SB1311 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 24908 RJT 51242 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB1311

Introduced 2/6/2023, by Sen. Chapin Rose

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

110 ILCS 947/65.120 new

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year and subject to appropriation, provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall, each year, receive and consider applications for grant assistance under a pilot program to be known as the Growing Regional Opportunities for Work (GROW) Illinois Grant Pilot Program. Provides that the Commission may award grants under the program to applicants who are enrolled or plan to enroll at a public community college participating in the program in a certificate, license, or degree program to work in a high-demand industry, among other qualifications. Sets forth provisions concerning grant renewal, posting requirements, the allocation of funding, the application process, matching and unclaimed funds, the grant amount, reporting requirements, and rulemaking. Repeals the provisions on October 1, 2029. Effective immediately.

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 Higher Education Student Assistance Act is amended by adding Section 65.120 as follows:

(110 ILCS 947/65.120 new)

Sec. 65.120. GROW Illinois Grant Pilot Program.

(a) In this Section:

"Eligible applicant" means a student or prospective student enrolled at a participating public community college in this State who has yet to receive a certificate, license, or degree to work in a high-demand industry.

"High-demand industry" means an industry identified by a public community college, in coordination with local employers, that is growing and where job placement is high.

"Tuition and other necessary fees" includes the customary charge for instruction and use of facilities in general and the additional fixed fees charged for specified purposes that are required generally of non-grant recipients for each academic period for which the grant applicant actually enrolls, but does not include fees payable only once or breakage fees and other contingent deposits that are refundable in whole or in part.

(b) Beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, subject to a separate appropriation made for such purpose, the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider applications for grant assistance under a pilot program to be known as the Growing Regional Opportunities for Work (GROW) Illinois Grant Pilot Program. The Commission may award a grant under this Section to an eligible applicant if the Commission finds that the applicant meets all of the following qualifications:

(1) The applicant is a resident of this State and a citizen or eligible noncitizen of the United States.

(2) The applicant has not yet received a certificate, license, or degree to work in a high-demand industry.

(3) The applicant is not incarcerated.

(4) The applicant is not in default on any student loan.

(5) The applicant is enrolled or plans to enroll at a public community college participating in the program in a certificate, license, or degree program to work in a high-demand industry.

(6) Any other reasonable criteria, as determined by the participating public community college.

(c) Each community college participating in the program shall determine grant renewal criteria consistent with this Section.

(d) Each participating community college shall post on its Internet website the criteria and eligibility requirements to receive an award of grant assistance under this Section. The information posted on the website must include the range of the amount of grant assistance that may be awarded to a qualified student. The criteria, eligibility requirements, and the amounts of the grant assistance available to students also must be reported to the Commission and the Illinois Community College Board. The Commission and the Illinois Community College Board shall post this information on their respective Internet websites.

(e) Subject to appropriation, the Commission shall determine the allocation of funds available to each participating community college. The Commission shall allocate to the community college an amount proportional to the number of students who (i) are residents of this State, (ii) are citizens or eligible noncitizens of the United States, and (iii) were enrolled at the community college in the previous academic year.

(f) Applications must be made to the Commission on or before a date determined by the Commission and on forms that the Commission shall provide to each participating community college. The form of the application and the information required shall be determined by the Commission. The information shall include, without limitation:

(1) the total public community college funds used to match funds received in the previous academic year from the Commission under this Section;

(2) the total number of students enrolled in the previous academic year who are residents of this State; and

(3) any supporting documents that the Commission deems necessary.

(g) Each participating community college shall match the amount of funds received from the Commission with financial assistance for qualified students. The community college is not required to claim its entire allocation.

(h) On a date determined by the Commission, the Commission shall make available to all participating community colleges the amount of unclaimed funds, if any. The unclaimed funds must be made available to those participating community colleges in the proportion determined under subsection (e), but must exclude from the calculation those participating community colleges that are not claiming their full allocations.

(i) Each participating community college may determine the award amounts for qualified students on a per-student or collective basis. Subject to renewal eligibility, each renewal grant award may not be less than the amount awarded to the qualified student in the student's prior attendance at the participating community college under this Section. Notwithstanding this limitation, a renewal grant award may be reduced due to changes in the student's cost of attendance, including, but not limited to, if the student (i) reduces the number of credit hours, (ii) changes the course of study in which the student is enrolled, or (iii) switches to a course of study with a lower tuition and fee rate. If an eligible applicant awarded grant assistance under this Section is eligible to receive other financial aid, the total grant aid to the student from all sources may not exceed the total cost of the course of study attendance at the participating community college in which the student is enrolled.

(j) All money allocated to a public community college under this Section may be used only for financial assistance purposes for students attending the public community college. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any funds received by a public community college under this Section that are not awarded to students in the academic year for which the funds are received may be retained by the public community college for expenditure on students participating in the program or students eligible to participate in the program.

(k) Each participating community college must annually report to the Commission, on or before a date determined by the Commission, the number of students enrolled at that college who are residents of this State.

(l) Nothing in this Section prohibits a public community college from using funds raised to be used as matching funds.

(m) On or before a date determined by the Commission, each participating community college shall annually submit a report to the Commission with all of the following information:

(1) The program's impact on tuition revenue and enrollment goals and access and affordability at the community college.

(2) Total funds received by the community college under the program.

(3) Total amount of funds matched by the community college.

(4) Total amount of claimed and unexpended funds retained by the community college.

(5) The total number of students receiving grants from the community college under the program, the students' program of study, race, gender, income level, family size, and zip code of residence, and the amount of each grant award. This information shall include unit record data on those students regarding variables associated with the parameters of the program.

(n) On or before October 1, 2025 and annually thereafter, the Commission shall submit a report with the information under subsection (m) and any other information regarding the program to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the Senate. The Commission's report may not disaggregate data to a level that may disclose personally identifying information of individual students.

(o) The sharing and reporting of student data under this Section must be in accordance with the requirements of the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. All parties must preserve the confidentiality of the information as required by law. The names of the grant recipients under this Section are not subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Public community colleges that fail to submit a report under subsection (m) or that fail to adhere to any other requirements under this Section may not be eligible for distribution of funds under the program for the next academic year, but may be eligible for distribution of funds for each academic year thereafter.

(p) The Commission may adopt any rules necessary to implement this Section, including rules concerning the computation of tuition and other necessary fees.

(q) This Section is repealed on October 1, 2029.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.