HB1657enr 91st General Assembly


91_HB1657enr

 
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 1        AN  ACT  to amend the Higher Education Student Assistance
 2    Act by changing Sections 40, 65.15, and 65.40.

 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:

 5        Section  5.   The Higher Education Student Assistance Act
 6    is amended by changing  Sections  40,  65.15,  and  65.40  as
 7    follows:

 8        (110 ILCS 947/40)
 9        Sec.  40.  Veteran  grant.  Any  person who served in the
10    armed forces of the United States, not including  members  of
11    the  Student Army Training Corps, who at the time of entering
12    service was an Illinois resident or was an Illinois  resident
13    within 6 months of entering such service, and who returned to
14    Illinois within 6 months after leaving service or, if married
15    to  a  person in continued military service stationed outside
16    Illinois, within 6 months after his or her  spouse  has  left
17    service  or  has  been stationed within Illinois, and who has
18    been  honorably  discharged  from  such  service,   and   who
19    possesses  all  necessary entrance requirements shall, except
20    as otherwise provided  in  this  Act,  upon  application  and
21    proper proof, be awarded an Illinois Veteran Grant consisting
22    of   the   equivalent   of  4  calendar  years  of  full-time
23    enrollment, including summer terms, to  the  State-controlled
24    college  or  university  or  community college of his choice.
25    Such veterans shall also be entitled, upon proper  proof  and
26    application,  to  enroll in any extension course offered by a
27    State-controlled college or university or  community  college
28    without the payment of tuition or fees.
29        Any  veteran  who  so  served,  and  who,  at the time of
30    entering such service, was a student  at  a  State-controlled
31    college  or  university  or  community  college,  and who was
 
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 1    honorably  discharged  from   such   service,   shall,   upon
 2    application  and  proper  proof  be  awarded  a Veteran Grant
 3    entitling  him  to  complete  his  course  of  study  at  any
 4    State-controlled college or university or  community  college
 5    of  his  choice,  but  shall  not  be  entitled  to  a  grant
 6    consisting of more than the equivalent of 4 calendar years of
 7    full-time enrollment including summer sessions.
 8        Any  member  of the armed forces of the United States who
 9    either (i) has served in such armed forces at least one year,
10    or (ii) has served in the armed forces of the  United  States
11    for  less than one year in a time of hostilities in a foreign
12    country, and who would be qualified for a  grant  under  this
13    Section  if he had been discharged from such service shall be
14    eligible to receive a Veteran Grant under this Section.
15        The holder of a Veteran  Grant  to  the  State-controlled
16    college  or  university or community college of his choice as
17    authorized under this Section shall not be  required  to  pay
18    any  matriculation  or  application fees, tuition, activities
19    fees, graduation fees,  or  other  fees  except  multipurpose
20    building fees or similar fees for supplies and materials.
21        Any  veteran  who  has been or shall be awarded a Veteran
22    Grant  shall  be  reimbursed  by  the  appropriate   college,
23    university,  or  community  college for any fees which he has
24    paid and for which exemption is granted under  this  Section,
25    if  application  for  reimbursement is made within 2 3 months
26    following the school term for which the fees were paid.
27        A Veteran Grant shall be considered an entitlement  which
28    the  State-controlled  college  or  university  or  community
29    college  in  which the holder is enrolled shall honor without
30    any condition other than the holder's maintenance of  minimum
31    grade levels and a satisfactory student loan repayment record
32    pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 20.
33        A  grant  authorized  under  this  Section  shall  not be
34    awarded to veterans who received a discharge from  the  armed
 
