102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB4267

 

Introduced 1/5/2022, by Rep. Dave Vella and Michael J. Zalewski

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 947/54 new

    Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Beginning with the 2022-2023 academic year, requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to award grants for the payment of tuition and fees to eligible applicants who agree to serve a minimum of 4 years as a law enforcement officer in a local community in this State following graduation from a public institution of higher learning. Sets forth provisions concerning applicant eligibility, conditions for maintaining grant eligibility, and conditions requiring the repayment of grant assistance. Provides for rulemaking. Effective immediately.


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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 54 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 947/54 new)
7    Sec. 54. Law enforcement officer grant program.
8    (a) To encourage students to serve local communities in
9this State as a law enforcement officer and to increase
10diversity within the ranks of law enforcement, each year,
11beginning with the 2022-2023 academic year, the Commission
12shall receive and consider applications for grant assistance
13under this Section.
14    (b) An applicant is eligible for grant assistance under
15this Section if the Commission finds that the applicant meets
16all of the following qualifications:
17        (1) The applicant is a United States citizen or
18    eligible noncitizen.
19        (2) The applicant is a resident of this State.
20        (3) The applicant is accepted for enrollment or
21    enrolled full time or part time at a public institution of
22    higher learning.
23        (4) The applicant commits to serve a minimum of 4

 

 

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1    years in a local community in this State as a law
2    enforcement officer following graduation from a public
3    institution.
4    (c) Each grant awarded under this Section shall be in an
5amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees of the public
6institution at which the recipient is enrolled. The total
7amount of grant assistance awarded by the Commission under
8this Section to an individual in any given fiscal year, when
9added to other financial assistance awarded to that individual
10for that year, shall not exceed the cost of attendance at the
11public institution at which the student is enrolled. Subject
12to a separate appropriation made for such purposes, payment of
13any grant awarded under this Section shall be determined by
14the Commission. All grant funds distributed in accordance with
15this Section shall be paid to the public institution on behalf
16of the recipients.
17    (d) A student shall remain eligible for grant assistance
18under this Section until the occurrence of the first of the
19following events:
20        (1) The student graduates from a public institution.
21        (2) The sum of the number of years the student has
22    attended a public institution, exclusive of approved
23    leaves of absence, equals 4 years from the date of the
24    student's initial enrollment in a public institution.
25        (3) The student ceases to be enrolled at a public
26    institution.

 

 

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1        (4) The student ceases to be a student in good
2    standing.
3    (e) If a recipient of grant assistance under this Section
4fails to serve as a law enforcement officer in a local
5community in this State for a minimum of 4 years following
6graduation from a public institution, the grant recipient
7shall repay the amount of all grant assistance received under
8this Section. The repayment amount may be prorated according
9to the fraction of the law enforcement service obligation not
10completed by the grant recipient.
11    (f) All applications for grant assistance to be awarded
12under this Section shall be made to the Commission in a form as
13set forth by the Commission. The form of application and the
14information required to be set forth in the application shall
15be determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall
16require eligible applicants to submit with their applications
17such supporting documents as the Commission deems necessary.
18    (g) The Commission may adopt any rules necessary to
19implement and administer this Section.
 
20    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21becoming law.