95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB0437


 
Introduced 2/8/2007, by Sen. Edward D. Maloney
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 		














110 ILCS 947/25









    Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act.  Provides that, subject to appropriation, each State Scholar who enrolls or is enrolled in an institution of higher learning in this State shall also receive a one-time grant of $1,000 to be applied to tuition and mandatory fees and paid directly to the institution of higher learning. Adds a provision concerning the rulemaking authority of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission as it relates to the State Scholar Program.
















LRB095 10765 RAS 31007 b

















FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
















 


 


A BILL FOR









 











SB0437

LRB095 10765 RAS 31007 b






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    AN ACT concerning education.

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


 
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    Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is 
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amended  by changing Section 25 as follows:
 



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    (110 ILCS 947/25)



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    Sec. 25. State scholar program. 

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    (a) An applicant is eligible to be designated a State 
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Scholar when the
Commission finds the candidate:


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        (1) is a resident of this State and a citizen or 
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    permanent resident of the
United States;


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        (2) has successfully completed the program of 
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    instruction at an
approved high school, or is a student in 
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    good standing at such a school and
is engaged in a program 
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    which in due course will be completed by the end of
the 
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    academic year, and in either event that the candidate's 
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    academic
standing is above the class median; and that the 
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    candidate has not had any
university, college, normal 
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    school, private junior college or public community

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    college, or other advanced training subsequent to 
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    graduation from high school;
and


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        (3) has superior capacity to profit by a higher 
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    education.

 


 






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    (b) In determining an applicant's superior capacity to 
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profit by a
higher education, the Commission shall consider the 
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candidate's
scholastic record in high school and the results of 
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the examination conducted
under the provisions of this Act. The 
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Commission shall establish by rule the
minimum conditions of 
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eligibility in terms of the foregoing factors, and the
relative 
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weight to be accorded to those factors.

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    (c) The Commission shall base its State Scholar 
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designations upon the
eligibility formula prescribed in its 
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rules, except that notwithstanding
those rules or any other 
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provision of this Section, a student nominated by
his or her 
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school shall be designated a State Scholar if that student

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achieves an Illinois Standard Test Score at or above the 95th 
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percentile
among students taking the designated examinations 
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in Illinois that year, as
determined by the Commission.

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    (d) The Commission shall obtain the results of a 
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competitive examination
from the applicants this Act. The 
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examination shall provide a measure of each
candidate's ability 
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to perform college work and shall have demonstrated utility
in 
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such a selection program. The Commission shall select, and 
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designate by
rule, the specific examinations to be used in 
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determining the applicant's
superior capacity to profit from a 
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higher education. Candidates may be asked by
the Commission to 
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take those steps necessary to provide results of the
designated 
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examination as part of their applications. Any nominal cost of

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obtaining or providing the examination results shall be paid by 
 


 






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the candidate
to the agency designated by the Commission to 
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provide the examination service.
In the event that a candidate 
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or candidates are unable to participate in the
examination for 
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financial reasons, the Commission may choose to pay the

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examination fee on the candidate's or candidates' behalf. Any 
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notary fee which
may also be required as part of the total 
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application shall be paid by the
applicant.

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    (e) The Commission shall award to each State Scholar a 
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certificate or other
suitable form of recognition. The decision 
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to attend a non-qualified
institution of higher learning shall 
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not disqualify applicants who are
otherwise fully qualified.

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    (f) Subject to appropriation, each State Scholar who 
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enrolls or is enrolled in an institution of higher learning in 
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this State shall also receive a one-time grant of $1,000 to be 
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applied to tuition and mandatory fees and paid directly to the 
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institution of higher learning.
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    (g) The Commission shall adopt all necessary and proper 
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rules not inconsistent with this Section for its effective 
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implementation.

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(Source: P.A. 87-997.)