093_HB2329ham001 LRB093 07684 NHT 12822 a 1 AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 2329 2 AMENDMENT NO. . Amend House Bill 2329 by replacing 3 everything after the enacting clause with the following: 4 "Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act 5 is amended by changing Section 35 as follows: 6 (110 ILCS 947/35) 7 Sec. 35. Monetary award program. 8 (a) The Commission shall, each year, receive and 9 consider applications for grant assistance under this 10 Section. Subject to a separate appropriation for such 11 purposes, an applicant is eligible for a grant under this 12 Section ifwhenthe Commission finds that the applicant: 13 (1) is a resident of this State and a citizen or 14 permanent resident of the United States; and 15 (2) in the absence of grant assistance, will be 16 deterred by financial considerations from completing an 17 educational program at the qualified institution of his 18 or her choice. 19 (b) The Commission shall award renewals only upon the 20 student's application and upon the Commission's finding that 21 the applicant: 22 (1) has remained a student in good standing; -2- LRB093 07684 NHT 12822 a 1 (2) remains a resident of this State; and 2 (3) is in a financial situation that continues to 3 warrant assistance. 4 (c) All grants shall be applicable only to tuition and 5 necessary fee costs for 2 semesters or 3 quarters in an 6 academic year. Requests for summer term assistance will be 7 made separately and shall be considered on an individual 8 basis according to Commission policy. Each student who is 9 awarded a grant under this Section and is enrolled in summer 10 school classes shall be eligible for a summer school grant. 11 The summer school grant amount shall not exceed the lesser of 12 50 percent of the maximum annual grant amount authorized by 13 this Section or the actual cost of tuition and fees at the 14 institution at which the student is enrolled at least 15 part-time. For the regular academic year, the Commission 16 shall determine the grant amount for each full-time and 17 part-time student, which shall be the smallest of the 18 following amounts: 19 (1) $4,968 for 2 semesters or 3 quarters of 20 full-time undergraduate enrollment or $2,484 for 2 21 semesters or 3 quarters of part-time undergraduate 22 enrollment, or such lesser amount as the Commission finds 23 to be available; or 24 (2) the amount which equals the 2 semesters or 3 25 quarters tuition and other necessary fees required 26 generally by the institution of all full-time 27 undergraduate students, or in the case of part-time 28 students an amount of tuition and fees for 2 semesters or 29 3 quarters which shall not exceed one-half the amount of 30 tuition and necessary fees generally charged to full-time 31 undergraduate students by the institution; or 32 (3) such amount as the Commission finds to be 33 appropriate in view of the applicant's financial 34 resources. -3- LRB093 07684 NHT 12822 a 1 "Tuition and other necessary fees" as used in this Section 2 include the customary charge for instruction and use of 3 facilities in general, and the additional fixed fees charged 4 for specified purposes, which are required generally of 5 nongrant recipients for each academic period for which the 6 grant applicant actually enrolls, but do not include fees 7 payable only once or breakage fees and other contingent 8 deposits which are refundable in whole or in part. The 9 Commission may prescribe, by rule not inconsistent with this 10 Section, detailed provisions concerning the computation of 11 tuition and other necessary fees. 12 (d) No applicant, including those presently receiving 13 scholarship assistance under this Act, is eligible for 14 monetary award program consideration under this Act after 15 receiving a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent of 10 16 semesters or 15 quarters of award payments. The Commission 17 shall determine when award payments for part-time enrollment 18 or interim or summer terms shall be counted as a partial 19 semester or quarter of payment. 20 (e) The Commission, in determining the number of grants 21 to be offered, shall take into consideration past experience 22 with the rate of grant funds unclaimed by recipients. The 23 Commission shall notify applicants that grant assistance is 24 contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds. 25 (f) The Commission may request appropriations for 26 deposit into the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund. Monies 27 deposited into the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund may be 28 expended exclusively for one purpose: to make Monetary Award 29 Program grants to eligible students. Amounts on deposit in 30 the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund may not exceed 2% of 31 the current annual State appropriation for the Monetary Award 32 Program. 33 The purpose of the Monetary Award Program Reserve Fund is 34 to enable the Commission each year to assure as many students -4- LRB093 07684 NHT 12822 a 1 as possible of their eligibility for a Monetary Award Program 2 grant and to do so before commencement of the academic year. 3 Moneys deposited in this Reserve Fund are intended to enhance 4 the Commission's management of the Monetary Award Program, 5 minimizing the necessity, magnitude, and frequency of 6 adjusting award amounts and ensuring that the annual Monetary 7 Award Program appropriation can be fully utilized. 8 (g) The Commission shall determine the eligibility of 9 and make grants to applicants enrolled at qualified 10 for-profit institutions in accordance with the criteria set 11 forth in this Section. The eligibility of applicants 12 enrolled at such for-profit institutions shall be limited as 13 follows: 14 (1) Beginning with the academic year 1997, only to 15 eligible first-time freshmen and first-time transfer 16 students who have attained an associate degree. 17 (2) Beginning with the academic year 1998, only to 18 eligible freshmen students, transfer students who have 19 attained an associate degree, and students who receive a 20 grant under paragraph (1) for the academic year 1997 and 21 whose grants are being renewed for the academic year 22 1998. 23 (3) Beginning with the academic year 1999, to all 24 eligible students. 25 (Source: P.A. 91-249, eff. 7-22-99; 91-250, eff. 7-22-99; 26 91-357, eff. 7-29-99; 91-747, eff. 7-1-00; 92-45, eff. 27 7-1-01.) 28 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 29 becoming law.".