State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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92_HB0154

 
                                               LRB9200699NTks

 1        AN ACT concerning scholarships.

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

 4        Section  5.  The  School  Code  is  amended  by  changing
 5    Section 30-14.2 as follows:

 6        (105 ILCS 5/30-14.2) (from Ch. 122, par. 30-14.2)
 7        Sec. 30-14.2. MIA/POW scholarships.
 8        (a)  Any spouse, natural child, legally adopted child, or
 9    any step-child of an eligible veteran  or  serviceperson  who
10    possesses  all  necessary  entrance  requirements shall, upon
11    application and proper proof, be awarded a State of  Illinois
12    MIA/POW   Scholarship  consisting  of  the  equivalent  of  4
13    calendar  years  of  full-time  enrollment  including  summer
14    terms, to the state supported Illinois institution of  higher
15    learning  of  his  or her choice, subject to the restrictions
16    listed in this Section below. However, if the spouse or child
17    of an  eligible  veteran  or  serviceperson  has  received  a
18    similar  higher  educational benefit from another state prior
19    to applying for a State of Illinois MIA/POW Scholarship,  the
20    amount  of  time that the spouse or child received the higher
21    educational benefit from the other state shall be  subtracted
22    from  the  4  calendar years of full-time enrollment that the
23    State of Illinois MIA/POW Scholarship offers.
24        "Eligible veteran or serviceperson" means any veteran  or
25    serviceperson  who  has been declared by the U. S. Department
26    of Defense or the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs to  be
27    a  prisoner  of  war,  be missing in action, have died as the
28    result of a service-connected disability  or  be  permanently
29    disabled  from  service-connected causes with 100% disability
30    and who at the time  of  entering  service  was  an  Illinois
31    resident  or  was  an  Illinois  resident  within 6 months of
 
                            -2-                LRB9200699NTks
 1    entering such service.
 2        Full-time enrollment means 12 or more semester  hours  of
 3    courses  per semester, or 12 or more quarter hours of courses
 4    per  quarter,   or   the   equivalent   thereof   per   term.
 5    Scholarships  utilized  by  dependents  enrolled in less than
 6    full-time study shall be computed in the proportion which the
 7    number of hours so carried bears to full-time enrollment.
 8        Scholarships awarded under this Section may be used by  a
 9    spouse  or child without regard to his or her age. To qualify
10    for a State of Illinois MIA/POW Scholarship, (i) the eligible
11    veteran or serviceperson must have been  a  resident  of  the
12    State  of  Illinois at the time of entering service, within 6
13    months of entering such service, or at the time of  death  or
14    (ii)  the  veteran or serviceperson or the spouse or child of
15    the veteran or serviceperson must be a resident of the  State
16    of  Illinois  at  the  time  of  application. The holder of a
17    Scholarship awarded under this Section shall  be  subject  to
18    all   examinations  and  academic  standards,  including  the
19    maintenance of minimum  grade  levels,  that  are  applicable
20    generally   to   other  enrolled  students  at  the  Illinois
21    institution of higher learning where the Scholarship is being
22    used. If a the surviving spouse remarries or if  there  is  a
23    divorce  between  the veteran or serviceperson and his or her
24    spouse while the spouse dependent  is  pursuing  his  or  her
25    course  of  study,  the spouse's Scholarship benefits will be
26    terminated at the end of the term for  which  he  or  she  is
27    presently  enrolled.  Such Dependents shall also be entitled,
28    upon proper proof and application, to enroll in any extension
29    course offered by a State supported Illinois  institution  of
30    higher learning without payment of tuition and approved fees.
31        The  holder  of  a  State of Illinois MIA/POW Scholarship
32    authorized under this Section shall not be  required  to  pay
33    any  matriculation  or  application fees, tuition, activities
34    fees, graduation fees  or  other  fees,  except  multipurpose
 
                            -3-                LRB9200699NTks
 1    building fees or similar fees for supplies and materials.
 2        Any dependent who has been or shall be awarded a State of
 3    Illinois    MIA/POW  Scholarship  shall  be reimbursed by the
 4    appropriate institution of higher learning for any fees which
 5    he or she has paid and for which exemption is  granted  under
 6    this  Section if application for reimbursement is made within
 7    2 months following the end of the school term for  which  the
 8    fees were paid.
 9        (b)  In  lieu  of the benefit provided in subsection (a),
10    any  spouse,  natural  child,  legally  adopted   child,   or
11    step-child  of  an  eligible  veteran or serviceperson, which
12    spouse or child  has  a  physical,  mental  or  developmental
13    disability,  shall  be  entitled to receive, upon application
14    and proper proof, a benefit to be used  for  the  purpose  of
15    defraying  the  cost  of  the attendance or treatment of such
16    spouse or child  at  one  or  more  appropriate  therapeutic,
17    rehabilitative  or  educational  facilities.  The application
18    and proof may be made by the parent or legal guardian of  the
19    spouse or child on his or her behalf.
20        The  total benefit provided to any beneficiary under this
21    subsection shall not exceed the cost equivalent of 4 calendar
22    years of full-time enrollment, including summer terms, at the
23    University of Illinois.  Whenever practicable in the  opinion
24    of  the  Department of Veterans' Affairs, payment of benefits
25    under this subsection shall be made directly to the facility,
26    the cost  of  attendance  or  treatment  at  which  is  being
27    defrayed, as such costs accrue.
28        (c)  The  benefits  of this Section shall be administered
29    by and paid for out of funds made available to  the  Illinois
30    Department  of Veterans' Affairs. The amounts that become due
31    to  any  state  supported  Illinois  institution  of   higher
32    learning   shall  be  payable  by  the  Comptroller  to  such
33    institution on vouchers approved by the  Illinois  Department
34    of  Veterans'  Affairs.   The  amounts  that become due under
 
                            -4-                LRB9200699NTks
 1    subsection (b) of this Section shall be  payable  by  warrant
 2    upon  vouchers issued by the Illinois Department of Veterans'
 3    Affairs  and  approved  by  the  Comptroller.   The  Illinois
 4    Department  of  Veterans'   Affairs   shall   determine   the
 5    eligibility  of  the  persons  who  make  application for the
 6    benefits provided for in this Section.
 7    (Source: P.A. 89-267, eff. 1-1-96.)

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