101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB2187

 

Introduced , by Rep. Natalie A. Manley

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 947/40

    Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Expands the applicability of the Illinois Veteran grant program to a qualified applicant who is enrolled in a private business and vocational school in this State (rather than only to a qualified applicant who is enrolled in a State-controlled university or public community college in this State). Provides that if a qualified applicant is enrolled in a private business and vocational school in this State, he or she must, subject to the conditions of the grant program, receive a grant in an amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees of that school for a period that is equivalent to 4 years of full-time enrollment, including summer terms. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
5amended by changing Section 40 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 947/40)
7    Sec. 40. Illinois Veteran grant program.
8    (a) As used in this Section:
9    "Private business and vocational school" has the meaning
10given to that term under Section 15 of the Private Business and
11Vocational Schools Act of 2012.
12    "Qualified applicant" means a person who served in the
13Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve component of the
14Armed Forces, or the Illinois National Guard, excluding members
15of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and those whose only
16service has been attendance at a service academy, and who meets
17all of the following qualifications:
18        (1) At the time of entering federal active duty service
19    the person was one of the following:
20            (A) An Illinois resident.
21            (B) An Illinois resident within 6 months of
22        entering such service.
23            (C) Enrolled at a State-controlled university, or

 

 

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1        public community college in this State, or private
2        business and vocational school in this State.
3        (2) The person meets one of the following requirements:
4            (A) He or she served at least one year of federal
5        active duty.
6            (B) He or she served less than one year of federal
7        active duty and received an honorable discharge for
8        medical reasons directly connected with such service.
9            (C) He or she served less than one year of federal
10        active duty and was discharged prior to August 11,
11        1967.
12            (D) He or she served less than one year of federal
13        active duty in a foreign country during a time of
14        hostilities in that foreign country.
15        (3) The person received an honorable discharge after
16    leaving each period of federal active duty service.
17        (4) The person returned to this State within 6 months
18    after leaving federal active duty service, or, if married
19    to a person in continued military service stationed outside
20    this State, returned to this State within 6 months after
21    his or her spouse left service or was stationed within this
22    State.
23    "Time of hostilities" means any action by the Armed Forces
24of the United States that is recognized by the issuance of a
25Presidential proclamation or a Presidential executive order
26and in which the Armed Forces expeditionary medal or other

 

 

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1campaign service medals are awarded according to Presidential
2executive order.
3    (b) A person who otherwise qualifies under subsection (a)
4of this Section but has not left federal active duty service
5and has served at least one year of federal active duty or has
6served for less than one year of federal active duty in a
7foreign country during a time of hostilities in that foreign
8country and who can provide documentation demonstrating an
9honorable service record is eligible to receive assistance
10under this Section.
11    (c) A qualified applicant is not required to pay any
12tuition or mandatory fees while attending a State-controlled
13university or public community college in this State for a
14period that is equivalent to 4 years of full-time enrollment,
15including summer terms. If a qualified applicant is enrolled in
16a private business and vocational school in this State, he or
17she must, subject to the conditions under subsection (e),
18receive a grant under this Section in an amount sufficient to
19pay the tuition and mandatory fees of that school for a period
20that is equivalent to 4 years of full-time enrollment,
21including summer terms, but in no event may that grant amount
22exceed the average tuition and mandatory fees for students at
23State-controlled universities for that period, as calculated
24by the Commission.
25    A qualified applicant who has previously received benefits
26under this Section for a non-mandatory fee shall continue to

 

 

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1receive benefits covering such fees while he or she is enrolled
2in a continuous program of study. The qualified applicant shall
3no longer receive a grant covering non-mandatory fees if he or
4she fails to enroll during an academic term, unless he or she
5is serving federal active duty service.
6    (d) A qualified applicant who has been or is to be awarded
7assistance under this Section shall receive that assistance if
8the qualified applicant notifies his or her postsecondary
9institution of that fact by the end of the school term for
10which assistance is requested.
11    (e) Assistance under this Section is considered an
12entitlement that the State-controlled college or public
13community college in which the qualified applicant is enrolled
14shall honor without any condition other than the qualified
15applicant's maintenance of minimum grade levels and a
16satisfactory student loan repayment record pursuant to
17subsection (c) of Section 20 of this Act.
18    (f) The Commission shall administer the grant program
19established by this Section and shall make all necessary and
20proper rules not inconsistent with this Section for its
21effective implementation.
22    (g) All applications for assistance under this Section must
23be made to the Commission on forms that the Commission shall
24provide. The Commission shall determine the form of application
25and the information required to be set forth in the
26application, and the Commission shall require qualified

 

 

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1applicants to submit with their applications any supporting
2documents that the Commission deems necessary. Upon request,
3the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall assist the Commission
4in determining the eligibility of applicants for assistance
5under this Section.
6    (h) Assistance under this Section is available as long as
7the federal government provides educational benefits to
8veterans. Assistance must not be paid under this Section after
96 months following the termination of educational benefits to
10veterans by the federal government, except for persons who
11already have begun their education with assistance under this
12Section. If the federal government terminates educational
13benefits to veterans and at a later time resumes those
14benefits, assistance under this Section shall resume.
15(Source: P.A. 94-583, eff. 8-15-05.)
 
16    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
17becoming law.