missed the first application deadline due to unforeseen circumstances, as defined by the Commission. Requires the Commission to apportion grant funds between persons who applied during the first application period and person who applied during the second application period, in such manner as the Commission shall determine. Effective immediately.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 26-9)
Status: (Passed) 2014-08-15 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 98-0967 [SB3306 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2013-SB3306-Chaptered.html
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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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