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| 1 | AN ACT concerning education. | ||||||
| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||||
| 3 | represented in the General Assembly: | ||||||
| 4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section | ||||||
| 5 | 22-87 as follows: | ||||||
| 6 | (105 ILCS 5/22-87) | ||||||
| 7 | Sec. 22-87. Graduation requirements; Free Application for | ||||||
| 8 | Federal Student Aid. | ||||||
| 9 | (a) Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, in addition | ||||||
| 10 | to any other requirements under this Code, as a prerequisite | ||||||
| 11 | to receiving a high school diploma from a public high school, | ||||||
| 12 | the parent or guardian of each student or, if a student is at | ||||||
| 13 | least 18 years of age or legally emancipated, the student must | ||||||
| 14 | comply with either of the following: | ||||||
| 15 | (1) File a Free Application for Federal Student Aid | ||||||
| 16 | with the United States Department of Education or, if | ||||||
| 17 | applicable, an application for State financial aid. | ||||||
| 18 | (2) On a form created by the State Board of Education, | ||||||
| 19 | file a waiver with the student's school district | ||||||
| 20 | indicating that the parent or guardian or, if applicable, | ||||||
| 21 | the student understands what the Free Application for | ||||||
| 22 | Federal Student Aid and application for State financial | ||||||
| 23 | aid are and has chosen not to file an application under | ||||||
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| 1 | paragraph (1). | ||||||
| 2 | (b) Each school district with a high school must require | ||||||
| 3 | each high school student to comply with this Section and must | ||||||
| 4 | provide to each high school student and, if applicable, his or | ||||||
| 5 | her parent or guardian any support or assistance necessary to | ||||||
| 6 | comply with this Section. A school district must award a high | ||||||
| 7 | school diploma to a student who is unable to meet the | ||||||
| 8 | requirements of subsection (a) due to extenuating | ||||||
| 9 | circumstances, as determined by the school district, if (i) | ||||||
| 10 | the student has met all other graduation requirements under | ||||||
| 11 | this Code and (ii) the principal attests that the school | ||||||
| 12 | district has made a good faith effort to assist the student or, | ||||||
| 13 | if applicable, his or her parent or guardian in filing an | ||||||
| 14 | application or a waiver under subsection (a). | ||||||
| 15 | (c) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to | ||||||
| 16 | implement this Section. | ||||||
| 17 | (d) For the 2023-2024 school year, this Section does not | ||||||
| 18 | apply. | ||||||
| 19 | (Source: P.A. 101-180, eff. 6-1-20; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21.) | ||||||
| 20 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
| 21 | becoming law. | ||||||