093_HB0918eng HB0918 Engrossed LRB093 07120 NHT 07274 b 1 AN ACT relating to public community colleges. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Public Community College Act is amended 5 by changing Section 2-16.02 as follows: 6 (110 ILCS 805/2-16.02) (from Ch. 122, par. 102-16.02) 7 Sec. 2-16.02. State grants. Any community college 8 district that maintains a community college recognized by the 9 State Board shall receive, when eligible, grants enumerated 10 in this Section. Funded semester credit hours or other 11 measures or both as specified by the State Board shall be 12 used to distribute grants to community colleges. Funded 13 semester credit hours shall be defined, for purposes of this 14 Section, as the greater of (1) the number of semester credit 15 hours, or equivalent, in all funded instructional categories 16 of students who have been certified as being in attendance 17 at midterm during the respective terms of the base fiscal 18 year or (2) the average of semester credit hours, or 19 equivalent, in all funded instructional categories of 20 students who have been certified as being in attendance at 21 midterm during the respective terms of the base fiscal year 22 and the 2 prior fiscal years. For purposes of this Section, 23 "base fiscal year" means the fiscal year 2 years prior to the 24 fiscal year for which the grants are appropriated. Such 25 students shall have been residents of Illinois and shall have 26 been enrolled in courses that are part of instructional 27 program categories approved by the State Board and that are 28 applicable toward an associate degree or certificate. 29 Courses are not eligible for reimbursement where the district 30 receives federal or State financing or both, except financing 31 through the State Board, for 50% or more of the program costs HB0918 Engrossed -2- LRB093 07120 NHT 07274 b 1 with the exception of courses offered by contract with the 2 Department of Corrections in correctional institutions. Base 3 operating grants shall be paid based on rates per funded 4 semester credit hour or equivalent calculated by the State 5 Board for funded instructional categories using cost of 6 instruction, enrollment, inflation, and other relevant 7 factors. A portion of the base operating grant shall be 8 allocated on the basis of non-residential gross square 9 footage of space maintained by the district. 10 Equalization grants shall be calculated by the State 11 Board by determining a local revenue factor for each district 12 by: (A) adding (1) each district's Corporate Personal 13 Property Replacement Fund allocations from the base fiscal 14 year or the average of the base fiscal year and prior year, 15 whichever is less, divided by the applicable statewide 16 average tax rate to (2) the district's most recently audited 17 year's equalized assessed valuation or the average of the 18 most recently audited year and prior year, whichever is less, 19 (B) then dividing by the district's audited full-time 20 equivalent resident students for the base fiscal year or the 21 average for the base fiscal year and the 2 prior fiscal 22 years, whichever is greater, and (C) then multiplying by the 23 applicable statewide average tax rate. The State Board shall 24 calculate a statewide weighted average threshold by applying 25 the same methodology to the totals of all districts' 26 Corporate Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund allocations, 27 equalized assessed valuations, and audited full-time 28 equivalent district resident students and multiplying by the 29 applicable statewide average tax rate. The difference 30 between the statewide weighted average threshold and the 31 local revenue factor, multiplied by the number of full-time 32 equivalent resident students, shall determine the amount of 33 equalization funding that each district is eligible to 34 receive. A percentage factor, as determined by the State HB0918 Engrossed -3- LRB093 07120 NHT 07274 b 1 Board, may be applied to the statewide threshold as a method 2 for allocating equalization funding. A minimum equalization 3 grant of an amount per district as determined by the State 4 Board shall be established for any community college district 5 which qualifies for an equalization grant based upon the 6 preceding criteria, but becomes ineligible for equalization 7 funding, or would have received a grant of less than the 8 minimum equalization grant, due to threshold prorations 9 applied to reduce equalization funding. As of July 1, 1997, 10 community college districts must maintain a minimum required 11 in-district tuition rate per semester credit hour as 12 determined by the State Board. For each fiscal year between 13 July 1, 1997 and June 30, 2001, districts not meeting the 14 minimum required rate will be subject to a percent reduction 15 of equalization funding as determined by the State Board. As 16 of July 1, 2001, districts must meet the required minimum 17 in-district tuition rate to qualify for equalization funding. 18 The State Board shall distribute such other grants as may 19 be authorized or appropriated by the General Assembly. 20 Each community college district entitled to State grants 21 under this Section must submit a report of its enrollment to 22 the State Board not later than 30 days following the end of 23 each semester, quarter, or term in a format prescribed by the 24 State Board. These semester credit hours, or equivalent, 25 shall be certified by each district on forms provided by the 26 State Board. Each district's certified semester credit 27 hours, or equivalent, are subject to audit pursuant to 28 Section 3-22.1. 29 The State Board shall certify, prepare, and submit to the 30 State Comptroller during August, November, February, and May 31 of each fiscal year vouchers setting forth an amount equal to 32 25% of the grants approved by the State Board for base 33 operating grants and equalization grants. The State Board 34 shall prepare and submit to the State Comptroller vouchers HB0918 Engrossed -4- LRB093 07120 NHT 07274 b 1 for payments of other grants as appropriated by the General 2 Assembly. If the amount appropriated for grants is different 3 from the amount provided for such grants under this Act, the 4 grants shall be proportionately reduced or increased 5 accordingly. 6 For the purposes of this Section, "resident student" 7 means a student in a community college district who maintains 8 residency in that district or meets other residency 9 definitions established by the State Board, and who was 10 enrolled either in one of the approved instructional program 11 categories in that district, or in another community college 12 district to which the resident's district is paying tuition 13 under Section 6-2 or with which the resident's district has 14 entered into a cooperative agreement in lieu of such tuition. 15 For the purposes of this Section, a "full-time 16 equivalent" student is equal to 30 semester credit hours. 17 The Illinois Community College Board Contracts and Grants 18 Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury. Items of 19 income to this fund shall include any grants, awards, 20 endowments, or like proceeds, and where appropriate, other 21 funds made available through contracts with governmental, 22 public, and private agencies or persons. The General 23 Assembly shall from time to time make appropriations payable 24 from such fund for the support, improvement, and expenses of 25 the State Board and Illinois community college districts. 26 (Source: P.A. 89-141, eff. 7-14-95; 89-281, eff. 8-10-95; 27 89-473, eff. 6-18-96; 89-626, eff. 8-9-96; 90-468, eff. 28 8-17-97; 90-486, eff. 8-17-97; 90-497, eff. 8-18-97; 90-587, 29 eff. 8-7-98 (contingent upon 90-720); 90-655, eff. 7-30-98; 30 90-720, eff. 8-7-98.)