101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB1565

 

Introduced 2/15/2019, by Sen. Rachelle Crowe

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 947/65.105 new

    Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to establish and administer an adult vocational community college scholarship program. Provides that beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year, the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider applications for scholarships to community colleges for people over the age of 30 who have been unemployed and are actively searching for employment and who can identify the specific training certificate, credential, or associate degree that he or she is seeking to obtain. Allows applicants to re-apply for the scholarship if they can demonstrate continual progress toward the desired certificate, credential, or degree. Provides that scholarships shall not exceed $2,000 per recipient per academic year. Allows the Commission to establish appropriate applications and forms. Requires the Commission to adopt all necessary and proper rules to implement the program.


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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. Adult vocational community college
8scholarship.
9    (a) The Commission shall, subject to appropriation,
10establish and administer an adult vocational community college
11scholarship program.
12    (b) Beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year, the
13Commission shall, each year, receive and consider applications
14for scholarships under this Section. An applicant is eligible
15for a scholarship under this Section if the Commission finds
16that the applicant meets all of the following qualifications:
17        (1) He or she is over the age of 30.
18        (2) He or she has been unemployed and is actively
19    searching for employment, including being enrolled on the
20    Department of Employment Security's job-search website for
21    at least 6 months prior to the date the application is
22    submitted by the applicant.
23        (3) He or she is enrolled or accepted for enrollment at

 

 

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1    his or her local community college organized under the
2    Public Community College Act.
3        (4) He or she can identify the specific training
4    certificate, credential, or associate degree that he or she
5    is seeking to obtain; the career that the certificate,
6    credential, or degree will help create; and how long it
7    will take the applicant to reach this goal.
8    Applicants may re-apply for the scholarship under this
9Section if they can demonstrate continual progress, in terms of
10grades and attendance, toward the desired certificate,
11credential, or degree.
12    (c) The scholarship shall be sufficient to cover the cost
13of tuition and fees to attend the community college, but in no
14event shall the scholarship exceed $2,000 per scholarship
15recipient per academic year.
16    The total amount of a scholarship awarded by the Commission
17under this Section to an individual in any given fiscal year,
18when added to other financial assistance awarded to that
19individual for that year, shall not exceed the cost of
20attendance at the community college at which the student is
21enrolled.
22    (d) All applications for scholarships to be awarded under
23this Section shall be made to the Commission in a form as set
24forth by the Commission. The form of application and the
25information required to be set forth in the application shall
26be determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall

 

 

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1require eligible applicants to submit with their applications
2such supporting documents as the Commission deems necessary.
3    (e) Subject to a separate appropriation made for such
4purposes, payment of any scholarships awarded under this
5Section shall be determined by the Commission. All scholarship
6funds distributed in accordance with this Section shall be paid
7to the community college on behalf of the recipients.
8Scholarship funds are applicable toward 2 semesters of
9enrollment within an academic year. Up to 2% of the
10appropriation for this scholarship program may be used by the
11Commission for the costs of administering the scholarship
12program.
13    (f) The Commission shall adopt all necessary and proper
14rules not inconsistent with this Section for its effective
15implementation.