Section 2730.10  Summary and Purpose

 

a)         As described in this Part, eligible recipients are entitled to an exemption from payment of tuition and certain fees at State universities and community colleges.  If funds appropriated for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) are insufficient to reimburse public postsecondary institutions for all recipients, the obligation to pay is transferred to the institution.

 

b)         This Part establishes rules which govern the Illinois National Guard Grant Program.  Additional rules and definitions are contained in General Provisions, 23 Ill. Adm. Code 2700.

 

(Source:  Amended at 22 Ill. Reg. 11100, effective July 1, 1998)

 

Section 2730.20  Applicant Eligibility

 

a)         Students must file an application annually indicating the institution to be attended.  No payment will be authorized for any applicant until a current application is on file.

 

1)         Qualified applicants will receive an eligibility letter from ISAC for each academic year following the filing of the application.  Ineligible applicants will receive written notification from ISAC of their ineligibility to receive program benefits.

 

2)         ISAC will verify application data in consultation with the Illinois Department of Military Affairs (DMAIL) when reviewing an application.  Changes to a recipient's National Guard status must be reported to ISAC by DMAIL.

 

3)         To receive an Illinois National Guard Grant, a qualified applicant must notify the institution of the qualified applicant’s eligibility no later than the last scheduled day of classes for the term for which a grant is requested.

 

b)         A qualified applicant must:

 

1)         be in active status in the Illinois Army or Air National Guard and served for at least one year in the Illinois National Guard; or

 

2)         have been active in the Illinois National Guard for at least five consecutive years, had studies interrupted by being called to federal active duty for at least six months, and be within the 12 month period immediately following discharge from the Illinois National Guard.

 

c)         Eligibility is not available to those persons who are members of the inactive Illinois National Guard.

 

d)         Recipients must maintain an acceptable grade point average as determined by the institution pursuant to a published policy.

 

e)         Changes of address, name, status with the Illinois National Guard or institution of attendance must be reported in writing to ISAC.

 

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 9458, effective July 1, 2023)

 

Section 2730.30  Program Procedures

 

a)         The recipient is exempt from paying the following:

 

1)         tuition;

 

2)         registration fees;

 

3)         graduation fees;

 

4)         general activity fees;

 

5)         matriculation fees; and

 

6)         term fees.

 

b)         The recipient is responsible for payment of other fees, including the following:

 

1)         book rental fees;

 

2)         laboratory and supply fees;

 

3)         air flight fees;

 

4)         hospital and health insurance fees;

 

5)         room and board;

 

6)         parking fees;

 

7)         student union fees;

 

8)         athletic fees;

 

9)         proficiency or placement exam fees and other similar fees; and

 

10)         service fees.

 

c)         Benefits are applicable to both undergraduate and graduate enrollment.  There is no minimum credit-hour enrollment requirement.  Benefits are applicable for noncredit courses.

 

d)         Benefits are limited to use only at Illinois public senior universities and at any Illinois public community college.

 

e)         Within the constraints of appropriation levels, two semester or three quarter term payments and one summer term payment are made directly to the institution after it officially certifies to ISAC that the applicant has registered and is attending classes.  No seminars or other special terms are covered under the grant.  Summer term is considered the final term of the academic and fiscal year.

 

f)         Benefits for eligible recipients who have completed less than 10 years of active duty service in the Illinois National Guard are limited to the equivalent of four academic years of full-time enrollment.

 

g)         Benefits for eligible recipients who have completed 10 years of active duty service in the Illinois National Guard are limited to the equivalent of six academic years of full-time enrollment.

 

1)         Benefits for an academic year shall be determined on the basis of credit hours in which the qualified applicant enrolls. Each credit hour (and noncredit hour for which benefits are used) will be converted to "eligibility units" according to the following chart:

 

Number of Hours	Semester School	Quarter School
12 or more hours	12 units	8 units
9 - 11.99 hours	9 units	6 units
6 - 8.99 hours	6 units	4 units
3 - 5.99 hours	3 units	2 units
0 - 2.99 hours	1 unit	1 unit

 

2)         When a qualified applicant becomes eligible to receive educational assistance under Section 2730.40(b), the number of units used will be calculated as follows:

 

A)        Multiply the percentage of the tuition and fee charges exempted by the ING Grant by the number of credit hours attempted.

