|
| | HB0456 Engrossed | | LRB100 04788 NHT 14797 b |
|
|
| 1 | | AN ACT concerning education.
|
| 2 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
|
| 3 | | represented in the General Assembly:
|
| 4 | | Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is |
| 5 | | amended by adding Section 65.95 as follows:
|
| 6 | | (110 ILCS 947/65.95 new) |
| 7 | | Sec. 65.95. Need-based grant program. |
| 8 | | (a) In this Section, "cost of attendance" means the tuition |
| 9 | | and fee, room and board, and book and supply costs related to a |
| 10 | | student's attendance at a public university. |
| 11 | | (b) Beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year, the |
| 12 | | Commission shall, each year, consider applications for grant |
| 13 | | assistance under this Section. An applicant is eligible for a |
| 14 | | grant under this Section if the Commission finds that the |
| 15 | | applicant meets all of the following qualifications: |
| 16 | | (1) He or she is a United States citizen or eligible |
| 17 | | noncitizen. |
| 18 | | (2) He or she is a resident of this State. |
| 19 | | (3) He or she is enrolled, for at least 15 credit |
| 20 | | hours, in a public university and has not earned a |
| 21 | | bachelor's degree yet. A grant recipient must submit proof |
| 22 | | to the Commission each semester that he or she is still |
| 23 | | enrolled in the university. |
|
| | HB0456 Engrossed | - 2 - | LRB100 04788 NHT 14797 b |
|
|
| 1 | | (4) He or she demonstrates financial need, as |
| 2 | | determined by the Commission, and his or her household |
| 3 | | income is less than the poverty guidelines updated |
| 4 | | periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department |
| 5 | | of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42 |
| 6 | | U.S.C. 9902(2). |
| 7 | | (5) He or she maintains satisfactory academic |
| 8 | | progress, as determined by the university. |
| 9 | | (c) Subject to appropriation, each year the Commission |
| 10 | | shall award grants under this Section among applicants |
| 11 | | qualified pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section. The |
| 12 | | Commission shall receive funding for the grants through |
| 13 | | appropriations. |
| 14 | | (d) Each grant awarded under this Section shall be in an |
| 15 | | amount sufficient to pay the cost of attendance at the |
| 16 | | university in which the student is enrolled for 2 semesters of |
| 17 | | enrollment within an academic year. However, the total amount |
| 18 | | of grant assistance awarded by the Commission under this |
| 19 | | Section to an individual for any given academic year, when |
| 20 | | added to other financial assistance awarded to that individual |
| 21 | | for that year, shall not exceed the cost of attendance at the |
| 22 | | university at which the student is enrolled. If, in any fiscal |
| 23 | | year, the amount appropriated for grants is less than the |
| 24 | | amount determined necessary to cover the cost of attendance for |
| 25 | | all eligible applicants, then the grants shall be |
| 26 | | proportionately reduced accordingly. |
|
| | HB0456 Engrossed | - 3 - | LRB100 04788 NHT 14797 b |
|
|
| 1 | | (e) Payment of any grant under this Section shall be |
| 2 | | determined by the Commission. All grant funds distributed in |
| 3 | | accordance with this Section shall be paid to the university on |
| 4 | | behalf of the recipient. |
| 5 | | (f) The Commission shall administer the grant program |
| 6 | | established by this Section and shall make all necessary and |
| 7 | | proper rules not inconsistent with this Section for its |
| 8 | | effective implementation.
|