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91_HB3553
LRB9110535NTksA
1 AN ACT to amend the Higher Education Student Assistance
2 Act by adding Section 65.57.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act
6 is amended by adding Section 65.57 as follows:
7 (110 ILCS 947/65.57 new)
8 Sec. 65.57. Arthur F. Quern Information Technology Grant
9 Program.
10 (a) In order to strengthen the workforce in this State
11 by increasing the supply of skilled information technology
12 workers in this State, the Commission shall, each year and
13 subject to available appropriations, receive and consider
14 applications for grant assistance under this Section to
15 provide need-based grants for retraining in information
16 technology fields, to be named Arthur F. Quern Information
17 Technology Grants, to qualified students pursuing additional
18 certification or a degree in an information technology field
19 at a degree-granting institution. An applicant is eligible
20 for a grant under this Section if the Commission finds that
21 the applicant:
22 (1) is a United States citizen or a permanent
23 resident of the United States;
24 (2) is a resident of this State;
25 (3) has made a timely application to the Commission
26 for an information technology grant; and
27 (4) enrolls or is enrolled in an eligible program
28 of undergraduate information technology related study, as
29 determined by the Board of Higher Education, at a
30 qualified institution of higher learning in this State.
31 (b) Recipients shall be selected from among applicants
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1 who qualify pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section based
2 on financial need, as determined by the Commission.
3 Preference may be given to individuals who have received a
4 baccalaureate degree and who seek information technology
5 training or certification. Preference may also be given to
6 previous recipients of assistance under this Section.
7 (c) A recipient must maintain satisfactory academic
8 progress, as determined by the institution of higher learning
9 at which he or she is enrolled.
10 (d) The Commission shall receive initial and subsequent
11 State appropriations for distribution to participating
12 institutions on behalf of information technology grant
13 recipients under this Section. The Commission shall also
14 receive appropriate annual State appropriations for program
15 administration under this Section.
16 (e) The Commission shall administer the information
17 technology grant program established by this Section and
18 shall make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent
19 with this Section for the program's effective implementation.
20 (f) Each information technology grant is an award of up
21 to $2,500, payable to a qualified institution on behalf of
22 the award recipient and applicable towards tuition and fees
23 and other educational costs, as determined by the Commission.
24 A qualified student may be eligible to receive an information
25 technology grant for up to 2 years.
26 (g) The total amount of grant assistance awarded by the
27 Commission under this Section to an individual in any given
28 fiscal year, when added to other financial assistance awarded
29 to that individual for that year, shall not exceed the cost
30 of attendance at the institution of higher learning at which
31 the student is enrolled. If a recipient does not qualify for
32 the maximum $2,500 grant amount during the academic year, the
33 excess award amount shall not be carried forward to the award
34 amount for the following academic year for which the
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1 recipient is eligible for a grant award under this Section.
2 (h) All applications for grant assistance to be awarded
3 under this Section shall be made to the Commission in a
4 format set forth by the Commission. The format of the
5 application and the information required to be set forth in
6 the application shall be determined by the Commission.
7 (i) Subject to a separate appropriation made for such
8 purposes, payment of a grant awarded under this Section shall
9 be determined by the Commission. All grant funds distributed
10 in accordance with this Section shall be paid to the
11 institution on behalf of the recipients.
12 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on
13 July 1, 2000.