HB0456 EngrossedLRB100 04788 NHT 14797 b

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 adding Section 65.95 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 947/65.95 new)
7    Sec. 65.95. Need-based grant program.
8    (a) In this Section, "cost of attendance" means the tuition
9and fee, room and board, and book and supply costs related to a
10student's attendance at a public university.
11    (b) Beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year, the
12Commission shall, each year, consider applications for grant
13assistance under this Section. An applicant is eligible for a
14grant under this Section if the Commission finds that the
15applicant meets all of the following qualifications:
16        (1) He or she is a United States citizen or eligible
17    noncitizen.
18        (2) He or she is a resident of this State.
19        (3) He or she is enrolled, for at least 15 credit
20    hours, in a public university and has not earned a
21    bachelor's degree yet. A grant recipient must submit proof
22    to the Commission each semester that he or she is still
23    enrolled in the university.

 

 

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1        (4) He or she demonstrates financial need, as
2    determined by the Commission, and his or her household
3    income is less than the poverty guidelines updated
4    periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department
5    of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42
6    U.S.C. 9902(2).
7        (5) He or she maintains satisfactory academic
8    progress, as determined by the university.
9    (c) Subject to appropriation, each year the Commission
10shall award grants under this Section among applicants
11qualified pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section. The
12Commission shall receive funding for the grants through
13appropriations.
14    (d) Each grant awarded under this Section shall be in an
15amount sufficient to pay the cost of attendance at the
16university in which the student is enrolled for 2 semesters of
17enrollment within an academic year. However, the total amount
18of grant assistance awarded by the Commission under this
19Section to an individual for any given academic year, when
20added to other financial assistance awarded to that individual
21for that year, shall not exceed the cost of attendance at the
22university at which the student is enrolled. If, in any fiscal
23year, the amount appropriated for grants is less than the
24amount determined necessary to cover the cost of attendance for
25all eligible applicants, then the grants shall be
26proportionately reduced accordingly.

 

 

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1    (e) Payment of any grant under this Section shall be
2determined by the Commission. All grant funds distributed in
3accordance with this Section shall be paid to the university on
4behalf of the recipient.
5    (f) The Commission shall administer the grant program
6established by this Section and shall make all necessary and
7proper rules not inconsistent with this Section for its
8effective implementation.