99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
SB2146

 

Introduced 5/31/2015, by Sen. Andy Manar

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
30 ILCS 105/5.866 new

    Creates the Illinois College Promise Program Act. Provides that the Illinois Community College Board shall administer the Program for Illinois residents seeking an associate's degree, certificate, or diploma from an eligible community college. Sets forth provisions concerning the eligibility requirements for a student to be awarded the Illinois College Promise scholarship. Sets forth provisions concerning the administration of the Illinois College Promise Scholarship Fund. Amends the State Finance Act. Creates the Illinois College Promise Scholarship Fund as a special fund in the State Treasury. Effective July 1, 2016.


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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 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Illinois College Promise Program Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
7    "Board" means Illinois Community College Board.
8    "Continuous enrollment" means a student has attended
9classes in the fall and spring semester of a single academic
10year; enrollment in summer semester or intersession terms is
11not required.
12    "Eligible high school" means:
13        (1) an Illinois public secondary school;
14        (2) a private secondary school that is located in
15    Illinois and is approved by the Board; or
16        (3) an out-of-state boarding school accredited by a
17    regional accrediting association that is attended by an
18    Illinois resident.
19    "Eligible community college" has the meaning provided in
20subsection (c) of Section 1-2 of the Public Community College
21Act.
22    "Full-time student" means a student at an eligible
23community college who is enrolled for at least 12 semester

 

 

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1hours during each semester of attendance.
2    "Fund" means the Illinois College Promise Scholarship
3Fund.
4    "Gift aid" means scholarships and grants from any source
5that do not require repayment, including, but not limited to,
6funds provided through the federal Foster Care Independence Act
7of 1999, compiled generally in Title 42 U.S.C., and other
8similar programs; "gift aid" does not include student loans and
9work-study awards.
10    "Scholarship" means the scholarship awarded under the
11Illinois College Promise Program.
12    "Program" means the Illinois College Promise Program.
 
13    Section 10. Requirements. The Board shall administer the
14Program for Illinois residents seeking an associate's degree,
15certificate, or diploma from an eligible community college
16under the following terms and conditions:
17        (1) To be eligible for the scholarship, a student shall
18    be admitted to and enrolled full-time in an eligible
19    community college in the fall term after receiving a high
20    school diploma, a certificate of high school graduation, or
21    a high school equivalency certificate. Exceptions to
22    initial enrollment may be made for extenuating
23    circumstances as provided in rules adopted by the Board.
24        (2) Students applying for the scholarship shall
25    complete the Illinois College Promise application in their

 

 

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1    initial year of enrollment. Students shall complete the
2    free application for federal student aid each academic year
3    in which they seek to receive Scholarship.
4        (3) To continue to receive Scholarship, a student shall
5    maintain satisfactory academic progress as determined by
6    the rules adopted by the Board.
7        (4) Subject to the moneys appropriated by the General
8    Assembly, a Scholarship shall be the cost of tuition and
9    mandatory fees at an eligible community college attended
10    less all other gift aid. Gift aid shall be credited first
11    to the student's tuition and mandatory fees.
12        (5) A student awarded a Scholarship under this Act who
13    has an approved medical or personal leave of absence from
14    an eligible community college may continue to receive the
15    scholarship upon resuming the student's education at an
16    eligible community college so long as the student continues
17    to meet all applicable eligibility requirements under this
18    Act and as adopted by the Board. The total of all approved
19    leaves of absence shall not exceed 6 months.
20        (6) A student shall be eligible for the Scholarship
21    until the occurrence of the first of the following events:
22            (A) the student has earned a certificate, diploma,
23        or associate degree; or
24            (B) the sum of the number of years the student
25        attended a postsecondary institution, exclusive of
26        approved leaves of absence, equals 2 years from the

 

 

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1        date of the student's initial enrollment at an eligible
2        community college.
3        (7) Except for a medical or personal leave of absence,
4    as approved by an eligible community college, a student
5    awarded a Scholarship under this Act shall maintain
6    continuous enrollment at an eligible community college.
7    The Board shall develop the selection and renewal criteria
8for students and adopt residency requirements, and shall have
9the authority to work with outside organizations to develop the
10most effective means for delivering the Scholarships.
 
11    Section 15. Illinois College Promise Scholarship Fund.
12There is created in the State treasury the Illinois College
13Promise Scholarship Fund, which shall consist of moneys
14appropriated annually by the General Assembly from the General
15Revenue Fund and any gifts, bequests, or donations. The State
16Treasurer shall be custodian of the fund. Moneys in the Fund
17shall be appropriated and used solely for the administration of
18the Program. The State Treasurer may invest moneys in the Fund.
19Any interest and moneys earned on such investments shall be
20credited to the Fund by the State Treasurer. Notwithstanding
21any other law to the contrary, the Illinois College Promise
22Scholarship Fund is not subject to sweeps, administrative
23charge-backs, or any other fiscal or budgetary maneuver that
24would in any way transfer any amounts from the Illinois College
25Promise Scholarship Fund into any other fund of the State.
 

 

 

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1    Section 20. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
2Section 5.866 as follows:
 
3    (30 ILCS 105/5.866 new)
4    Sec. 5.866. The Illinois College Promise Scholarship Fund.
 
5    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
62016.