Section 1036.10  Purpose

 

The purpose of this Part is to provide for the distribution of matching grants to nonpublic Illinois institutions of higher learning for capital improvement projects to improve facilities used for instruction and research in science and technology.

 

Section 1036.20  Definitions

 

            "Board" means the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

 

            "Eligible Degrees" means the number of associate, baccalaureate, masters, and first professional degrees conferred in science and technology fields as determined by the Board based upon submissions for the Board's Degrees Conferred Survey and other documentation as requested by the Board for clarification or substantiation in the event that material submitted by an applicant institution is incomplete or not of sufficient detail.

 

            "Grant period" means the twenty-four month period of time specified in the grant agreement.

 

            "Institution" means a nonpublic institution of higher learning located in this State which offers associate, baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degrees, and which is operating privately, not-for-profit and in conformity with standards substantially equivalent to those of the state-supported institutions of higher learning, for example as evidenced by the transferability of credits to state-supported institutions. "Institution" does not include any educational organization used for sectarian instruction, as a place of religious teaching or worship or for any religious denomination or the training of ministers, priests, rabbis or other professional persons in the field of religion.  (Section 2 of "The Illinois Financial Assistance Act for Nonpublic Institutions of Higher Learning" (the Act), Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 144, par. 1332.)

 

            "Matching funds" means monies which are allocated for expenditure for a science and technology project supported by this grant program, provided such funds are not used to support any other purpose and are not appropriated by the General Assembly or do not result from tuition, fees, or other student assessment.

 

            "Science and technology fields" means one or more of the following program areas as determined by the Board:  computer and information sciences, engineering, engineering related technologies, health sciences clinical programs, life sciences, mathematics, physical sciences, and science technologies.

 

            "Science and technology project" means a capital improvement project directly related to areas used for instruction or research in science and technology fields and which falls into one of the following categories:

 

            "Buildings or Additions" which means a capital improvement that involves the construction of a new facility or building addition.

 

            "Remodeling" which means a capital improvement that has the primary objective of restoring or upgrading a structure or facility to its original operating condition or improving the existing functional capability or capacity of the structure or facility.

 

Section 1036.30  Eligibility for Science and Technology Grants

 

a)         Institutions eligible to apply for Science and Technology Grants are those defined in Section 1036.20.

 

b)         Grants will be awarded for science and technology projects that directly relate to instruction or research in science and technology fields.

 

c)         Grants will be awarded for constructing new facilities or building additions that will be owned and used by the institution and not leased to a second party.

 

d)         Grants will be awarded for remodeling on-campus, nonresidential space owned and used by the institution and not leased to a second party.

 

e)         Grants shall not be awarded for any project on real property or facilities used for sectarian purposes.

 

f)         No grant will be made to any institution that has not submitted required application documents or that has not made required refunds, if any, for grant programs administered by the Board.

 

Section 1036.40  Application Requirements

 

a)         Applications for science and technology projects shall include the following:

 

1)         A list of proposed project(s) with a description and estimated cost for each project;

 

2)         An explanation of how the project(s) will enhance current instruction and research in science and technology fields;

 

3)         An explanation of the relationship of the project(s) to institutional goals for instruction and research in science and technology fields; and

 

4)         The amount and source of matching funds earmarked for the science and technology project.

 

b)         The Board shall review application documents of all institutions for compliance with the application and eligibility requirements.  The Board may request additional documents or a meeting between its staff and institutional representatives to discuss questions about application documents.  In the event that material submitted by an applicant institution is incomplete or not of sufficient detail to provide an understanding of the proposed project or its justification, the Board would request additional information for clarification or substantiation.

 

Section 1036.50  Grant Agreement

 

a)         Once the Board has approved a grant, the institution and the Board shall execute a grant agreement.

 

b)         Such agreement shall:

 

1)         be signed by the chief executive officer or chairman of the institution's board;

 

2)         specify the twenty-four month period of time for which the grant is valid and during which grant funds may be expended by the institution;

 

3)         specify the matching funds requirement;

 

4)         provide assurance that matching funds are not being used to support other projects;

 

5)         provide that any project funded under the grant shall not commence prior to the date specified in the grant agreement;

 

6)         provide that the institution shall contract with external auditors to conduct an audit of the expenditure of grant funds provided under this program and matching funds at the end of the grant period to verify the following:

 

A)        the number of eligible degrees awarded upon which the grant is based;

 

B)        that grant funds and matching funds were expended pursuant to the grant agreement and not for sectarian purposes; and

 

C)        the actual amount of matching funds claimed by the institution for the science and technology project(s) supported under this program;

 

7)         provide that the institution shall make refunds to the State of Illinois for the following reasons:

 

A)        grant funds not expended;

 

B)        grant funds expended for purposes not covered under the grant agreement;

 

C)        when matching funds expenditures are less than state grant fund expenditures; and

 

D)        any grant funds received by the grantee for which the grantee is subsequently determined not to be eligible.

 

8)         comply with the terms of the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 127, pars. 2301 et seq., as amended by Public Act 86-602, effective January 1, 1990).

 

Section 1036.60  Funding Formula

 

A minimum grant of $20,000 will be allocated to each institution determined to be eligible under this Part.  The remainder of the appropriation for this program will be allocated in accordance with a formula based on the most recent two year average of the number of eligible degrees conferred in science and technology fields with double credit being given to baccalaureate degrees, and triple credit being given to graduate and first professional degrees at such institutions.

 

Section 1036.70  Audit Guidelines

 

a)         To fulfill audit requirements in Section 1036.50 (b)(6) an institution shall contract with an external auditor who is registered as a public accountant by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation.  The cost of the audit is an authorized use of grant funds.

 

b)         The auditors shall obtain copies of the following grant documents:  the institution's application; the executed grant agreement; copies of the Board's Degrees Conferred Surveys used to determine the number of eligible degrees; and a copy of this Part.

 

c)         The auditors shall verify the claim of eligible science and technology degrees awarded.

 

d)         The auditors shall verify the expenditure of grant funds and matching funds as provided for in this Part, and shall ensure that such funds were expended on project(s) listed in the grant agreement.

 

e)         The auditors shall verify that renovation of sectarian facilities has not been supported by grant funds.

 

f)         The auditors shall provide an audit including a description of the tests performed and the audit findings to the Board of Higher Education within 90 days of end of the grant period or within 90 days of the end of an institution's fiscal year for institutions electing to fulfill audit requirements in Section 1036.50(b)(6) as part of their annual audit as provided by the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 127, par. 2302, as amended by Public Act 86-602, effective January 1, 1990).

 

g)         Refunds shall be made to the State by the institutions for the following reasons:

 

1)         Grant funds not expended.

 

2)         Grant funds expended for purposes not covered under the grant agreement.

 

3)         When matching funds expenditures are less than state grant fund expenditures.

 

4)         Any grant funds received by the grantee for which the grantee is subsequently determined not to be eligible.