96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
SB3947

 

Introduced 9/16/2010, by Sen. James F. Clayborne, Jr.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 947/40

    Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. With respect to Veteran grants, provides that a person who otherwise qualifies for a grant and who elects not to utilize the Illinois Veteran Grant program or any federal program that provides tuition payments or assistance to veterans may relinquish his or her entitlement to the grant and instead transfer that entitlement to his or her natural child, legally adopted child, or step-child.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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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 changing Section 40 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 947/40)
7    Sec. 40. Illinois Veteran grant program.
8    (a) As used in this Section:
9    "Qualified applicant" means a person who served in the
10Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve component of the
11Armed Forces, or the Illinois National Guard, excluding members
12of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and those whose only
13service has been attendance at a service academy, and who meets
14all of the following qualifications:
15        (1) At the time of entering federal active duty service
16    the person was one of the following:
17            (A) An Illinois resident.
18            (B) An Illinois resident within 6 months of
19        entering such service.
20            (C) Enrolled at a State-controlled university or
21        public community college in this State.
22        (2) The person meets one of the following requirements:
23            (A) He or she served at least one year of federal

 

 

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1        active duty.
2            (B) He or she served less than one year of federal
3        active duty and received an honorable discharge for
4        medical reasons directly connected with such service.
5            (C) He or she served less than one year of federal
6        active duty and was discharged prior to August 11,
7        1967.
8            (D) He or she served less than one year of federal
9        active duty in a foreign country during a time of
10        hostilities in that foreign country.
11        (3) The person received an honorable discharge after
12    leaving each period of federal active duty service.
13        (4) The person returned to this State within 6 months
14    after leaving federal active duty service, or, if married
15    to a person in continued military service stationed outside
16    this State, returned to this State within 6 months after
17    his or her spouse left service or was stationed within this
18    State.
19    "Time of hostilities" means any action by the Armed Forces
20of the United States that is recognized by the issuance of a
21Presidential proclamation or a Presidential executive order
22and in which the Armed Forces expeditionary medal or other
23campaign service medals are awarded according to Presidential
24executive order.
25    (b) A person who otherwise qualifies under subsection (a)
26of this Section but has not left federal active duty service

 

 

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1and has served at least one year of federal active duty or has
2served for less than one year of federal active duty in a
3foreign country during a time of hostilities in that foreign
4country and who can provide documentation demonstrating an
5honorable service record is eligible to receive assistance
6under this Section.
7    (b-5) A person who otherwise qualifies for a grant under
8subsection (a) or (b) of this Section and who elects not to
9utilize the Illinois Veteran grant program or any federal
10program that provides tuition payments or assistance to
11veterans may relinquish his or her entitlement to the grant and
12instead transfer that entitlement to his or her natural child,
13legally adopted child, or step-child.
14    (c) A qualified applicant is not required to pay any
15tuition or mandatory fees while attending a State-controlled
16university or public community college in this State for a
17period that is equivalent to 4 years of full-time enrollment,
18including summer terms.
19    A qualified applicant who has previously received benefits
20under this Section for a non-mandatory fee shall continue to
21receive benefits covering such fees while he or she is enrolled
22in a continuous program of study. The qualified applicant shall
23no longer receive a grant covering non-mandatory fees if he or
24she fails to enroll during an academic term, unless he or she
25is serving federal active duty service.
26    (d) A qualified applicant who has been or is to be awarded

 

 

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1assistance under this Section shall receive that assistance if
2the qualified applicant notifies his or her postsecondary
3institution of that fact by the end of the school term for
4which assistance is requested.
5    (e) Assistance under this Section is considered an
6entitlement that the State-controlled college or public
7community college in which the qualified applicant is enrolled
8shall honor without any condition other than the qualified
9applicant's maintenance of minimum grade levels and a
10satisfactory student loan repayment record pursuant to
11subsection (c) of Section 20 of this Act.
12    (f) The Commission shall administer the grant program
13established by this Section and shall make all necessary and
14proper rules not inconsistent with this Section for its
15effective implementation.
16    (g) All applications for assistance under this Section must
17be made to the Commission on forms that the Commission shall
18provide. The Commission shall determine the form of application
19and the information required to be set forth in the
20application, and the Commission shall require qualified
21applicants to submit with their applications any supporting
22documents that the Commission deems necessary. Upon request,
23the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall assist the Commission
24in determining the eligibility of applicants for assistance
25under this Section.
26    (h) Assistance under this Section is available as long as

 

 

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1the federal government provides educational benefits to
2veterans. Assistance must not be paid under this Section after
36 months following the termination of educational benefits to
4veterans by the federal government, except for persons who
5already have begun their education with assistance under this
6Section. If the federal government terminates educational
7benefits to veterans and at a later time resumes those
8benefits, assistance under this Section shall resume.
9(Source: P.A. 94-583, eff. 8-15-05.)