Bill Text: IL HB2503 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Enrolled

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Amends the Public Community College Act. Adds language to provide that if a resident of a community college district wants to attend the community college maintained by the district of his or her residence, but the student wants to enroll in a program that is not offered by that community college and the community college does not have a contractual agreement for such a program, then the student may attend any recognized public community college in any other district and shall pay tuition and fees at the rate of the sending college. Sets forth provisions concerning financial assistance; a program directory; programmatic differences; application; enrollment; completion of coursework; records and transcripts; the provision of services; athletic and other eligibility; and State grants. Makes conforming changes.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-06-30 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 103-0159 [HB2503 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB2503-Enrolled.html

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AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Public Community College Act is amended by
adding Section 6-1.5 and by changing Sections 6-2 and 6-4.1 as
follows:
(110 ILCS 805/6-1.5 new)
Sec. 6-1.5. Attending community college outside of
resident district.
(a) The purpose of this Section is to expand educational
services to the greatest number of students in each community
college district and maximize the utilization of the finances,
facilities, equipment, and personnel of each district to
provide educational services that might otherwise be
impracticable for a district individually. This Section is not
intended to limit the ability of any community college
district to establish new units of instruction, research, or
public service under Section 3-25.1 of this Act.
(b) In this Section:
"Receiving college" means the community college
district receiving a student from another community
college district.
"Sending college" means the community college district

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sending a student to another community college district.
(c) Pursuant to this Section, if a resident of a community
college district wants to attend the community college
maintained by the district of his or her residence, but the
student wants to enroll in a program that is not offered by
that community college and the community college does not have
a contractual agreement under Section 3-40 of this Act for
such a program, then the student, subject to Section 3-17, may
attend any recognized public community college in any other
district and shall pay tuition and fees at the in-district
rate of the receiving college. If the student is seeking State
or federal financial assistance, then the student shall apply
for assistance at the receiving college.
(d) The State Board shall maintain a program directory on
the State Board's website to assist community colleges in
determining which programs are offered at each community
college. At a minimum, this directory shall provide a
comparison of program titles and classification of
instructional program codes. Delivery methods and minor
program differences, such as the length of a semester, online
versus in-person instruction, competency-based instruction,
and program credit hours, and minor course requirement
differences do not constitute a difference in a program for
purposes of attending another community college under this
Section. Programmatic differences shall be based upon
classification of instructional program codes, the

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occupational outlook for completers, or other substantial
programmatic differences. Determinations regarding
programmatic differences shall be first determined by the
sending college. The State Board shall establish a process for
resolving disputes between community college districts
regarding programmatic differences.
(e) Students who want to enroll at a receiving college
shall make an application to their sending college in
accordance with rules and procedures established and published
by their sending college. Community colleges shall make every
attempt to review such requests in a timely manner so as to not
impede the students' educational progress. Students shall
secure from their sending college a letter designating them as
participants in an approved program. A copy of such letter
shall be sent to the receiving college. A student may not
enroll under the provisions of this Section in a program of a
receiving college at the in-district tuition rate if the
student's educational objectives can be met at the sending
college.
(f) Upon written approval from the sending college, a
student shall register at the receiving college and shall be a
member of the receiving college's district for the term of the
student's enrollment. A student may choose to complete any
required general education coursework and may take approved
courses at the sending college or at the receiving college.
Upon successful completion, courses taken at either the

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sending college or the receiving college shall be acceptable
for transfer to the sending college or receiving college for
completion of any program. The receiving college shall
maintain admission records and transcripts and issue any
degrees or certificates to the student upon completing the
educational program. The receiving college shall provide
copies of such records to the sending college at the student's
request or as part of any program verification for the sending
college.
(g) The receiving college shall provide access to its
learning resources center and other instructional resources
for students from the sending college, equal to those provided
for any other student at the receiving college. The receiving
college shall also provide counseling and guidance and other
services that facilitate the learning process.
(h) The receiving college shall be considered the
student's district for athletic eligibility, for any activity
in which the student officially represents a community
college, for the military, and for scholarships offered by the
Illinois Student Assistance Commission. Other athletic
eligibility requirements shall be determined by the rules of
the receiving college's athletic conference. Students from any
sending college are eligible at the receiving college for any
other extracurricular activities, scholarships, or other
recognition of excellence in the program for which they are
attending at the receiving college.