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 1    forces of the United States under dishonorable conditions, or
 2    to  any  veteran  whose service with the armed forces was for
 3    less than one year unless he received an honorable  discharge
 4    from such service for medical reasons directly connected with
 5    such  service,  except for those veterans discharged prior to
 6    August 11, 1967 whose service may be for less than one  year,
 7    and  except  for  those  veterans  (i) who serve in the armed
 8    forces of the United States for less than one year in a  time
 9    of  hostilities  in a foreign country and (ii) who receive an
10    honorable discharge.
11        The amounts  that  become  due  to  any  State-controlled
12    college  or  university or community college shall be payable
13    by the Comptroller to that institution on  vouchers  approved
14    by   the  Commission.   The  Commission,  or  its  designated
15    representative  at  that  institution,  shall  determine  the
16    eligibility of the  persons  who  make  application  for  the
17    benefits  provided  for  in  this Section.  The Department of
18    Veterans' Affairs shall assist the Commission in  determining
19    the  eligibility  of  applicants.   On  July  29,  1986,  the
20    Illinois  Department  of Veterans' Affairs shall transfer and
21    deliver  to  the  Commission  all  books,  records,   papers,
22    documents,  applications  and  pending  business  in  any way
23    pertaining to  the  duties,  responsibilities  and  authority
24    theretofore exercised or performed by the Illinois Department
25    of Veterans' Affairs under and pursuant to Section 4.1 of the
26    Department of Veterans Affairs Act.
27        The  benefits  provided  for  in  this  Section  shall be
28    available  as  long  as  the  federal   government   provides
29    educational  benefits to veterans.  No benefits shall be paid
30    under this Section, except  for  veterans  who  already  have
31    begun  their  education  under  this  Section, after 6 months
32    following the termination of educational benefits to veterans
33    by  the  federal  government.   If  the  federal   government
34    terminates  educational  benefits  to veterans and at a later
 
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 1    time resumes those benefits, the  benefits  of  this  Section
 2    shall resume.
 3        As  used  in  this  Section,  "time  of  hostilities in a
 4    foreign country" means any action by the armed forces of  the
 5    United  States  that  is  recognized  by  the  issuance  of a
 6    Presidential proclamation or a Presidential  executive  order
 7    and  in  which  the armed forces expeditionary medal or other
 8    campaign service medals are awarded according to Presidential
 9    executive order.
10    (Source: P.A. 90-752, eff. 8-14-98.)

11        (110 ILCS 947/65.15)
12        Sec.   65.15.   Special   education   teacher    Teachers
13    scholarships.
14        (a)  There  shall  be awarded annually at the end of each
15    school year 250 scholarships to persons qualifying as members
16    of either of the following groups:
17             (1)  Students who are otherwise qualified to receive
18        a scholarship as provided in subsections (b) and  (c)  of
19        this  Section  and who make application to the Commission
20        for such scholarship and agree to take courses that  will
21        prepare   the   student  for  the  teaching  of  children
22        described in Section 14-1 of the School Code.
23             (2)  Persons  holding  a  valid  certificate  issued
24        under the laws relating to the certification of  teachers
25        and  who  make  application  to  the  Commission for such
26        scholarship and agree to take courses that  will  prepare
27        them  for  the  teaching of children described in Section
28        14-1 of the School Code.
29        Scholarships awarded under this Section shall  be  issued
30    pursuant   to  regulations  promulgated  by  the  Commission;
31    provided that no rule or regulation promulgated by the  State
32    Board  of  Education  prior  to  the  effective  date of this
33    amendatory Act of 1993 pursuant to the exercise of any right,
 
