Illinois 2023 2023-2024 Regular Session

Illinois Senate Bill SB2336 Introduced / Bill

Filed 02/10/2023

                    103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB2336 Introduced 2/10/2023, by Sen. Cristina Castro SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:   110 ILCS 947/10  110 ILCS 947/35   Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Removes a for-profit educational organization from the definition of "institution of higher learning", "qualified institution", and "institution". Provides that an applicant is eligible for a Monetary Award Program grant, including renewals of such grant, if the applicant, among other requirements, is not attending a for-profit institution of higher education. Removes a provision allowing Monetary Award Program grants to be made to applicants enrolled at qualified for-profit institutions. Makes conforming changes.   LRB103 29713 RJT 56118 b   A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB2336 Introduced 2/10/2023, by Sen. Cristina Castro SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:  110 ILCS 947/10  110 ILCS 947/35 110 ILCS 947/10  110 ILCS 947/35  Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Removes a for-profit educational organization from the definition of "institution of higher learning", "qualified institution", and "institution". Provides that an applicant is eligible for a Monetary Award Program grant, including renewals of such grant, if the applicant, among other requirements, is not attending a for-profit institution of higher education. Removes a provision allowing Monetary Award Program grants to be made to applicants enrolled at qualified for-profit institutions. Makes conforming changes.  LRB103 29713 RJT 56118 b     LRB103 29713 RJT 56118 b   A BILL FOR
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB2336 Introduced 2/10/2023, by Sen. Cristina Castro SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
110 ILCS 947/10  110 ILCS 947/35 110 ILCS 947/10  110 ILCS 947/35
110 ILCS 947/10
110 ILCS 947/35
Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Removes a for-profit educational organization from the definition of "institution of higher learning", "qualified institution", and "institution". Provides that an applicant is eligible for a Monetary Award Program grant, including renewals of such grant, if the applicant, among other requirements, is not attending a for-profit institution of higher education. Removes a provision allowing Monetary Award Program grants to be made to applicants enrolled at qualified for-profit institutions. Makes conforming changes.
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    LRB103 29713 RJT 56118 b
A BILL FOR
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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 Sections 10 and 35 as follows:
6  (110 ILCS 947/10)
7  Sec. 10. Definitions. In this Act, and except to the
8  extent that any of the following words or phrases is
9  specifically qualified by its context:
10  "Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance
11  Commission created by this Act.
12  "Enrollment" means the establishment and maintenance of an
13  individual's status as a student in an institution of higher
14  learning, regardless of the terms used at the institution to
15  describe that status.
16  "Approved high school" means any public high school
17  located in this State; and any high school, located in this
18  State or elsewhere (whether designated as a high school,
19  secondary school, academy, preparatory school, or otherwise)
20  which in the judgment of the State Superintendent of Education
21  provides a course of instruction at the secondary level and
22  maintains standards of instruction substantially equivalent to
23  those of the public high schools located in this State.

 

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB2336 Introduced 2/10/2023, by Sen. Cristina Castro SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
110 ILCS 947/10  110 ILCS 947/35 110 ILCS 947/10  110 ILCS 947/35
110 ILCS 947/10
110 ILCS 947/35
Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Removes a for-profit educational organization from the definition of "institution of higher learning", "qualified institution", and "institution". Provides that an applicant is eligible for a Monetary Award Program grant, including renewals of such grant, if the applicant, among other requirements, is not attending a for-profit institution of higher education. Removes a provision allowing Monetary Award Program grants to be made to applicants enrolled at qualified for-profit institutions. Makes conforming changes.
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    LRB103 29713 RJT 56118 b
A BILL FOR

 

 

