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 if when the 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.".