Public Act 098-0314
 
SB2229 EnrolledLRB098 09293 RPM 39433 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 and Naval Militia 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 person who has served at least one year in the
Illinois National Guard or the Illinois Naval Militia 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,
including summer terms, 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 or
the Illinois Naval Militia. Beginning with the 2013-2014
academic year, any person who has served over 10 years in the
Illinois National Guard shall be awarded an additional grant to
the State-controlled university or community college of his or
her choice, consisting of an exemption from tuition and fees
for not more than the equivalent of an additional 2 years of
full-time enrollment, including summer terms. Except as
otherwise provided in this Section, if the recipient of any
grant awarded under this Section ceases to be a member of the
Illinois National Guard or the Illinois Naval Militia 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 or the Illinois Naval Militia 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 or
the Illinois Naval Militia while enrolled in a course of study
under that grant but (i) has served in the Illinois National
Guard or the Illinois Naval Militia 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 or the Illinois Naval Militia 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, including summer terms, 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
and Naval Militia Grant Fund. The National Guard and Naval
Militia Grant Fund is created as a special fund in the State
treasury. All money in the National Guard and Naval Militia
Grant Fund shall be used, subject to appropriation, by the
Illinois Student Assistance Commission 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. 93-838, eff. 7-30-04; 93-856, eff. 8-3-04;
94-583, eff. 8-15-05; 94-1020, eff. 7-11-06.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.