HB3447 EngrossedLRB100 11388 MLM 21789 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Tuition Reduction Act.
 
6    Section 5. Legislative intent.
7    (a) The General Assembly recognizes that this State's
8higher education system plays a critical role in ensuring this
9State's continued leadership role in driving economic
10prosperity, innovation, and opportunity. By educating citizens
11for living wage jobs, producing world-class research, and
12helping to create vibrant communities, this State's
13institutions of higher education form a foundational component
14in ensuring prosperity for our citizens.
15    (b) The General Assembly also recognizes the importance of
16prioritizing scarce resources for the core, front-line
17services that higher education institutions provide, namely
18instruction, research, and robust financial aid. During times
19of economic downturn, policymakers must focus on those areas of
20public service that have the most direct and immediate impact
21on students. Keeping class sections open, attracting the best
22professors and instructors, providing comprehensive support
23services, and offering meaningful financial help to offset the

 

 

HB3447 Engrossed- 2 -LRB100 11388 MLM 21789 b

1costs of attending college must be the main concerns of
2policymakers. It is for these reasons that the General Assembly
3intends to refocus its commitment to direct aid to students and
4continue efforts to make college more affordable.
 
5    Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
6    "Student" means a full-time resident undergraduate student
7enrolled at a university.
8    "University" means a public university located in this
9State.
 
10    Section 15. Tuition grants.
11    (a) Beginning with the 2017-2018 academic year, each
12university must reimburse a portion of the tuition charged to
13students as provided in this subsection (a). Reimbursement
14shall be in the form of a grant applied directly to a student's
15financial aid account. To determine the per-pupil grant amount,
16the university shall calculate the difference, if any, between
17the current fiscal year's aggregate appropriations to the
18university for operations and fiscal year 2002's aggregate
19appropriations to the university for operations and divide that
20amount by the number of students enrolled on the tenth day of
21the previous academic year. Fifty percent of this calculation
22then equals the per-pupil grant amount, to be awarded to
23currently enrolled students to reduce their tuition costs.
24However, if the current fiscal year's aggregate appropriations

 

 

HB3447 Engrossed- 3 -LRB100 11388 MLM 21789 b

1to the university for operations are equal to or less than
2fiscal year 2002's aggregate appropriations for operations,
3then the university is not required to award any grants under
4this subsection (a) in a given academic year.
5    (b) On or before September 1, 2018 and on or before
6September 1 each year thereafter, each university shall report
7updated estimates of the total amount in grants awarded under
8subsection (a) of this Section in an academic year to the
9Governor and the appropriate committees of the General
10Assembly.
11    (c) If the General Assembly increases funding for each
12university for 4 consecutive years, the Board of Higher
13Education shall report to the General Assembly on whether or
14not this Act should be repealed.
 
15    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
16becoming law.