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(i) Except for equalization grants, the receiving college
is eligible to file claims for State grants under Section
2-16.02 of this Act for any student from the sending college
enrolled in courses offered at the receiving college. The
receiving college shall provide the sending college with the
semester credit hours taken by each student from the sending
college for purposes of equalization grants. If the student
enrolls in courses offered at the sending college, the sending
college shall claim semester credit hours provided to the
student in attendance at the sending college.
(110 ILCS 805/6-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 106-2)
Sec. 6-2. Any graduate of a recognized high school or
student otherwise qualified to attend a public community
college and residing outside a community college district but
within this State may, subject to Section 3-17, attend any
recognized public community college in the State at the
tuition rate of a student residing in the district. Subject to
appropriation, the State Board shall pay the difference
between the in-district and out-of-district tuition amounts to
the community college district for any semester or term of
that academic year.
If he or she becomes a resident of a community college
district, he or she shall be classified as a resident of that
district at the beginning of any semester or term following
that change of residence and the State Board shall no longer

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pay the difference in tuition rates.
If a resident of a community college district wishes to
attend the community college maintained by the district of his
or her residence but the program in which the student wishes to
enroll is not offered by that community college, and the
community college maintained by the district of his residence
does not have a contractual agreement under Section 3-40 of
this Act for such program, the student may attend any
recognized public community college in some other district,
subject to the provisions of Section 3-17, and have his or her
tuition, as defined herein, paid by the community college
district of his or her residence while enrolled in a program at
that college which is not offered by his or her home community
college if he or she makes application to his or her home board
at least 30 days prior to the beginning of any semester,
quarter or term in accordance with rules, regulations and
procedures established and published by his or her home board.
The payment of tuition by his or her district of residence may
not exceed the per Per capita cost shall of the community
college attended for the previous year, less certain
deductions, to be computed by adding all of the non-capital
expenditures for the previous year, including interest, to the
depreciation on the capital outlay expenditures paid from
sources other than State and federal funds, less any payments
toward non-capital expenditures received from State and
federal sources for the previous year (except for grants

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through the State Board under Section 2-16.02 of this Act),
and dividing that amount by the number of full-time equivalent
students for that fiscal year as defined under this Section.
This average per student computation shall be converted to a
semester hour base and further reduced by the combined rate of
State grants, other than equalization grants for the current
year as provided under Section 2-16.02 of this Act, and any
rate of tuition and fees assessed for all students for the
current year as authorized under Section 6-4 of this Act.
Payment shall be made hereunder to the community college
district of attendance immediately upon receipt, by the
district liable for the payment, of a statement from that
community college district of the amount due it. Before
sending such a statement requesting payment, however, the
community college district of attendance shall make all
calculations and deductions required under this Section so
that the amount requested for payment is the exact amount
required under this Section to be paid by the district liable
for payment.
If the moneys in the educational fund are insufficient to
meet such payments, the district liable for such payments may
issue tax anticipation warrants as provided in Section
3-20.10.
A full-time equivalent student for a semester or term is
defined as a student doing 15 semester hours of work per
semester or the equivalent thereof, and the number of

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full-time equivalent students enrolled per term shall be
determined by dividing by 15 the total number of semester
hours for which State Board grants are received, or the
equivalent thereof, carried by all students of the college
through the mid-term of each semester or term. The number of
full-time equivalent students for a fiscal year shall be
computed by adding the total number of semester hours of work
or the equivalent thereof carried by all students of the
college through the mid-term of each semester or term during
that fiscal year and dividing that sum by 30 semester hours.
Tuition of students carrying more or less than 15 semester
hours of work per semester or the equivalent thereof shall be
computed in the proportion which the number of hours so
carried bears to 15 semester hours or the equivalent thereof.
If the United States Government, the State of Illinois, or
any agency pays tuition for any community college student,
neither the district of residence of the student nor the
student may be required to pay that tuition or such part
thereof as is otherwise paid. No part of the State's financial
responsibility provided for in Section 2-16 may be transferred
to a student's district of residence under this Section.
(Source: P.A. 100-884, eff. 1-1-19.)
(110 ILCS 805/6-4.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 106-4.1)
Sec. 6-4.1. If a resident of Illinois qualifies for
admission to a public community college under Section 3-17 but

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does not qualify for financial support under Section 6-1.5 or
6-2, that person he may be enrolled in the college upon payment
of the difference between the per capita cost as defined in
Section 6-2 less any payments toward noncapital expenditures
received from State and federal sources for the previous year
except grants through the State Board as authorized in Section
2-16 or 2-16.02, as the case may be, converted to a semester
hour base, and the combined rate of State grants other than
equalization grants for the current year as authorized in
Section 2-16.02, notwithstanding tuition limits of Section
6-4. Subject to Section 3-17, a public community college may
accept out-of-state students upon payment of the per capita
cost as defined in Section 6-2. Notwithstanding the provisions
of this Section, the out-of-district or out-of-state tuition,
whichever is applicable, may be waived for a student who is
employed for at least 35 hours per week by an entity located in
the district or is enrolled in a course that is being provided
under terms of a contract for services between the employing
entity and the college.
(Source: P.A. 100-884, eff. 1-1-19.)