SB2171 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 19536 NHT 45854 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB2171

Introduced 2/14/2008, by Sen. Kirk W. Dillard

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/30-9	from Ch. 122, par. 30-9
105 ILCS 5/30-13	from Ch. 122, par. 30-13

Amends the School Code. Provides that a General Assembly scholarship must be used only for undergraduate education. Effective July 1, 2008.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections 30-9 and 30-13 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/30-9) (from Ch. 122, par. 30-9)

Sec. 30-9. General Assembly scholarship; conditions of admission; award by competitive examination. Each member of the General Assembly may nominate annually 2 persons of school age and otherwise eligible, from his district; each shall receive a certificate of scholarship for undergraduate education at in any State supported university designated by the member. Any member of the General Assembly in making nominations under this Section may designate that his nominee be granted a 4 year scholarship or may instead designate 2 or 4 nominees for that particular scholarship, each to receive a 2 year or a one year scholarship, respectively. The nominee, if a graduate of a school accredited by the University to which nominated, shall be admitted to the university on the same conditions as to educational qualifications as are other graduates of accredited schools. If the nominee is not a graduate of a school accredited by the university to which nominated, he must, before being entitled to the benefits of the scholarship, pass an examination given by the superintendent of schools of the county where he resides at the time stated in Section 30-7 for the competitive examination. The president of each university shall prescribe the rules governing the examination for scholarship to his university.

A member of the General Assembly may award the scholarship by competitive examination conducted under like rules as prescribed in Section 30-7 even though one or more of the applicants are graduates of schools accredited by the university.

A member of the General Assembly may delegate to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission the authority to nominate persons for General Assembly scholarships which that member would otherwise be entitled to award, or may direct the Commission to evaluate and make recommendations to the member concerning candidates for such scholarships. In the event a member delegates his nominating authority or directs the Commission to evaluate and make recommendations concerning candidates for General Assembly scholarships, the member shall inform the Commission in writing of the criteria which he wishes the Commission to apply in nominating or recommending candidates. Those criteria may include some or all of the criteria provided in Section 25 of the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. A delegation of authority under this paragraph may be revoked at any time by the member.

Failure of a member of the General Assembly to make a nomination in any year shall not cause that scholarship to lapse, but the member may make a nomination for such scholarship at any time thereafter before the expiration of his term, and the person so nominated shall be entitled to the same benefits as holders of other scholarships provided herein. Any such scholarship for which a member has made no nomination prior to the expiration of the term for which he was elected shall lapse upon the expiration of that term.

(Source: P.A. 93-349, eff. 7-24-03.)

(105 ILCS 5/30-13) (from Ch. 122, par. 30-13)

Sec. 30-13. The scholarships issued under Sections 30-9 through 30-12 of this Article may be used at the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University, Chicago State University, Eastern Illinois University, Governors State University, Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, and Western Illinois University as provided in those sections. Unless otherwise indicated, these scholarships shall be good for a period of not more than 4 years while enrolled for undergraduate residence credit and shall exempt the holder from the payment of tuition, or any matriculation, graduation, activity, term or incidental fee, except any portion of a multipurpose fee which is used for a purpose for which exemption is not granted under this Section. Exemption shall not be granted from any other fees, including book rental, service, laboratory, supply, union building, hospital and medical insurance fees and any fees established for the operation and maintenance of buildings, the income of which is pledged to the payment of interest and principal on bonds issued by the governing board of any university or community college.

Any student who has been or shall be awarded a scholarship shall be reimbursed by the appropriate university or community college for any fees which he has paid and for which exemption is granted under this Section, if application for such reimbursement is made within 2 months following the school term for which the fees were paid.

The holder of a scholarship shall be subject to all examinations, rules and requirements of the university or community college in which he is enrolled except as herein directed.

This article does not prohibit the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University, the Board of Regents of the Regency Universities System and the Board of Governors of State Colleges and Universities for the institutions under their respective jurisdictions from granting other scholarships.

(Source: P.A. 88-228; 89-4, eff. 1-1-96.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2008.