Public Act 098-0805
 
HB4652 EnrolledLRB098 16800 KTG 55350 b


  
    AN ACT concerning State government.
  
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:
  
 
 
    Section 5. The Children and Family Services Act is amended  
by changing Section 8 as follows:
 



    (20 ILCS 505/8)  (from Ch. 23, par. 5008)



    Sec. 8. Scholarships and fee waivers. Each year the 
Department shall select a minimum of 53 students (at least 4 of 
whom shall be children of veterans) to receive scholarships and 
fee waivers which will enable them to attend and complete their 
post-secondary education at a community college, university, 
or college. Youth shall be selected from among the youth for 
whom the Department has  court-ordered legal responsibility, 
may
select from among the youth under care, youth who aged out 
of care at age 18 or older, or youth formerly under care
who 
have been adopted or who have been placed in private 
guardianship. Recipients must or are in a guardianship 
placement, a
maximum of 48 students (at least 4 of whom shall 
be
children of veterans) who have earned a high school diploma 
from an accredited institution, a General Education 
Development certificate or diploma, or have met the State 
criteria for high school graduation before the start of the 
school year for which they are applying for the scholarship and 
waiver. a public school district or a recognized nonpublic 
school or a certificate of general education development (GED), 
or who have met the State criteria for high school graduation ; 
the youth selected shall be eligible for scholarships
and fee 
waivers which will entitle them to 4 consecutive years of 
community
college, university, or college education.  
Scholarships and fee waivers shall be available to students for 
at least 5 years, provided they are continuing to work toward 
graduation. Unused scholarship dollars and fee waivers shall be 
reallocated to new recipients. No later than January 1, 2015, 
the Department shall promulgate rules identifying the criteria 
for "continuing to work toward graduation", and for 
reallocating unused scholarships and fee waivers. Selection 
shall be made on the
basis of several factors, including, but 
not limited to, scholastic record, aptitude, and general 
interest in higher
education.  The selection committee shall 
include at least 2 individuals formerly under the care of the 
Department who have completed their post-secondary education. 
In accordance with this Act, tuition scholarships and fee 
waivers
shall be available to such students at any university 
or college maintained by
the State of Illinois.  The Department 
shall provide maintenance and school
expenses, except tuition 
and fees, during the academic years to supplement
the students' 
earnings or other resources so long as they consistently

maintain scholastic records which are acceptable to their 
schools and to
the Department.  Students may attend other 
colleges and universities, if
scholarships are awarded them, 
and receive the same benefits for maintenance
and other 
expenses as those students attending any Illinois State 
community
college, university, or college under this Section. 
Beginning with recipients receiving scholarships and waivers 
in August 2014, the Department shall collect data and report 
annually to the General Assembly on measures of success 
including (i) the number of youth applying for and receiving 
scholarships, (ii) the percentage of scholarship recipients 
who complete their college or university degree within 5 years, 
(iii) the average length of time it takes for scholarship 
recipients to complete their college or university degree, (iv) 
the reasons that scholarship recipients are discharged or fail 
to complete their college or university degree, (v) when 
available youths' outcomes 5 years and 10 years after being 
awarded the scholarships, and (vi) budget allocations for 
maintenance and school expenses incurred by the Department. 

(Source: P.A. 97-799, eff. 7-13-12.)