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| Public Act 096-0315 |
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AN ACT concerning 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 25 as follows:
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(110 ILCS 947/25)
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Sec. 25. State scholar program.
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(a) An applicant is eligible to be designated a State | ||||
Scholar when the
Commission finds the candidate:
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(1) is a resident of this State, including a resident | ||||
attending a Department of Defense school, and a citizen or | ||||
permanent resident of the
United States;
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(2) has successfully completed the program of | ||||
instruction at an
approved high school, or is a student in | ||||
good standing at such a school and
is engaged in a program | ||||
which in due course will be completed by the end of
the | ||||
academic year, and in either event that the candidate's | ||||
academic
standing is above the class median; and that the | ||||
candidate has not had any
university, college, normal | ||||
school, private junior college or public community
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college, or other advanced training subsequent to | ||||
graduation from high school;
and
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(3) has superior capacity to profit by a higher | ||||
education.
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(b) In determining an applicant's superior capacity to | ||
profit by a
higher education, the Commission shall consider the | ||
candidate's
scholastic record in high school and the results of | ||
the examination conducted
under the provisions of this Act. The | ||
Commission shall establish by rule the
minimum conditions of | ||
eligibility in terms of the foregoing factors, and the
relative | ||
weight to be accorded to those factors.
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(c) The Commission shall base its State Scholar | ||
designations upon the
eligibility formula prescribed in its | ||
rules, except that notwithstanding
those rules or any other | ||
provision of this Section, a student nominated by
his or her | ||
school shall be designated a State Scholar if that student
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achieves an Illinois Standard Test Score at or above the 95th | ||
percentile
among students taking the designated examinations | ||
in Illinois that year, as
determined by the Commission.
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(d) The Commission shall obtain the results of a | ||
competitive examination
from the applicants. The examination | ||
shall provide a measure of each
candidate's ability to perform | ||
college work and shall have demonstrated utility
in such a | ||
selection program. The Commission shall select, and designate | ||
by
rule, the specific examinations to be used in determining | ||
the applicant's
superior capacity to profit from a higher | ||
education. Candidates may be asked by
the Commission to take | ||
those steps necessary to provide results of the
designated | ||
examination as part of their applications. Any nominal cost of
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obtaining or providing the examination results shall be paid by | ||
the candidate
to the agency designated by the Commission to | ||
provide the examination service.
In the event that a candidate | ||
or candidates are unable to participate in the
examination for | ||
financial reasons, the Commission may choose to pay the
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examination fee on the candidate's or candidates' behalf. Any | ||
notary fee which
may also be required as part of the total | ||
application shall be paid by the
applicant.
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(e) The Commission shall award to each State Scholar a | ||
certificate or other
suitable form of recognition. The decision | ||
to attend a non-qualified
institution of higher learning shall | ||
not disqualify applicants who are
otherwise fully qualified.
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(f) Subject to appropriation, each State Scholar who | ||
enrolls or is enrolled in an institution of higher learning in | ||
this State shall also receive a one-time grant of $1,000 to be | ||
applied to tuition and mandatory fees and paid directly to the | ||
institution of higher learning. However, a student who has been | ||
awarded a Merit Recognition Scholarship under Section 31 of | ||
this Act may not be awarded a grant under this subsection (f), | ||
although he or she may still be designated a State Scholar. | ||
(g)
(f) The Commission shall conduct a study detailing all | ||
of the following information: | ||
(1) The number of students designated State Scholars in | ||
2008 and 2009. | ||
(2) The number of State Scholars who applied to State | ||
universities in 2008 and 2009. | ||
(3) The number of State Scholars who were denied | ||
admittance into the State universities to which they | ||
applied in 2008 and 2009. | ||
All data collected from a State university in regards to | ||
the study conducted under this subsection (g)
(f) must be | ||
verified by that university. | ||
On or before January 1, 2010, the Commission must submit a | ||
report to the General Assembly that contains the findings of | ||
the study conducted under this subsection (g)
(f) and the | ||
Commission's recommendations on how to make State universities | ||
more accessible to State Scholars. | ||
(h)
(g) The Commission shall adopt all necessary and proper | ||
rules not inconsistent with this Section for its effective | ||
implementation.
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(Source: P.A. 95-715, eff. 1-1-09; 95-760, eff. 7-28-08; | ||
revised 9-5-08.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | ||
2009.
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