103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB2510 Introduced , by Rep. Suzanne M. Ness SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 110 ILCS 947/35 Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that an applicant enrolled in a certificate program offered by a public community college is eligible for a Monetary Award Program grant until he or she completes the certificate program. Effective immediately. LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB2510 Introduced , by Rep. Suzanne M. Ness SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 110 ILCS 947/35 110 ILCS 947/35 Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that an applicant enrolled in a certificate program offered by a public community college is eligible for a Monetary Award Program grant until he or she completes the certificate program. Effective immediately. LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB2510 Introduced , by Rep. Suzanne M. Ness SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 110 ILCS 947/35 110 ILCS 947/35 110 ILCS 947/35 Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that an applicant enrolled in a certificate program offered by a public community college is eligible for a Monetary Award Program grant until he or she completes the certificate program. Effective immediately. LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b A BILL FOR HB2510LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510 LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510 LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 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 changing Section 35 as follows: 6 (110 ILCS 947/35) 7 Sec. 35. Monetary award program. 8 (a) The Commission shall, each year, receive and consider 9 applications for grant assistance under this Section. Subject 10 to a separate appropriation for such purposes, an applicant is 11 eligible for a grant under this Section when the Commission 12 finds that the applicant: 13 (1) is a resident of this State and a citizen or 14 permanent resident of the United States; 15 (2) is enrolled or has been accepted for enrollment in 16 a qualified institution for the purpose of obtaining a 17 degree, certificate, or other credential offered by the 18 institution, as applicable; and 19 (3) in the absence of grant assistance, will be 20 deterred by financial considerations from completing an 21 educational program at the qualified institution of his or 22 her choice. 23 (b) The Commission shall award renewals only upon the 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB2510 Introduced , by Rep. Suzanne M. Ness SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 110 ILCS 947/35 110 ILCS 947/35 110 ILCS 947/35 Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that an applicant enrolled in a certificate program offered by a public community college is eligible for a Monetary Award Program grant until he or she completes the certificate program. Effective immediately. LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b A BILL FOR 110 ILCS 947/35 LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510 LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510- 2 -LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510 - 2 - LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510 - 2 - LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b 1 student's application and upon the Commission's finding that 2 the applicant: 3 (1) has remained a student in good standing; 4 (2) remains a resident of this State; and 5 (3) is in a financial situation that continues to 6 warrant assistance. 7 (c) All grants shall be applicable only to tuition and 8 necessary fee costs. The Commission shall determine the grant 9 amount for each student, which shall not exceed the smallest 10 of the following amounts: 11 (1) subject to appropriation, $5,468 for fiscal year 12 2009, $5,968 for fiscal year 2010, $6,468 for fiscal year 13 2011 and each fiscal year thereafter through fiscal year 14 2022, and $8,508 for fiscal year 2023 and each fiscal year 15 thereafter, or such lesser amount as the Commission finds 16 to be available, during an academic year; 17 (2) the amount which equals 2 semesters or 3 quarters 18 tuition and other necessary fees required generally by the 19 institution of all full-time undergraduate students; or 20 (3) such amount as the Commission finds to be 21 appropriate in view of the applicant's financial 22 resources. 23 Subject to appropriation, the maximum grant amount for 24 students not subject to subdivision (1) of this subsection (c) 25 must be increased by the same percentage as any increase made 26 by law to the maximum grant amount under subdivision (1) of HB2510 - 2 - LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510- 3 -LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510 - 3 - LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510 - 3 - LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b 1 this subsection (c). 