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 1    power, duty, responsibility or  matter  of  pending  business
 2    transferred   from  the  State  Board  of  Education  to  the
 3    Commission under this Section shall be affected thereby,  and
 4    all  such  rules  and  regulations shall become the rules and
 5    regulations of the Commission until modified  or  changed  by
 6    the Commission in accordance with law.
 7        For  the  purposes  of  this Section scholarships awarded
 8    each school year shall be deemed to be issued on  July  1  of
 9    the  year  prior  to  in which the start of the postsecondary
10    school  term  ends  and  all  calculations  for  use  of  the
11    scholarship shall be based on such  date.   Each  scholarship
12    shall  entitle  its holder to exemption from fees as provided
13    in subsection (a)  of  Section  65.40  while  enrolled  in  a
14    special  education program of teacher education, for a period
15    of not more than 4 calendar years and shall be available  for
16    use  at  any  time  during  such  period  of  study except as
17    provided in subsection (b) of Section 65.40.
18        Scholarships issued to holders  of  a  valid  certificate
19    issued  under  the  laws  relating  to  the  certification of
20    teachers as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection  may
21    also  entitle  the  holder  thereof  to  a program of teacher
22    education that will prepare the student for the  teaching  of
23    children  described in Section 14-1 of the School Code at the
24    graduate level.
25        (b)  On or before March 1 in  Each year,  the  principal,
26    or  his  or  her designee, of each recognized public, private
27    and parochial high school maintaining the twelfth grade shall
28    certify to the Commission regional superintendent of  schools
29    of  the county in which such high school is located the names
30    and  addresses  of  all  students  who  are   completing   an
31    application  with  the  intent  to  prepare  to  teach in any
32    recognized public, private, or parochial school  of  Illinois
33    and  ranked  scholastically  in  the  upper one-half of their
34    graduating class or, for those not  yet  and  who  graduated,
 
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 1    whose  from  such  school during the preceding school year in
 2    the order of their scholastic rank in the 4-year high  school
 3    course  of study at the end of the seventh semester is in the
 4    upper one-half of their class. The name of no  student  shall
 5    be  so  certified  unless  the  student signifies in a letter
 6    presented to the principal the student's intention to prepare
 7    to teach in the public schools of Illinois.
 8        (c)  The regional superintendent of schools shall  on  or
 9    before May 15 of each year certify the names and addresses of
10    students  certified  to  him  or  her  for  that  year  under
11    subsection  (b)  to the Commission, which shall issue to each
12    student whose rank,  as  shown  on  the  list  of  names  and
13    addresses  submitted entitled the student to a certificate of
14    scholarship  which  shall  be  accepted   by   any   of   the
15    universities designated in subsection (a) of Section 65-40 in
16    lieu   of   any  entrance  examination.   Each  holder  of  a
17    scholarship must furnish proof to  the  Commission,  in  such
18    form  and  at such intervals as the Commission prescribes, of
19    the holder's continued  enrollment  in  a  teacher  education
20    program  qualifying  the  holder  for  the  scholarship.  Any
21    holder of a scholarship who fails to register  in  a  special
22    education  program  of  teacher  education  at the university
23    within 10 days after the commencement of the term, quarter or
24    semester immediately following the receipt of the scholarship
25    or who, having registered, withdraws from the  university  or
26    transfers  out  of teacher education, shall thereupon forfeit
27    the right to use it and it  may  be  granted  to  the  person
28    having the next highest scholastic rank as shown on the list
29    held  by  submitted  to the Commission.  If the person having
30    the next  highest  scholastic  rank,  within  10  days  after
31    notification  thereof by the Commission, fails to register at
32    any such university in a special education program of teacher
33    education, or who,  having  registered,  withdraws  from  the
34    university   or  transfers  out  of  teacher  education,  the
 
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 1    scholarship may then be granted to the person  shown  on  the
 2    list as having the scholastic rank next below such person.
 3        If  the  principal  of any recognized public, private and
 4    parochial high school maintaining the twelfth grade fails  to
 5    certify  to  the  regional  superintendent  of  schools on or
 6    before May 1 of any year in accordance  with  subsection  (b)
 7    the  names  of  a  sufficient  number of students to fill the
 8    scholarship or scholarships provided for in  subsection  (a),
 9    the scholarship or scholarships available to high schools for
10    which  no  names  are certified shall become available to any
11    eligible student from any other  recognized  public,  private
12    and  parochial  high  school maintaining the twelfth grade in
13    the region and the scholarships available for which no  names
14    are   certified,  shall  become  available  to  any  eligible
15    student. In order to fill any such scholarship, the  regional
16    superintendent  of  schools shall certify on or before May 15
17    of each year the name and address of any student certified to
18    him or her by the principal of any other school in the region
19    under subsection (b) to the Commission, which shall issue  to
20    such student a certificate of scholarship as provided in this
21    Section.
22        Any  scholarship  that has become or becomes available to
23    any eligible student in the region and is not  issued  before
24    June  30  following  the  date  it  was  available  shall  be
25    transferred  to  a State pool under the Commission and may be
26    issued  to  a  student  in  a  region  that  has   used   all
27    scholarships  available  to that region. In order to obtain a
28    scholarship in the State pool the regional superintendent  of
29    schools shall certify to the Commission that all scholarships
30    available  to his or her region have been filled and the name
31    and address of any student certified to him  or  her  by  the
32    principal  of  any school in the region under subsection (b).
33    Upon  such  certification  the  Commission  shall   issue   a
34    certificate  of scholarship from any available scholarship in
 
