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09500HB2184ham001 |
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LRB095 01259 NHT 32609 a |
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| higher learning as defined in the Higher Education Student |
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| Assistance Act.
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| Section 15. Student fee. All institutions of higher |
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| learning that receive any funds from this State or have |
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| students who benefit from State-sponsored scholarships or |
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| grants or who have higher education loans backed in any part by |
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| the State must impose on each student of the institution of |
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| higher learning a fee of $10 for every 2 semesters or 3 |
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| quarters of student attendance. The amount of the fee must not |
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| be increased without the approval of the General Assembly by |
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| the same joint resolution and, in any case, must not exceed |
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| $20. A student must not be charged under this Section in an |
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| amount that exceeds $100 over the course of his or her |
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| undergraduate academic career or $200 over the course of his or |
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| her undergraduate and post-graduate academic career combined. |
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| Section 20. Higher Education Equalization Fund. All fees |
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| imposed under Section 15 of this Act must be deposited into the |
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| Higher Education Equalization Fund. The Higher Education |
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| Equalization Fund is created as a special fund in the State |
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| treasury. All money in the Fund shall be paid, subject to |
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| appropriation by the General Assembly and approval by the Board |
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| of Higher Education, as a grant each fiscal year to the |
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| committee created under Section 25 of this Act for use by |
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| eligible institutions for the purposes set forth in Section 30 |
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LRB095 01259 NHT 32609 a |
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| of this Act. |
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| Section 25. Committee to administer grant funds.
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| (a) There is created a committee, comprised of the |
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| president of each eligible institution or his or her designee |
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| and a liaison from the Board of Higher Education, to administer |
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| the grant funds received from the Higher Education Equalization |
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| Fund. The committee shall determine its own guidelines for |
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| operation. The committee must distribute grant funds to |
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| eligible institutions based on the enrollment figures of those |
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| eligible institutions, except that the committee may retain up |
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| to 10% of the grant amount each fiscal year to be used for |
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| administration of the grant funds. |
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| (b) For planning purposes, the committee may roll over |
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| funds from a grant in one fiscal year for use in multiple |
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| fiscal years, allowing the committee to plan for larger awards |
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| to eligible institutions in later years.
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| Section 30. Use of grant funds. Grant funds received from |
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| the Higher Education Equalization Fund must be used by eligible |
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| institutions for the purposes of purchasing equipment and other |
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| program materials comparable to other institutions of higher |
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| learning; however, the first 2 fiscal years of grant funds |
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| received from the Higher Education Equalization Fund must be |
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| used by eligible institutions to purchase and upgrade equipment |
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| for their communication departments and their computer |
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LRB095 01259 NHT 32609 a |
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| departments. Grant funds may also be used by eligible |
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| institutions to pay for capital expansions. Eligible |
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| institutions may save grant funds received in a fiscal year |
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| over multiple years to pay for larger projects. |
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| Section 35. Exclusion from annual budget. The amount |
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| distributed to eligible institutions under Section 25 of this |
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| Act is additional to an eligible institution's annual operating |
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| budget and shall increase the eligible institution's ability to |
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| provide equal programs and services to their students. Grant |
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| funds must not be a factor in and must not be considered as any |
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| part of an eligible institution's annual operating budget. |
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| Section 90. The State Finance Act is amended by adding |
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| Section 5.675 as follows: |
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| (30 ILCS 105/5.675 new) |
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| Sec. 5.675. The Higher Education Equalization Fund.
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| Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon |
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| becoming law.".
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