(110 ILCS 930/7) (from Ch. 144, par. 2307)

Sec. 7. Eligibility for DFI grants. An individual is eligible for an award under the provisions of this Act when the Program Board finds:

(a) That the individual is a resident of this State and a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States;

(b) That the individual is a member of a racial minority as defined under the terms of this Act;

(c) That the individual has earned any educational diploma at an institution of education located in this State, or is a resident of the State for no less than three years prior to applying for the grant, and the individual must hold a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher learning;

(d) That the individual's financial resources are such that, in the absence of a DFI grant, the individual will be prevented from pursuing a graduate or professional degree at a qualified institution of higher education of his or her choice;

(e) That the individual has above average academic ability to pursue a graduate or professional degree; and

(f) That the individual meets other qualifications which shall be established by the Program Board.

Grant funds shall be awarded only to those persons pursuing a graduate or professional degree program at a qualified institution of higher education.

The Board shall by rule promulgate, pursuant to the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, precise standards to be used by the Program Board to determine whether a program applicant has above average academic ability to pursue a graduate or professional degree.

(Source: P.A. 102-1030, eff. 5-27-22.)