Illinois-2025-HB2572-Introduced

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2572

Introduced , by Rep. Brandun Schweizer

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

`105 ILCS 5/30-14.2`	`from Ch. 122, par. 30-14.2`
`330 ILCS 105/2`	`from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 27`

Amends the School Code and the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Educational Opportunity Grant Act. In provisions concerning the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents scholarship and the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Educational Opportunity Grant program, provides that the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall determine, by rule, the eligibility of the persons who apply for the scholarship or grant (rather than the Department shall determine the eligibility of the persons who apply For the scholarship or grant).

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A BILL FOR

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1 AN ACT concerning veterans.

2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3 represented in the General Assembly:

4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section

5 30-14.2 as follows:

6 (105 ILCS 5/30-14.2) (from Ch. 122, par. 30-14.2)

7 Sec. 30-14.2. Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans'

8 Dependents scholarship.

9 (a) Any spouse, natural child, legally adopted child under

10 the age of 18 at the time of adoption, minor child younger than

11 18 who is under a court-ordered guardianship for at least 2

12 continuous years prior to application, or step-child under the

13 age of 18 at the time of marriage of an eligible veteran or

14 serviceperson who possesses all necessary entrance

15 requirements shall, upon application and proper proof, be

16 awarded a MIA/POW Scholarship consisting of the equivalent of

17 4 calendar years of full-time enrollment including summer

18 terms, to the state supported Illinois institution of higher

19 learning of his choice, subject to the restrictions listed

20 below.

21 "Eligible veteran or serviceperson" means any veteran or

22 serviceperson, including an Illinois National Guard member who

23 is on active duty or is active on a training assignment, who

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1 has been declared by the U.S. Department of Defense or the U.S.

2 Department of Veterans Affairs to be a prisoner of war or

3 missing in action, or has died as the result of a

4 service-connected disability or has become a person with a

5 permanent disability from service-connected causes with 100%

6 disability and who (i) at the time of entering service was an

7 Illinois resident, or (ii) was an Illinois resident within 6

8 months after entering such service, or (iii) is a resident of

9 Illinois at the time of application for the Scholarship and,

10 at some point after entering such service, was a resident of

11 Illinois for at least 15 consecutive years.

12 " Full-time enrollment" means 12 or more semester hours of

13 courses per semester, or 12 or more quarter hours of courses

14 per quarter, or the equivalent thereof per term. Scholarships

15 utilized by dependents enrolled in less than full-time study

16 shall be computed in the proportion which the number of hours

17 so carried bears to full-time enrollment.

18 Scholarships awarded under this Section may be used by a

19 spouse or child without regard to his or her age. The holder of

20 a Scholarship awarded under this Section shall be subject to

21 all examinations and academic standards, including the

22 maintenance of minimum grade levels, that are applicable

23 generally to other enrolled students at the Illinois

24 institution of higher learning where the Scholarship is being

25 used. If the surviving spouse remarries or if there is a

26 divorce between the veteran or serviceperson and his or her

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1 spouse while the dependent is pursuing his or her course of

2 study, Scholarship benefits will be terminated at the end of

3 the term for which he or she is presently enrolled. Such

4 dependents shall also be entitled, upon proper proof and

5 application, to enroll in any extension course offered by a

6 State supported Illinois institution of higher learning

7 without payment of tuition and approved fees.

8 The holder of a MIA/POW Scholarship authorized under this

9 Section shall not be required to pay any tuition or mandatory

10 fees while attending a State-controlled university or public

11 community college in this State for a period equivalent to 4

12 years of enrollment, including summer terms.

13 Any dependent who has been or shall be awarded a MIA/POW

14 Scholarship shall be reimbursed by the appropriate institution

15 of higher learning for any fees which he or she has paid and

16 for which exemption is granted under this Section if

17 application for reimbursement is made within 2 months

18 following the end of the school term for which the fees were

19 paid.

20 (b) In lieu of the benefit provided in subsection (a), any

21 spouse, natural child, legally adopted child, or step-child of

22 an eligible veteran or serviceperson, which spouse or child

23 has a physical, mental or developmental disability, shall be

24 entitled to receive, upon application and proper proof, a

25 benefit to be used for the purpose of defraying the cost of the

26 attendance or treatment of such spouse or child at one or more

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1 appropriate therapeutic, rehabilitative or educational

2 facilities. The application and proof may be made by the

3 parent or legal guardian of the spouse or child on his or her

4 behalf.

5 The total benefit provided to any beneficiary under this

6 subsection shall not exceed the cost equivalent of 4 calendar

7 years of full-time enrollment, including summer terms, at the

8 University of Illinois. Whenever practicable in the opinion of

9 the Department of Veterans' Affairs, payment of benefits under

10 this subsection shall be made directly to the facility, the

11 cost of attendance or treatment at which is being defrayed, as

12 such costs accrue.

13 (c) The benefits of this Section shall be administered by

14 and paid for out of funds made available to the Illinois

15 Department of Veterans' Affairs. The amounts that become due

16 to any state supported Illinois institution of higher learning

17 shall be payable by the Comptroller to such institution on

18 vouchers approved by the Illinois Department of Veterans'

19 Affairs. The amounts that become due under subsection (b) of

20 this Section shall be payable by warrant upon vouchers issued

21 by the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs and approved

22 by the Comptroller. The Illinois Department of Veterans'

23 Affairs shall determine, by rule, the eligibility of the

24 persons who make application for the benefits provided for in

25 this Section.

26 (Source: P.A. 101-334, eff. 8-9-19; 102-855, eff. 5-13-22.)

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1 Section 10. The Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans'

2 Dependents Educational Opportunity Grant Act is amended by

3 changing Section 2 as follows:

4 (330 ILCS 105/2) (from Ch. 126 1/2, par. 27)

5 Sec. 2. The amounts that become due to any child under this

6 Act, not in excess of the amount specified in Section 1 of this

7 Act, shall be payable to such child or, if such child is a

8 minor, to the eligible veteran or serviceperson or guardian on

9 vouchers approved by the Illinois Department of Veterans'

10 Affairs. The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs shall

11 adopt rules on how to render payments to eligible minor

12 children of deceased veterans or servicepersons. The

13 Department shall determine, by rule, the eligibility of the

14 children who make application for the benefits provided for in

15 this Act; and satisfy itself of the attendance of such

16 children at any such institution or school.

17 (Source: P.A. 102-855, eff. 5-13-22.)