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 1    the State pool.
 2        (d)  Any person who has accepted a scholarship under  the
 3    preceding  subsections of this Section must, after graduation
 4    from or termination of  enrollment  in  a  teacher  education
 5    program, teach in any recognized public, private or parochial
 6    school  in  this  State  for  at  least  2  of  the  5  years
 7    immediately   following   that   graduation  or  termination,
 8    excluding, however, from  the  computation  of  that  5  year
 9    period  (i)  any  time  up to 3 4 years spent in the military
10    service, whether such service  occurs  before  or  after  the
11    person graduates; (ii), and excluding from the computation of
12    that 5 year period any time that person is enrolled full-time
13    in  an  academic  program  related  to  the field of teaching
14    leading to a graduate or postgraduate degree; (iii) the  time
15    that  person  is temporarily totally disabled for a period of
16    time not to exceed 3  years,  as  established  by  the  sworn
17    affidavit of a qualified physician; (iv) the time that person
18    is  seeking  and  unable  to  find  full time employment as a
19    teacher at an Illinois public, private, or parochial  school;
20    or  (v) the time that person is taking additional courses, on
21    at least a half-time basis, needed to obtain certification as
22    a teacher in Illinois.
23        A  person  who  has  accepted  a  scholarship  under  the
24    preceding subsections of this Section and who has been unable
25    to fulfill the teaching  requirements  of  this  Section  may
26    receive  a  deferment  from the obligation of repayment under
27    this subsection  (d)  under  guidelines  established  by  the
28    Commission;  provided  that  no guideline established for any
29    such purpose by the State Board of  Education  prior  to  the
30    effective  date  of  this  amendatory  Act  of  1993 shall be
31    affected  by  the  transfer  to   the   Commission   of   the
32    responsibility   for   administering   and  implementing  the
33    provisions of this Section, and all guidelines so established
34    shall become the guidelines of the Commission until  modified
 
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 1    or changed by the Commission.
 2        Any  such  person  who  fails  to  fulfill  this teaching
 3    requirement shall pay to the Commission the amount of tuition
 4    waived by virtue of his or her acceptance of the scholarship,
 5    together with  interest  at  5%  per  year  on  that  amount.
 6    However,  this  obligation  to  repay  the  amount of tuition
 7    waived plus interest does  not  apply  when  the  failure  to
 8    fulfill  the  teaching  requirement results from the death or
 9    adjudication as a person under legal disability of the person
10    holding the scholarship, and no claim for  repayment  may  be
11    filed  against  the estate of such a decedent or person under
12    legal disability.  Payments received by the Commission  under
13    this  subsection (d) shall be remitted to the State Treasurer
14    for  deposit  in  the  general  revenue  fund.   Each  person
15    receiving applying for such a scholarship shall  be  provided
16    with  a description of the provisions copy of this subsection
17    (d) at the time he or she qualifies applies for the  benefits
18    of such a scholarship.
19        (e)  This  Section is basically substantially the same as
20    Sections 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, and  30-4a  of  the  School  Code,
21    which  are repealed by this amendatory Act of 1993, and shall
22    be construed as a continuation  of  the  teacher  scholarship
23    program  established  by  that prior law, and not as a new or
24    different teacher scholarship program.  The  State  Board  of
25    Education  shall transfer to the Commission, as the successor
26    to  the  State  Board  of  Education  for  all  purposes   of
27    administering   and   implementing  the  provisions  of  this
28    Section, all books,  accounts,  records,  papers,  documents,
29    contracts,  agreements,  and  pending  business  in  any  way
30    relating  to  the teacher scholarship program continued under
31    this Section; and all scholarships at any time awarded  under
32    that   program   by,   and  all  applications  for  any  such
33    scholarships  at  any  time  made  to,  the  State  Board  of
34    Education  shall  be  unaffected  by  the  transfer  to   the
 
