SB0223sam003 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Dan Kotowski

Filed: 5/4/2015

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 223

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 223, AS AMENDED, by
3replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
4following:
 
5    "Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
6amended by adding Section 62 as follows:
 
7    (110 ILCS 947/62 new)
8    Sec. 62. Grants for exonerated persons.
9    (a) In this Section:
10    "Exonerated person" means an individual who has received a
11pardon from the Governor of the State of Illinois stating that
12such a pardon is issued on the grounds of innocence of the
13crime for which he or she was imprisoned or an individual who
14has received a certificate of innocence from a circuit court
15pursuant to Section 2-702 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
16    "Satisfactory academic progress" means the qualified

 

 

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1applicant's maintenance of minimum standards of academic
2performance, consistent with requirements for maintaining
3federal financial aid eligibility, as determined by the
4institution of higher learning.
5    (b) Subject to a separate appropriation for this purpose,
6the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider
7applications for grant assistance under this Section.
8Recipients of grants issued by the Commission in accordance
9with this Section must be exonerated persons. Provided that the
10recipient is maintaining satisfactory academic progress, the
11funds from the grant may be used to pay up to 8 semesters or 12
12quarters of full payment of tuition and mandatory fees at any
13public university or public community college located in this
14State for either full or part-time study. This benefit may be
15used for undergraduate or graduate study.
16    In addition, an exonerated person who has not yet received
17a high school diploma or a high school equivalency certificate
18and completes a high school equivalency preparation course
19through an Illinois Community College Board-approved provider
20may use grant funds to pay costs associated with obtaining a
21high school equivalency certificate, including payment of the
22cost of the high school equivalency test and up to one retest
23on each test module, and any additional fees that may be
24required in order to obtain an Illinois High School Equivalency
25Certificate or an official transcript of test scores after
26successful completion of the high school equivalency test.

 

 

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1    (c) An applicant for a grant under this Section need not
2demonstrate financial need to qualify for the benefits.
3    (d) The Commission may adopt any rules necessary to
4implement and administer this Section.".