110 ILCS 947/10
110 ILCS 947/35



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1  "Institution of higher learning", "qualified institution",
2  or "institution" means an educational organization located in
3  this State which
4  (1) provides at least an organized 2 year program of
5  collegiate grade in the liberal arts or sciences, or both,
6  directly applicable toward the attainment of a
7  baccalaureate degree or a program in health education
8  directly applicable toward the attainment of a
9  certificate, diploma, or an associate degree;
10  (2) either is
11  (A) operated by this State, or
12  (B) operated publicly or privately, not for
13  profit, or
14  (C) (blank); operated for profit, provided such
15  for profit organization
16  (i) offers degree programs which have been
17  approved by the Board of Higher Education for a
18  minimum of 3 years under the Academic Degree Act,
19  and
20  (ii) enrolls a majority of its students in
21  such degree programs, and
22  (iii) maintains an accredited status with the
23  Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of
24  the North Central Association of Colleges and
25  Schools;
26  (3) in the judgment of the Commission meets standards

 

 

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1  substantially equivalent to those of comparable
2  institutions operated by this State; and
3  (4) if so required by the Commission, uses the State
4  as its primary guarantor of student loans made under the
5  federal Higher Education Act of 1965.
6  For otherwise eligible educational organizations which provide
7  academic programs for incarcerated students, the terms
8  "institution of higher learning", "qualified institutions",
9  and "institution" shall specifically exclude academic programs
10  for incarcerated students.
11  "Academic year" means a 12 month period of time, normally
12  but not exclusively, from September 1 of any year through
13  August 31 of the ensuing year.
14  "Full-time student" means any undergraduate student
15  enrolled in 12 or more semester or quarter hours of credit
16  courses in any given semester or quarter or in the equivalent
17  number of units of registration as determined by the
18  Commission.
19  "Part-time student" means any undergraduate student, other
20  than a full-time student, enrolled in 6 or more semester or
21  quarter hours of credit courses in any given semester or
22  quarter or in the equivalent number of units of registration
23  as determined by the Commission. Beginning with fiscal year
24  1999, the Commission may, on a program by program basis,
25  expand this definition of "part-time student" to include
26  students who enroll in less than 6 semester or quarter hours of

 

 

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1  credit courses in any given semester or quarter.
2  "Public university" means any public 4-year university in
3  this State.
4  "Public university campus" means any campus under the
5  governance or supervision of a public university.
6  (Source: P.A. 100-587, eff. 6-4-18; 100-1015, eff. 8-21-18.)
7  (110 ILCS 947/35)
8  Sec. 35. Monetary award program.
9  (a) The Commission shall, each year, receive and consider
10  applications for grant assistance under this Section. Subject
11  to a separate appropriation for such purposes, an applicant is
12  eligible for a grant under this Section when the Commission
13  finds that the applicant:
14  (1) is a resident of this State and a citizen or
15  permanent resident of the United States;
16  (2) is enrolled or has been accepted for enrollment in
17  a qualified institution for the purpose of obtaining a
18  degree, certificate, or other credential offered by the
19  institution, as applicable; and
20  (3) in the absence of grant assistance, will be
21  deterred by financial considerations from completing an
22  educational program at the qualified institution of his or
23  her choice; and .
24  (4) is not attending a for-profit institution of
25  higher education.

 

 

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1  (b) The Commission shall award renewals only upon the
2  student's application and upon the Commission's finding that
3  the applicant:
4  (1) has remained a student in good standing;
5  (2) remains a resident of this State; and
6  (3) is in a financial situation that continues to
7  warrant assistance; and .
8  (4) is not attending a for-profit institution of
9  higher education.
10  (c) All grants shall be applicable only to tuition and
11  necessary fee costs. The Commission shall determine the grant
12  amount for each student, which shall not exceed the smallest
13  of the following amounts:
14  (1) subject to appropriation, $5,468 for fiscal year
15  2009, $5,968 for fiscal year 2010, $6,468 for fiscal year
16  2011 and each fiscal year thereafter through fiscal year
17  2022, and $8,508 for fiscal year 2023 and each fiscal year
18  thereafter, or such lesser amount as the Commission finds
19  to be available, during an academic year;
20  (2) the amount which equals 2 semesters or 3 quarters
21  tuition and other necessary fees required generally by the
22  institution of all full-time undergraduate students; or
23  (3) such amount as the Commission finds to be
24  appropriate in view of the applicant's financial
25  resources.
26  Subject to appropriation, the maximum grant amount for

