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| Public Act 093-0856 |
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AN ACT concerning higher education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is | ||||
amended by changing Section 45 as follows:
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(110 ILCS 947/45)
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Sec. 45. Illinois National Guard grant program.
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(a) As used in this Section:
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"State controlled university or community college" means | ||||
those
institutions under the administration of the Chicago | ||||
State University Board
of Trustees, the Eastern Illinois | ||||
University Board of Trustees, the Governors
State University | ||||
Board of Trustees, the Illinois State University Board of
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Trustees, the Northeastern Illinois University Board of | ||||
Trustees, the Northern
Illinois University Board of Trustees, | ||||
the Western Illinois University Board of
Trustees, Southern | ||||
Illinois University
Board of Trustees, University of Illinois | ||||
Board of Trustees, or the Illinois
Community College Board.
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"Tuition and fees" shall not include expenses for any | ||||
sectarian
or denominational instruction, the construction or | ||||
maintenance of sectarian
or denominational facilities, or any | ||||
other sectarian or denominational
purposes or activity.
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"Fees" means matriculation, graduation, activity, term, or | ||||
incidental fees.
Exemption shall not be granted from any other | ||||
fees, including book rental,
service, laboratory, supply, and | ||||
union building fees, hospital and medical
insurance fees, and | ||||
any fees established for the operation and maintenance of
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buildings, the income of which is pledged to the payment of | ||||
interest and
principal on bonds issued by the governing board | ||||
of any university or community
college.
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(b) Any enlisted person or
any company grade officer,
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including warrant officers, First and Second Lieutenants, and | ||||
Captains in
the Army and Air National Guard, who has served at | ||
least one
year in the
Illinois National Guard and who possesses | ||
all necessary
entrance requirements shall, upon application | ||
and proper proof, be
awarded a grant to the State-controlled | ||
university or community
college of his or her choice, | ||
consisting of exemption from tuition and
fees for not more than | ||
the equivalent of 4 years of full-time enrollment
in relation | ||
to his or her course of study at that State controlled
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university or community college while he or she is a member of | ||
the Illinois
National Guard. Except as otherwise provided in | ||
this Section, if
If the recipient of any grant awarded under | ||
this Section
ceases to be a member of the Illinois National | ||
Guard while enrolled in a
course of study under that grant, the | ||
grant shall be terminated as of the date
membership in the | ||
Illinois National Guard ended, and the recipient shall be
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permitted to complete the school term in which he or she is | ||
then enrolled only
upon payment of tuition and other fees | ||
allocable to the part of the term then
remaining.
If the | ||
recipient of a grant awarded under this Section ceases to be a | ||
member of the Illinois National Guard while enrolled in a | ||
course of study under that grant but (i) has served in the | ||
Illinois National Guard for at least 5 years and (ii) has | ||
served a cumulative total of at least 6 months of active duty, | ||
then that recipient shall continue to be eligible for a grant | ||
for one year after membership in the Illinois National Guard | ||
ended, provided that the recipient has not already received the | ||
exemption from tuition and fees for the equivalent of 4 years | ||
of full-time enrollment under this Section. If the recipient of | ||
the grant fails to complete his or her
military
service | ||
obligations or requirements for satisfactory participation, | ||
the
Department of Military Affairs shall require the recipient | ||
to repay the amount
of the grant received, prorated according | ||
to the fraction of the service
obligation not completed, and, | ||
if applicable, reasonable collection fees. The
Department of | ||
Military Affairs may adopt rules relating to its
collection | ||
activities for repayment of the grant under this Section.
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Unsatisfactory participation shall be defined by rules adopted
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by the Department of Military Affairs. Repayments shall be | ||
deposited
in the National Guard Grant Fund. The National Guard | ||
Grant Fund is created as
a special fund in the State treasury. | ||
All money in the National Guard Grant
Fund shall be used, | ||
subject to appropriation, by the Department of Military
Affairs | ||
for the purposes of this Section.
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A grant awarded under this Section shall be considered an | ||
entitlement
which the State-controlled university or community | ||
college in which the
holder is enrolled shall honor without any | ||
condition other than the
holder's maintenance of minimum grade | ||
levels and a satisfactory student
loan repayment record | ||
pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 20 of this
Act.
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(c) Subject to a separate appropriation for such purposes, | ||
the
Commission may reimburse the State-controlled university | ||
or community
college for grants authorized by this Section.
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(Source: P.A. 92-589, eff. 7-1-02.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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