Section 2755.20  Applicant Eligibility

a)         Initially, a qualified applicant shall:

1)         be a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen;

2)         be a resident of Illinois;

3)         become a high school graduate in the same high school year in which s/he submits the scholarship application, or have passed a General Educational Development (GED) test in the same high school year in which s/he submits the scholarship application;

4)         demonstrate outstanding academic achievement as measured by test scores and high school records, or have received a GED test score recognized by the General Educational Development Testing Service as the equivalent to ranking in the top five percent of the United States high school graduates; and

5)         be enrolled or accepted for enrollment on a full-time basis as an undergraduate student in a postsecondary institution that is approved by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in federal student financial assistance programs.  (See, e.g., 34 CFR 600.)

b)         A recipient will continue to be eligible for a scholarship if the postsecondary institution at which the student is enrolled certifies that the recipient is:

1)         maintaining enrollment as a full-time student, except as provided in Section 2755.30(e) of this Part;

2)         maintaining satisfactory academic progress as determined by the institution;

3)         not in default on any federal student loan nor owing repayment on any state or federal student financial assistance grant; and

4)         not receiving federal financial aid in excess of the student's cost of attendance, as determined by the institution.

(Source:  Amended at 27 Ill. Reg. 10377, effective July 1, 2003)