101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB3626

 

Introduced , by Rep. Luis Arroyo

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 947/65.105 new

    Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Creates a legislative grant committee to receive and consider applications for grant assistance. Requires the committee to receive and consider nominations for grant assistance, with a total of 8 grants per representative district to be awarded each year. Provides that a nominee is eligible for a grant if the committee finds that the nominee meets certain qualifications, including that he or she is a resident of the representative district for which a grant is to be awarded and that he or she is enrolled or accepted for enrollment at a public university in this State. Provides that legislative grants are good for a period of not more than one year while enrolled for residence credit, are applicable toward 2 semesters of enrollment within an academic year, and exempt the holder from the payment of tuition and fees. Sets forth provisions concerning application for a grant and renewals.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
5amended by adding Section 65.105 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 947/65.105 new)
7    Sec. 65.105. Legislative grant program.
8    (a) A legislative grant committee is created to receive and
9consider applications for grant assistance under this Section.
10The committee shall consist of the following members:
11        (1) Five members of the House of Representatives
12    appointed by the Speaker of the House.
13        (2) Five members of the House of Representatives
14    appointed by the Minority Leader of the House.
15        (3) Five members of the Senate appointed by the
16    President of the Senate.
17        (4) Five members of the Senate appointed by the
18    Minority Leader of the Senate.
19    Members of the committee shall serve without compensation.
20The Commission shall provide administrative and other support
21to the committee.
22    (b) Beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year, the
23legislative grant committee shall, each year, receive and

 

 

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1consider nominations for grant assistance under this Section. A
2total of 8 grants per representative district shall be awarded
3each year. A nominee is eligible for a grant under this Section
4if the committee finds that the nominee meets all of the
5following qualifications:
6        (1) He or she is a United States citizen or eligible
7    noncitizen.
8        (2) He or she is a resident of the representative
9    district for which a grant is to be awarded.
10        (3) He or she is enrolled or accepted for enrollment at
11    a public university in this State.
12    (c) Recipients of legislative grants shall be selected from
13among nominees who are qualified pursuant to subsection (b) and
14who have filled out a grant application. All applications for
15grant assistance to be awarded under this Section shall be made
16to the legislative grant committee in a form as set forth by
17the committee. The form of application and the information
18required to be set forth in the application shall be determined
19by the committee, and the committee shall require eligible
20applicants to submit with their applications such supporting
21documents as the committee deems necessary.
22    (d) A legislative grant is good for a period of not more
23than one year while enrolled for residence credit. A recipient
24of the grant is not required to pay any tuition or mandatory
25fees while attending a State-controlled university in this
26State for a period that is equivalent to one year of full-time

 

 

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1enrollment, including summer terms, and shall exempt the holder
2from the payment of tuition or any matriculation, graduation,
3activity, term, or incidental fee, except any portion of a
4multipurpose fee that is used for a purpose for which exemption
5is not granted under this Section. Exemption may not be granted
6from any other fees, including book rental fees, service fees,
7laboratory fees, supply fees, union building fees, hospital and
8medical insurance fees, and any fees established for the
9operation and maintenance of buildings, the income of which is
10pledged to the payment of interest and principal on bonds
11issued by the governing board of a university. Any student who
12has been or is to be awarded a grant shall be reimbursed by the
13appropriate university for any fees that he or she has paid and
14for which exemption is granted under this Section if
15application for such reimbursement is made within 2 months
16following the academic term for which the fees were paid.
17    (e) Renewals may be given to previous recipients of
18assistance under this Section, provided they continue to
19maintain eligibility and maintain satisfactory academic
20progress as determined by the university at which they enroll.
21A recipient may receive up to 8 semesters of grant assistance
22under this Section.