2 "Tuition and other necessary fees" as used in this Section 3 include the customary charge for instruction and use of 4 facilities in general, and the additional fixed fees charged 5 for specified purposes, which are required generally of 6 nongrant recipients for each academic period for which the 7 grant applicant actually enrolls, but do not include fees 8 payable only once or breakage fees and other contingent 9 deposits which are refundable in whole or in part. The 10 Commission may prescribe, by rule not inconsistent with this 11 Section, detailed provisions concerning the computation of 12 tuition and other necessary fees. 13 (d) No applicant, including those presently receiving 14 scholarship assistance under this Act, is eligible for 15 monetary award program consideration under this Act after 16 receiving a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent of 135 17 semester credit hours of award payments. However, an applicant 18 enrolled in a certificate program offered by a public 19 community college may continue to be eligible for monetary 20 award program consideration under this Act until the 21 completion of the certificate program even if he or she has 22 exceeded this limitation. 23 (d-5) In this subsection (d-5), "renewing applicant" means 24 a student attending an institution of higher learning who 25 received a Monetary Award Program grant during the prior 26 academic year. Beginning with the processing of applications HB2510 - 3 - LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510- 4 -LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510 - 4 - LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510 - 4 - LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b 1 for the 2020-2021 academic year, the Commission shall annually 2 publish a priority deadline date for renewing applicants. 3 Subject to appropriation, a renewing applicant who files by 4 the published priority deadline date shall receive a grant if 5 he or she continues to meet the eligibility requirements under 6 this Section. A renewing applicant's failure to apply by the 7 priority deadline date established under this subsection (d-5) 8 shall not disqualify him or her from receiving a grant if 9 sufficient funding is available to provide awards after that 10 date. 11 (e) The Commission, in determining the number of grants to 12 be offered, shall take into consideration past experience with 13 the rate of grant funds unclaimed by recipients. The 14 Commission shall notify applicants that grant assistance is 15 contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds. 16 (e-5) The General Assembly finds and declares that it is 17 an important purpose of the Monetary Award Program to 18 facilitate access to college both for students who pursue 19 postsecondary education immediately following high school and 20 for those who pursue postsecondary education later in life, 21 particularly Illinoisans who are dislocated workers with 22 financial need and who are seeking to improve their economic 23 position through education. For the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 24 academic years, the Commission shall give additional and 25 specific consideration to the needs of dislocated workers with 26 the intent of allowing applicants who are dislocated workers HB2510 - 4 - LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510- 5 -LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510 - 5 - LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510 - 5 - LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b 1 an opportunity to secure financial assistance even if applying 2 later than the general pool of applicants. The Commission's 3 consideration shall include, in determining the number of 4 grants to be offered, an estimate of the resources needed to 5 serve dislocated workers who apply after the Commission 6 initially suspends award announcements for the upcoming 7 regular academic year, but prior to the beginning of that 8 academic year. For the purposes of this subsection (e-5), a 9 dislocated worker is defined as in the federal Workforce 10 Innovation and Opportunity Act. 11 (f) (Blank). 12 (g) The Commission shall determine the eligibility of and 13 make grants to applicants enrolled at qualified for-profit 14 institutions in accordance with the criteria set forth in this 15 Section. The eligibility of applicants enrolled at such 16 for-profit institutions shall be limited as follows: 17 (1) Beginning with the academic year 1997, only to 18 eligible first-time freshmen and first-time transfer 19 students who have attained an associate degree. 20 (2) Beginning with the academic year 1998, only to 21 eligible freshmen students, transfer students who have 22 attained an associate degree, and students who receive a 23 grant under paragraph (1) for the academic year 1997 and 24 whose grants are being renewed for the academic year 1998. 25 (3) Beginning with the academic year 1999, to all 26 eligible students. HB2510 - 5 - LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510- 6 -LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510 - 6 - LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b HB2510 - 6 - LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b 1 (h) The Commission may award a grant to an eligible 2 applicant enrolled at an Illinois public institution of higher 3 learning in a program that will culminate in the award of an 4 occupational or career and technical certificate as that term 5 is defined in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 1501.301. 6 (i) The Commission may adopt rules to implement this 7 Section. 8 (Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 102-699, eff. 4-19-22.) 9 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 10 becoming law. HB2510 - 6 - LRB103 29799 RJT 56206 b