HB5696eng 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB5696 Engrossed LRB100 17325 AXK 32486 b

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Bridge Program for Underrepresented Students Act.

Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:

"Public university" means Chicago State University, Eastern Illinois University, Governors State University, Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University, Western Illinois University, the University of Illinois, or any other public university established or authorized by the General Assembly.

"State resident" includes an individual who meets all of the following conditions:

(1) the individual resided with his or her parent or guardian while attending a public or private high school in this State;

(2) the individual graduated from a public or private high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in this State;

(3) the individual attended school in this State for at least 3 years as of the date the individual graduated from high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma;

(4) the individual registers as an entering student of the public university no earlier than the fall 2018 semester; and

(5) in the case of an individual who is not a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States, the individual provides to the public university an affidavit stating that the individual will file an application to become a permanent resident of the United States at the earliest opportunity the individual is eligible to do so.

"State resident" also includes a person on active military duty and stationed in Illinois and any of his or her dependents; a person on active military duty and stationed out of Illinois, but stationed in this State for at least 3 years immediately prior to being reassigned out of Illinois, and any of his or her dependents, as long as that person or his or her dependent (i) applies for admission to the public university within 18 months of the person on active military duty being reassigned or (ii) remains continuously enrolled at the public university; or a person who utilizes benefits under the federal Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or any subsequent variation of that Act or the federal All-Volunteer Force Educational Assistance program.

"Underrepresented student" means any student who:

(1) is Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander;

(2) is from a county in this State from which a public university at all of its campuses combined has enrolled on average 2 or fewer students from the county over the last 3 years; or

(3) is from a family whose household income is at or below the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2) and whose expected family contribution as computed by the public university equals zero.

Section 10. Purpose and program responsibilities.

(a) Subject to appropriation, a public university may establish a Bridge Program for underrepresented students.

(b) The Bridge Program shall be open only to State residents. Priority shall be given to applicants whose life patterns have been characterized by historical economic or cultural deprivation.

(c) A public university's Bridge Program shall include, but is not limited to, the following, which shall be approved by the public university's Board of Trustees:

(1) a description of the content of the Program, including, but not limited to, counseling, tutoring, and skill development in a Program plan format;

(2) procedures for the selection of students from eligible applicants;

(3) procedures for evaluation of student progress; and

(4) reporting procedures to the public university's Board of Trustees.

Section 15. Program funding. Appropriations made available to a public university under this Act shall be utilized only for the following Bridge Program purposes:

(1) testing, counseling, and guidance services in the course of screening potential Program applicants;

(2) remedial courses, developmental courses, and summer courses for potential Program applicants;

(3) tutoring, counseling, and guidance services for enrolled students;

(4) any necessary supplemental financial assistance, which may include, but is not limited to, the cost of books and necessary maintenance, for the students; however, supplemental financial assistance shall be furnished pursuant to criteria established by the Board of Trustees of the public university; or

(5) direct Bridge Program staff costs.

Section 20. Program personnel. Each public university that establishes a Bridge Program shall designate a full-time Program director. The Program director shall be responsible for the following:

(1) development of the Program plan, including, but not limited to, the academic achievement levels and academic progress necessary to remain in the Bridge Program;

(2) management of Program enrollment and finances as approved by the public university's Board of Trustees;

(3) conducting fiscal planning and fund distributions with appropriate monitors and controls;

(4) developing an application process and marketing process for the Program;

(5) creating clear guidelines for applicant eligibility, enrollment, service coordination throughout the public university, and Program structure;

(6) management of all full-time or part-time staff members associated with the public university's Program;

(7) promoting collaboration between the Program and other offices affecting applicants or enrolled students, including, but not limited to, the admissions office or financial aid office;

(8) establishing an advisory structure that promotes consultation with university department heads, faculty, and professionals on matters of policy, procedure, and curriculum;

(9) establishing specific procedures for counseling students who are being dismissed from the Program for academic reasons or who withdraw from it voluntarily; and

(10) creating Program reports as required by the public university's Board of Trustees or State law.

Section 25. Reporting. A public university that has established a Bridge Program shall, on or before September 1, 2019 and on or before September 1 of each subsequent year, publish on its website and make available to the public a report for the previous fiscal year containing all of the following:

(1) A statement of the objectives of the Program at the public university.

(2) A description of the Program.

(3) The budgetary expenditures for the Program that separately states instructional costs, tutoring costs, remedial course costs, tutoring costs, counseling costs, supplemental financial assistance costs, program staff costs, and any other costs the Board of Trustees finds essential to the continuation of the Program. The expenditures shall separately detail costs from appropriations and costs from other funds of the public university.

(4) The number of applicants for the Program.

(5) The number of applicants accepted to the Program.

(6) The number of students enrolled in the Program.

(7) The progress of the students enrolled in the Program.

(8) First and second year retention rates for students enrolled in the Program.

(9) Graduation rates for students enrolled in the Program.

(10) The number of full-time and part-time faculty dedicated to the Program from the public university.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.