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 1    Commission  of  all responsibility for the administration and
 2    implementation of the teacher scholarship  program  continued
 3    under  this  Section.   The  State  Board  of Education shall
 4    furnish to the  Commission  such  other  information  as  the
 5    Commission  may  request  to  assist it in administering this
 6    Section.
 7    (Source: P.A. 88-228; 88-670, eff. 12-2-94.)

 8        (110 ILCS 947/65.40)
 9        Sec. 65.40.  General provisions; leaves of absence.
10        (a)  The scholarships issued under Section Sections 65.15
11    through 65.35 may be used  at  the  University  of  Illinois,
12    Southern   Illinois  University,  Chicago  State  University,
13    Eastern  Illinois  University,  Governors  State  University,
14    Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois  University,
15    Northern Illinois University, and Western Illinois University
16    as  provided  in  those Sections. Unless otherwise indicated,
17    the these scholarships shall be good for a period of not more
18    than 4 years while enrolled for residence  credit  and  shall
19    exempt  the  holder  from  the  payment  of tuition and other
20    necessary fees as defined in Section 35 of this Act,  or  any
21    matriculation,  graduation, activity, term or incidental fee,
22    except any portion of a multipurpose fee which is used for  a
23    purpose  for  which  exemption  is  not  granted  under  this
24    Section.  Exemption shall not be granted from any other fees,
25    including  book  rental,  service,  laboratory, supply, union
26    building, hospital and medical insurance fees  and  any  fees
27    established  for  the operation and maintenance of buildings,
28    the income of which is pledged to the payment of interest and
29    principal on bonds issued  by  the  governing  board  of  any
30    university or community college.
31        Any   student   who  has  been  or  shall  be  awarded  a
32    scholarship shall be reimbursed by the appropriate university
33    or community college for any charges fees which he or she has
 
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 1    paid and for which exemption is granted under  this  Section,
 2    if application for such reimbursement is made within 2 months
 3    following  the  school  term  for which the charges fees were
 4    paid.
 5        The holder of a  scholarship  shall  be  subject  to  all
 6    examinations,  rules  and  requirements  of the university or
 7    community college in which he or she is  enrolled  except  as
 8    herein directed.
 9        This  Section  does not prohibit the Board of Trustees of
10    the University of Illinois, the Board of Trustees of Southern
11    Illinois University, the Board of Trustees of  Chicago  State
12    University,   the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Eastern  Illinois
13    University,  the  Board  of  Trustees  of   Governors   State
14    University,   the   Board   of  Trustees  of  Illinois  State
15    University, the Board of Trustees  of  Northeastern  Illinois
16    University,  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Northern  Illinois
17    University,  and  the  Board  of Trustees of Western Illinois
18    University  for  the  institutions  under  their   respective
19    jurisdictions from granting other scholarships.
20        (b)  Any  student enrolled in a university to which he or
21    she is holding a scholarship issued  under  Section  Sections
22    65.15  through  65.35  who  satisfies  the  president  of the
23    university or someone designated by the  president  that  the
24    student  requires leave of absence for the purpose of earning
25    funds to defray his or her expenses while in attendance or on
26    account of illness or military service may  be  granted  such
27    leave  and allowed a period of not to exceed 6 years in which
28    to complete his or her course at the university.  Time  spent
29    in the armed forces shall not be part of the 6 years.
30    (Source: P.A. 88-228; 89-4, eff. 1-1-96.)

31        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect July
32    1, 1999.
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State of Illinois 91st General Assembly Legislation

State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation
