102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB0083

 

Introduced 1/14/2021, by Rep. Mary E. Flowers

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 947/62

    Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Allows the dependents of an exonerated person to receive a grant for exonerated persons. Effective July 1, 2021.


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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 changing Section 62 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 947/62)
7    Sec. 62. Grants for exonerated persons.
8    (a) In this Section:
9    "Dependent" means a spouse, natural child, legally adopted
10child, or child in the legal custody of an exonerated person.
11    "Exonerated person" means an individual who has received a
12pardon from the Governor of the State of Illinois stating that
13such a pardon is issued on the grounds of innocence of the
14crime for which he or she was imprisoned or an individual who
15has received a certificate of innocence from a circuit court
16pursuant to Section 2-702 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
17    "Satisfactory academic progress" means the qualified
18applicant's maintenance of minimum standards of academic
19performance, consistent with requirements for maintaining
20federal financial aid eligibility, as determined by the
21institution of higher learning.
22    (b) Subject to a separate appropriation for this purpose,
23the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider

 

 

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1applications for grant assistance under this Section. Both an
2exonerated person and all of his or her dependents qualify to
3receive a grant Recipients of grants issued by the Commission
4in accordance with this Section must be exonerated persons.
5Provided that the recipient is maintaining satisfactory
6academic progress, the funds from the grant may be used to pay
7up to 8 semesters or 12 quarters of full payment of tuition and
8mandatory fees at any public university or public community
9college located in this State for either full or part-time
10study. This benefit may be used for undergraduate or graduate
11study.
12    In addition, a qualified applicant an exonerated person
13who has not yet received a high school diploma or a high school
14equivalency certificate and completes a high school
15equivalency preparation course through an Illinois Community
16College Board-approved provider may use grant funds to pay
17costs associated with obtaining a high school equivalency
18certificate, including payment of the cost of the high school
19equivalency test and up to one retest on each test module, and
20any additional fees that may be required in order to obtain an
21Illinois High School Equivalency Certificate or an official
22transcript of test scores after successful completion of the
23high school equivalency test.
24    (c) An applicant for a grant under this Section need not
25demonstrate financial need to qualify for the benefits.
26    (d) The Commission may adopt any rules necessary to

 

 

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1implement and administer this Section.
2(Source: P.A. 99-199, eff. 1-1-16.)
 
3    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
42021.