Bill Text: IL SB1410 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to implement and administer a program, beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year, to award College Promise grants to Illinois residents seeking an associate degree, certificate, or diploma from an institution of higher learning or a not-for-profit private business or vocational school. Sets forth the terms and conditions of the program. Effective July 1, 2023.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2023-03-31 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments [SB1410 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-SB1410-Introduced.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | amended by adding Section 23 as follows:
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6 | (110 ILCS 947/23 new) | |||||||||||||||||||
7 | Sec. 23. College Promise program. | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | (a) In this Section: | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | "Continuous enrollment" means a student has attended | |||||||||||||||||||
10 | classes in the fall and spring semester of a single academic | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | year; enrollment in summer semester or intersession terms is | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | not required. | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | "School" means a private business and vocational school, | |||||||||||||||||||
14 | as defined in Section 15 of the Private Business and | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | Vocational Schools Act of 2012, that is not for profit. | |||||||||||||||||||
16 | "Student aid" means scholarships and grants, other than a | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | College Promise grant, awarded to a student from any source | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | that does not require repayment; "student aid" does not | |||||||||||||||||||
19 | include student loans and work-study awards. | |||||||||||||||||||
20 | (b) The Commission shall implement and administer a | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | program, beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year, to award | |||||||||||||||||||
22 | College Promise grants to all eligible Illinois residents | |||||||||||||||||||
23 | seeking an associate degree, certificate, or diploma from an |
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1 | institution or a school. The following terms and conditions | ||||||
2 | shall apply to the program: | ||||||
3 | (1) To be eligible for a grant, a student must be | ||||||
4 | admitted to and enrolled full-time, as an Illinois | ||||||
5 | resident, in an institution or a school in the fall term | ||||||
6 | following graduation from an approved high school or after | ||||||
7 | obtaining a high school equivalency certificate, provided | ||||||
8 | that the student obtains the high school equivalency | ||||||
9 | certificate prior to the student reaching 19 years of age. | ||||||
10 | Exceptions to initial enrollment may be made for | ||||||
11 | extenuating circumstances as provided in rules adopted by | ||||||
12 | the Commission. | ||||||
13 | (2) Students applying for a grant shall complete the | ||||||
14 | College Promise
grant application in their initial year of | ||||||
15 | enrollment. Students shall complete the Free Application | ||||||
16 | for Federal Student Aid each academic year in which they | ||||||
17 | seek to receive a grant. | ||||||
18 | (3) To continue to receive a grant, a student must | ||||||
19 | maintain Illinois residency, as well as satisfactory | ||||||
20 | academic progress as determined by rules adopted by the | ||||||
21 | Commission. | ||||||
22 | (4) Grant recipients shall participate in mentoring | ||||||
23 | and community service programs under rules adopted by the | ||||||
24 | Commission. | ||||||
25 | (5) Each academic year, subject to appropriation, a | ||||||
26 | grant shall be equal to the cost of tuition and mandatory |
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1 | fees at the institution or the school attended less all | ||||||
2 | other student aid. Student aid shall be credited first to | ||||||
3 | the student's tuition and mandatory fees. | ||||||
4 | (6) Notwithstanding paragraph (5) of this subsection | ||||||
5 | (b), the amount of the grant at a public university, a | ||||||
6 | private institution, or a school may not exceed the | ||||||
7 | average cost of tuition and mandatory fees at public | ||||||
8 | community colleges as determined by the Illinois Community | ||||||
9 | College Board. | ||||||
10 | (7) A student awarded a grant who has an approved | ||||||
11 | medical or personal leave of absence from an institution | ||||||
12 | or a school may continue to receive the grant upon | ||||||
13 | resuming the student's education at an institution or a | ||||||
14 | school so long as the student continues to meet all | ||||||
15 | applicable eligibility requirements under this Section and | ||||||
16 | as adopted by the Commission. The total of all approved | ||||||
17 | leaves of absence may not exceed 6 months. | ||||||
18 | (8) A student is eligible for a grant until the | ||||||
19 | occurrence of the first
of the following events: | ||||||
20 | (A) the student has earned an associate degree, | ||||||
21 | certificate, or diploma; or | ||||||
22 | (B) the sum of the number of years the student has | ||||||
23 | attended an institution or a school, exclusive of | ||||||
24 | approved leaves of absence, equals 2 years from the | ||||||
25 | date of the student's initial enrollment at an | ||||||
26 | institution or a school. |
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1 | (9) Except for a medical or personal leave of absence, | ||||||
2 | as approved by an institution or a school, a student | ||||||
3 | awarded a grant under this Section shall maintain | ||||||
4 | continuous enrollment at an institution or a school. | ||||||
5 | (c) In awarding grants under this Section, the Commission | ||||||
6 | shall, by rule, develop the selection and renewal criteria for | ||||||
7 | students.
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