 

 

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1  students not subject to subdivision (1) of this subsection (c)
2  must be increased by the same percentage as any increase made
3  by law to the maximum grant amount under subdivision (1) of
4  this subsection (c).
5  "Tuition and other necessary fees" as used in this Section
6  include the customary charge for instruction and use of
7  facilities in general, and the additional fixed fees charged
8  for specified purposes, which are required generally of
9  nongrant recipients for each academic period for which the
10  grant applicant actually enrolls, but do not include fees
11  payable only once or breakage fees and other contingent
12  deposits which are refundable in whole or in part. The
13  Commission may prescribe, by rule not inconsistent with this
14  Section, detailed provisions concerning the computation of
15  tuition and other necessary fees.
16  (d) No applicant, including those presently receiving
17  scholarship assistance under this Act, is eligible for
18  monetary award program consideration under this Act after
19  receiving a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent of 135
20  semester credit hours of award payments.
21  (d-5) In this subsection (d-5), "renewing applicant" means
22  a student attending an institution of higher learning who
23  received a Monetary Award Program grant during the prior
24  academic year. Beginning with the processing of applications
25  for the 2020-2021 academic year, the Commission shall annually
26  publish a priority deadline date for renewing applicants.

 

 

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1  Subject to appropriation, a renewing applicant who files by
2  the published priority deadline date shall receive a grant if
3  he or she continues to meet the eligibility requirements under
4  this Section. A renewing applicant's failure to apply by the
5  priority deadline date established under this subsection (d-5)
6  shall not disqualify him or her from receiving a grant if
7  sufficient funding is available to provide awards after that
8  date.
9  (e) The Commission, in determining the number of grants to
10  be offered, shall take into consideration past experience with
11  the rate of grant funds unclaimed by recipients. The
12  Commission shall notify applicants that grant assistance is
13  contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds.
14  (e-5) The General Assembly finds and declares that it is
15  an important purpose of the Monetary Award Program to
16  facilitate access to college both for students who pursue
17  postsecondary education immediately following high school and
18  for those who pursue postsecondary education later in life,
19  particularly Illinoisans who are dislocated workers with
20  financial need and who are seeking to improve their economic
21  position through education. For the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017
22  academic years, the Commission shall give additional and
23  specific consideration to the needs of dislocated workers with
24  the intent of allowing applicants who are dislocated workers
25  an opportunity to secure financial assistance even if applying
26  later than the general pool of applicants. The Commission's

 

 

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1  consideration shall include, in determining the number of
2  grants to be offered, an estimate of the resources needed to
3  serve dislocated workers who apply after the Commission
4  initially suspends award announcements for the upcoming
5  regular academic year, but prior to the beginning of that
6  academic year. For the purposes of this subsection (e-5), a
7  dislocated worker is defined as in the federal Workforce
8  Innovation and Opportunity Act.
9  (f) (Blank).
10  (g) (Blank). The Commission shall determine the
11  eligibility of and make grants to applicants enrolled at
12  qualified for-profit institutions in accordance with the
13  criteria set forth in this Section. The eligibility of
14  applicants enrolled at such for-profit institutions shall be
15  limited as follows:
16  (1) Beginning with the academic year 1997, only to
17  eligible first-time freshmen and first-time transfer
18  students who have attained an associate degree.
19  (2) Beginning with the academic year 1998, only to
20  eligible freshmen students, transfer students who have
21  attained an associate degree, and students who receive a
22  grant under paragraph (1) for the academic year 1997 and
23  whose grants are being renewed for the academic year 1998.
24  (3) Beginning with the academic year 1999, to all
25  eligible students.
26  (h) The Commission may award a grant to an eligible

 

 

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1  applicant enrolled at an Illinois public institution of higher
2  learning in a program that will culminate in the award of an
3  occupational or career and technical certificate as that term
4  is defined in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 1501.301.
5  (i) The Commission may adopt rules to implement this
6  Section.
7  (Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 102-699, eff. 4-19-22.)

 

 

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