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| [ Introduced ] | [ Senate Amendment 001 ] |
92_HB5514eng HB5514 Engrossed LRB9211518ACcd 1 AN ACT concerning education. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act 5 is amended by changing Section 40 as follows: 6 (110 ILCS 947/40) 7 Sec. 40. Veteran grant; availability of benefits. Any 8 person who served in the armed forces of the United States, 9 not including members of the Student Army Training Corps, who 10 at the time of entering service was an Illinois resident or 11 was an Illinois resident within 6 months of entering such 12 service, and who returned to Illinois within 6 months after 13 leaving service or, if married to a person in continued 14 military service stationed outside Illinois, within 6 months 15 after his or her spouse has left service or has been 16 stationed within Illinois, and who has been honorably 17 discharged from such service, and who possesses all necessary 18 entrance requirements shall, except as otherwise provided in 19 this Act, upon application and proper proof, be awarded an 20 Illinois Veteran Grant consisting of the equivalent of 4 21 calendar years of full-time enrollment, including summer 22 terms, to the State-controlled college or university or 23 community college of his choice. Such veterans shall also be 24 entitled, upon proper proof and application, to enroll in any 25 extension course offered by a State-controlled college or 26 university or community college without the payment of 27 tuition or fees. 28 Any veteran who so served, and who, at the time of 29 entering such service, was a student at a State-controlled 30 college or university or community college, and who was 31 honorably discharged from such service, shall, upon HB5514 Engrossed -2- LRB9211518ACcd 1 application and proper proof be awarded a Veteran Grant 2 entitling him to complete his course of study at any 3 State-controlled college or university or community college 4 of his choice, but shall not be entitled to a grant 5 consisting of more than the equivalent of 4 calendar years of 6 full-time enrollment including summer sessions. 7 Any member of the armed forces of the United States who 8 either (i) has served in such armed forces at least one year, 9 or (ii) has served in the armed forces of the United States 10 for less than one year in a time of hostilities in a foreign 11 country, and who would be qualified for a grant under this 12 Section if he had been discharged from such service shall be 13 eligible to receive a Veteran Grant under this Section. 14 The holder of a Veteran Grant to the State-controlled 15 college or university or community college of his choice as 16 authorized under this Section shall not be required to pay 17 any matriculation or application fees, tuition, activities 18 fees, graduation fees, or other fees except multipurpose 19 building fees or similar fees for supplies and materials. 20 Any veteran who has been or shall be awarded a Veteran 21 Grant shall be reimbursed by the appropriate college, 22 university, or community college for any fees which he has 23 paid and for which exemption is granted under this Section, 24 if application for reimbursement is made within 2 months 25 following the school term for which the fees were paid. 26 A Veteran Grant shall be considered an entitlement which 27 the State-controlled college or university or community 28 college in which the holder is enrolled shall honor without 29 any condition other than the holder's maintenance of minimum 30 grade levels and a satisfactory student loan repayment record 31 pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 20. 32 A grant authorized under this Section shall not be 33 awarded to veterans who received a discharge from the armed 34 forces of the United States under dishonorable conditions, or HB5514 Engrossed -3- LRB9211518ACcd 1 to any veteran whose service with the armed forces was for 2 less than one year unless he received an honorable discharge 3 from such service for medical reasons directly connected with 4 such service, except for those veterans discharged prior to 5 August 11, 1967 whose service may be for less than one year, 6 and except for those veterans (i) who serve in the armed 7 forces of the United States for less than one year in a time 8 of hostilities in a foreign country and (ii) who receive an 9 honorable discharge. 10 The amounts that become due to any State-controlled 11 college or university or community college shall be payable 12 by the Comptroller to that institution on vouchers approved 13 by the Commission. The Commission, or its designated 14 representative at that institution, shall determine the 15 eligibility of the persons who make application for the 16 benefits provided for in this Section. The Department of 17 Veterans' Affairs shall assist the Commission in determining 18 the eligibility of applicants. On July 29, 1986, the 19 Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs shall transfer and 20 deliver to the Commission all books, records, papers, 21 documents, applications and pending business in any way 22 pertaining to the duties, responsibilities and authority 23 theretofore exercised or performed by the Illinois Department 24 of Veterans' Affairs under and pursuant to Section 4.1 of the 25 Department of Veterans Affairs Act. 26 The benefits provided for in this Section shall be 27 available as long as the federal government provides 28 educational benefits to veterans. No benefits shall be paid 29 under this Section, except for veterans who already have 30 begun their education under this Section, after 6 months 31 following the termination of educational benefits to veterans 32 by the federal government. If the federal government 33 terminates educational benefits to veterans and at a later 34 time resumes those benefits, the benefits of this Section HB5514 Engrossed -4- LRB9211518ACcd 1 shall resume. 2 As used in this Section, "time of hostilities in a 3 foreign country" means any action by the armed forces of the 4 United States that is recognized by the issuance of a 5 Presidential proclamation or a Presidential executive order 6 and in which the armed forces expeditionary medal or other 7 campaign service medals are awarded according to Presidential 8 executive order. 9 (Source: P.A. 90-752, eff. 8-14-98; 91-496, eff. 8-13-99.)