Public Act 093-0856
 
SB2755 Enrolled LRB093 20875 NHT 46823 b

    AN ACT concerning higher education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
amended by changing Section 45 as follows:
 
    (110 ILCS 947/45)
    Sec. 45. Illinois National Guard grant program.
    (a) As used in this Section:
    "State controlled university or community college" means
those institutions under the administration of the Chicago
State University Board of Trustees, the Eastern Illinois
University Board of Trustees, the Governors State University
Board of Trustees, the Illinois State University Board of
Trustees, the Northeastern Illinois University Board of
Trustees, the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees,
the Western Illinois University Board of Trustees, Southern
Illinois University Board of Trustees, University of Illinois
Board of Trustees, or the Illinois Community College Board.
    "Tuition and fees" shall not include expenses for any
sectarian or denominational instruction, the construction or
maintenance of sectarian or denominational facilities, or any
other sectarian or denominational purposes or activity.
    "Fees" means matriculation, graduation, activity, term, or
incidental fees. Exemption shall not be granted from any other
fees, including book rental, service, laboratory, supply, and
union building fees, hospital and medical insurance fees, and
any fees established for the operation and maintenance of
buildings, the income of which is pledged to the payment of
interest and principal on bonds issued by the governing board
of any university or community college.
    (b) Any enlisted person or any company grade officer,
including warrant officers, First and Second Lieutenants, and
Captains in the Army and Air National Guard, who has served at
least one year in the Illinois National Guard and who possesses
all necessary entrance requirements shall, upon application
and proper proof, be awarded a grant to the State-controlled
university or community college of his or her choice,
consisting of exemption from tuition and fees for not more than
the equivalent of 4 years of full-time enrollment in relation
to his or her course of study at that State controlled
university or community college while he or she is a member of
the Illinois National Guard. Except as otherwise provided in
this Section, if If the recipient of any grant awarded under
this Section ceases to be a member of the Illinois National
Guard while enrolled in a course of study under that grant, the
grant shall be terminated as of the date membership in the
Illinois National Guard ended, and the recipient shall be
permitted to complete the school term in which he or she is
then enrolled only upon payment of tuition and other fees
allocable to the part of the term then remaining. If the
recipient of a grant awarded under this Section ceases to be a
member of the Illinois National Guard while enrolled in a
course of study under that grant but (i) has served in the
Illinois National Guard for at least 5 years and (ii) has
served a cumulative total of at least 6 months of active duty,
then that recipient shall continue to be eligible for a grant
for one year after membership in the Illinois National Guard
ended, provided that the recipient has not already received the
exemption from tuition and fees for the equivalent of 4 years
of full-time enrollment under this Section. If the recipient of
the grant fails to complete his or her military service
obligations or requirements for satisfactory participation,
the Department of Military Affairs shall require the recipient
to repay the amount of the grant received, prorated according
to the fraction of the service obligation not completed, and,
if applicable, reasonable collection fees. The Department of
Military Affairs may adopt rules relating to its collection
activities for repayment of the grant under this Section.
Unsatisfactory participation shall be defined by rules adopted
by the Department of Military Affairs. Repayments shall be
deposited in the National Guard Grant Fund. The National Guard
Grant Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury.
All money in the National Guard Grant Fund shall be used,
subject to appropriation, by the Department of Military Affairs
for the purposes of this Section.
    A grant awarded under this Section shall be considered an
entitlement which the State-controlled university or community
college in which the holder is enrolled shall honor without any
condition other than the holder's maintenance of minimum grade
levels and a satisfactory student loan repayment record
pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 20 of this Act.
    (c) Subject to a separate appropriation for such purposes,
the Commission may reimburse the State-controlled university
or community college for grants authorized by this Section.
(Source: P.A. 92-589, eff. 7-1-02.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.