SB3564 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB100 16392 NHT 31520 b

100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
SB3564

Introduced 2/16/2018, by Sen. Chapin Rose

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

110 ILCS 947/65.100 new

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to receive and consider applications for legacy scholarships. Provides that an applicant is eligible for a scholarship if, among other conditions, (i) he or she has been accepted for undergraduate enrollment at a public university in this State, (ii) he or she is considered a non-resident of this State for tuition purposes, and (iii) he or she has a parent or step-parent who has earned a bachelor's, graduate, doctorate, or professional degree from the university and is an active member of the university's alumni association. Sets forth provisions concerning the amount and payment of scholarship assistance, the automatic renewal of scholarships, administration, and rulemaking. Effective July 1, 2018.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is amended by adding Section 65.100 as follows:

(110 ILCS 947/65.100 new)

Sec. 65.100. Legacy scholarships.

(a) Twice a year, the Commission shall receive and consider applications for scholarship assistance under this Section. The deadline to apply for the fall semester is March 1. The deadline to apply for the spring semester is December 1. An applicant is eligible for a scholarship under this Section if the Commission finds that the applicant meets all of the following qualifications:

(1) The applicant is a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen.

(2) The applicant has been accepted for undergraduate enrollment at a public university in this State and will be enrolled as a full-time student at that university.

(3) The applicant is considered a non-resident of this State for tuition purposes.

(4) The applicant's parent or step-parent meets both of the following qualifications:

(A) The parent or step-parent has earned a bachelor's, graduate, doctorate, or professional degree from the public university at which the applicant will be enrolled. Completion of a medical residency does not qualify as a degree under this subparagraph (A).

(B) That same parent or step-parent is an active member of the university's alumni association.

All applications for scholarship assistance to be awarded under this Section shall be made to the Commission in a form as set forth by the Commission. The form of application and the information required to be set forth in the application shall be determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall require eligible applicants to submit with their applications such supporting documents as the Commission deems necessary. The Commission shall select scholarship recipients from among eligible applicants.

(b) Subject to the other provisions of this Section, the scholarship amount awarded to a recipient under this Section shall be as follows:

(1) For a recipient with (i) a total score of 1420 or higher on the SAT college admissions test or a composite score of 31 or higher on the ACT national college admissions examination and (ii) an unweighted cumulative grade point average from high school of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent as determined by the Commission), the scholarship amount per academic year shall equal the difference between the university's annual tuition charge for residents of this State and the annual tuition charge for non-residents of this State, based upon the student's academic major.

(2) For a recipient with (i) a total score of 1310 or higher but less than 1420 on the SAT college admissions test or a composite score of 28 or higher but less than 31 on the ACT national college admissions examination and (ii) an unweighted cumulative grade point average from high school of 3.0 or higher but less than 3.5 on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent as determined by the Commission), the scholarship amount shall equal $4,500 per academic year.

(3) For any other recipient, the scholarship amount shall equal $3,000 per academic year.

The minimum test score requirements under this subsection (b) are based on the total or composite score from one test date. The Commission may not consider combined scores from 2 or more test dates.

(c) The Commission shall automatically renew a scholarship awarded under this Section each semester upon verification that:

(1) the scholarship recipient is enrolled full-time at the university and continues to be considered a non-resident of this State for tuition purposes;

(2) the scholarship recipient has a cumulative grade point average at the university of 3.3 or higher on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent as determined by the Commission); and

(3) the qualifying parent or step-parent of the scholarship recipient remains an active member of the university's alumni association.

(d) In any given academic year, the total amount of scholarship assistance awarded to an individual under this Section, when added to other financial assistance awarded to that individual for that year, shall not exceed that year's cost of attendance at the university.

(e) A recipient may receive up to 8 semesters of scholarship assistance under this Section. However, if a scholarship recipient transferred to the university from another higher education institution, then the total number of semesters of scholarship assistance he or she may receive under this subsection (e) shall be reduced by the number of semesters he or she was enrolled at any other higher education institution.

(f) Subject to a separate appropriation made for such purposes, payment of any scholarship awarded under this Section shall be determined by the Commission. All scholarship funds distributed in accordance with this Section shall be paid to the university on behalf of the recipients. Scholarship funds are applicable toward one semester of enrollment within an academic year.

(g) The Commission shall administer the scholarship program established by this Section and shall make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with this Section for its effective implementation.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2018.