 

B)        Convert the result to eligibility units, as described in the table in subsection (g)(1).

 

3)         Eligible recipients who have completed less than 10 years of active duty service in the Illinois National Guard may continue to reapply and accumulate up to 120 units. Eligible recipients who have completed 10 years of active duty service in the Illinois National Guard may continue to reapply and accumulate up to 180 units. Full program benefits may be extended for one additional term if the recipient has accumulated fewer than the maximum number of eligibility units but does not have enough units remaining for the number of hours in which the recipient is enrolled for the term.

 

4)         If an eligible recipient withdraws from enrollment after the expiration of the tuition refund/withdrawal adjustment period, the recipient shall receive a grant for costs incurred up to the term award provided the institution's tuition refund policy indicates the recipient has incurred charges in the amount of the claim.

 

5)         In the event that the recipient withdraws from a course or courses prior to the end of a term, a refund will be made according to the institution's refund withdrawal policy and eligibility units will be adjusted accordingly.

 

6)         The eligibility units used for a noncredit course shall be the same as the number of eligibility units used for a credit course having the same number of total faculty contact hours.

 

h)         If a current year applicant is discharged, transferred to the inactive Illinois National Guard, or has membership extended by the Illinois National Guard, ISAC will send a revised eligibility letter or ineligibility letter to the applicant.  In the case of discharge, a copy of the letter will be sent to the institution of record.

 

i)          Except as otherwise provided in this Part, if a recipient ceases to be an active status member of the Illinois National Guard during a term, benefits cease, and the student is responsible for the unpaid costs attributed to the remainder of the term.  If an applicant becomes eligible during a term, in accordance with Section 2730.20(b), benefits will be prorated for that portion of the term for which the applicant is eligible, provided the application is submitted by the deadlines.  Costs are prorated on the basis of the institution's scheduled days of instruction minus institutionally scheduled holidays and examination periods.

 

Calculation:  Total tuition cost divided by total instructional days = cost per day x days of eligibility = total proration.

 

j)          If the recipient of a grant awarded under this Part ceases to be a member of the Illinois National Guard, but has been active in the Illinois National Guard for at least five consecutive years and had studies interrupted by being called to federal active duty for at least six months, then that recipient shall continue to be eligible for a grant for one year after discharge from the Illinois National Guard, provided that the recipient has not already received the exemption from tuition and fees for the equivalent of four years of full-time enrollment under this Part.

 

k)         Out-of-state residents will receive tuition and applicable fee benefits equivalent to those received by in-state residents at the Illinois institution; recipients attending out-of-district community colleges will receive tuition and applicable fee benefits equivalent to those at the in-district rate.  Recipients shall not be responsible for paying the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition nor will they be responsible for paying the difference between in-district and out-of-district tuition.  Institutions are permitted to require documentation of residency in order to determine in-district or out-of-district payment.

 

l)          If a student is eligible for both an Illinois National Guard Grant and a MAP grant, the Illinois National Guard benefits must be used first.  A student cannot decline an Illinois National Guard Grant in favor of using MAP.

 

m)        If a recipient of the grant fails to complete the military obligation according to the agreement, all proceeds received must be repaid to the Illinois Department of Military Affairs.  DMAIL will collect the funds, which will be used by ISAC for the purpose of this Part.

 

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 11008, effective July 1, 2020)

 

Section 2730.40  Institutional Procedures

 

a)         The institution must establish a qualified applicant's initial eligibility before requesting payment from ISAC.  A valid Illinois National Guard Grant eligibility letter may be used for this purpose.

 

b)         If a student is eligible for, and has indicated to the institution the intent to receive, educational assistance through the Post-9/11 GI Bill (38 USC, Chapter 33), the institution must first apply Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to the student's financial aid award. ING Grant benefits can then be used to cover the remaining ING Grant eligible tuition and fees.

 

c)         Institutions must report the total number of hours for which payment is being requested (including credit and noncredit hours) so that ISAC can accurately track the recipient's use of eligibility units.

 

d)         ING Grants are paid directly to the approved institution of record that certifies to ISAC that the applicant is an eligible recipient.

 

1)         ISAC will annually establish priority claim dates for the submission of payment requests and inform institutions of the required priority dates.  For the fall term, the priority claim date will be during the month of December; for the spring term, the priority claim date will be during the last two weeks of March or the first two weeks of April; for the summer term, the priority claim date will be during the month of July.

 

2)         Late payment requests will result in delayed processing of payments.  Payment requests are processed in the sequence of receipt by ISAC and as funds are available.

 

3)         Institutions may submit payment requests beginning 10 days prior to the start of classes for the term for which payment is being requested.

 

e)         Claims will be paid as follows:

 

1)         first semester and first quarter claims received by the designated deadline date will be paid, or prorated if funding is insufficient to pay all claims in full;

 

2)         if funds remain after first semester and first quarter claims are paid, then second semester and second and third quarter claims received by the designated deadline date will be paid, or prorated if funds remaining are insufficient to pay all such claims in full;

 

3)         if funds still remain after the preceding claims are paid, summer term claims received by the designated deadline date will be paid, or prorated if remaining funds are insufficient to pay all summer claims in full;

 

4)         in the event that funds are not exhausted by summer term payments, claims received after the designated deadline dates will be paid or prorated; and

 

5)         timely claims for the difference between in-district/state and out-of-district/state tuition for recipients who do not qualify for chargebacks will be considered for payment at the same time, and in the same priority order, as all other timely claims, in accordance with the provisions of this subsection (e).

 

f)         Payments on behalf of a recipient will be made to only one institution per term. For any institution that has a concurrent registration opportunity, the same payment policy will be in effect as that used in the Monetary Award Program. (See: 23 Ill. Adm. Code 2735.40(h).)

 

g)         Institutions are required to reconcile payments, both payment data and actual funds, received through ING and, as applicable, submit all necessary corrections to student records on a timely basis.

 

1)         Within 30 days after and including the date of receiving payment of any ING funds claimed pursuant to this Section, the institution shall credit the ING funds against the recipients' tuition and eligible fee charges for the appropriate term.

 

2)         Within 30 days after the end of an academic term during which ING funds are credited to recipients' tuition and eligible fee charges, institutions must reconcile data received from ISAC as a result of payment claim processing against the eligibility status throughout that term for each student for whom payment claims were made. In reconciling the data with student eligibility, an institution must determine whether:

 

A)        The amount of the claim applied to a student's tuition and eligible fee charges exceeded the amount that the student was eligible to receive for any reason, including as a result of billing errors or retroactive withdrawals; or

 

B)        The amount of the claim applied to a student's tuition and eligible fee charges was less than the amount that the student was eligible to receive for any reason, including as a result of billing errors or retroactive withdrawals; or

 

C)        The amount of the claim applied to a student's tuition and eligible fee charges equaled the amount that the student was eligible to receive.

 

3)         Any institution that determines that the amount of a claim applied to a student's tuition and mandatory fee charges either exceeded the amount that the student was eligible to receive or was less than that amount must submit an accounting of all such adjustments to ISAC within 30 days following the end of the applicable term.

 

4)         For any claims determined to exceed the amount that the student was eligible to receive, the amount in excess paid for the claims shall be remitted to ISAC within 45 days after the end of the applicable term unless the payment is received after the end of the regular school year. If the payment of claims is made after the end of the regular school year, the institution shall have 60 days following receipt of the payment to complete reconciliation and remit any funds due to ISAC.

 

5)         Award payments made in the name of one recipient cannot be applied to another recipient at the same institution. A refund of the payment made must be submitted to ISAC, and a supplemental request for payment must be processed for the proper recipient.

 

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 11008, effective July 1, 2020)