SB3213 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
SB3213

Introduced 2/6/2004, by Don Harmon

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

110 ILCS 947/40

Amends the Higher Education Assistance Act. Makes a technical change concerning veterans grants.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning Veterans.

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 changing Section 40 as follows:

(110 ILCS 947/40)

Sec. 40. Veteran grant Grant . Any person who served in the armed forces of the United States, not including members of the Student Army Training Corps, who at the time of entering service was an Illinois resident or was an Illinois resident within 6 months of entering such service, and who returned to Illinois within 6 months after leaving service or, if married to a person in continued military service stationed outside Illinois, within 6 months after his or her spouse has left service or has been stationed within Illinois, and who has been honorably discharged from such service, and who possesses all necessary entrance requirements shall, except as otherwise provided in this Act, upon application and proper proof, be awarded an Illinois Veteran Grant consisting of the equivalent of 4 calendar years of full-time enrollment, including summer terms, to the State-controlled college or university or community college of his choice. Such veterans shall also be entitled, upon proper proof and application, to enroll in any extension course offered by a State-controlled college or university or community college without the payment of tuition or fees.

Any veteran who so served, and who, at the time of entering such service, was a student at a State-controlled college or university or community college, and who was honorably discharged from such service, shall, upon application and proper proof be awarded a Veteran Grant entitling him to complete his course of study at any State-controlled college or university or community college of his choice, but shall not be entitled to a grant consisting of more than the equivalent of 4 calendar years of full-time enrollment including summer sessions.

Any member of the armed forces of the United States who either (i) has served in such armed forces at least one year, or (ii) has served in the armed forces of the United States for less than one year in a time of hostilities in a foreign country, and who would be qualified for a grant under this Section if he had been discharged from such service shall be eligible to receive a Veteran Grant under this Section.

The holder of a Veteran Grant to the State-controlled college or university or community college of his choice as authorized under this Section shall not be required to pay any matriculation or application fees, tuition, activities fees, graduation fees, or other fees except multipurpose building fees or similar fees for supplies and materials.

Any veteran who has been or shall be awarded a Veteran Grant shall be reimbursed by the appropriate college, university, or community college for any fees which he has paid and for which exemption is granted under this Section, if application for reimbursement is made within 2 months following the school term for which the fees were paid.

A Veteran Grant shall be considered an entitlement which the State-controlled college or university or community college in which the holder is enrolled shall honor without any condition other than the holder's maintenance of minimum grade levels and a satisfactory student loan repayment record pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 20.

A grant authorized under this Section shall not be awarded to veterans who received a discharge from the armed forces of the United States under dishonorable conditions, or to any veteran whose service with the armed forces was for less than one year unless he received an honorable discharge from such service for medical reasons directly connected with such service, except for those veterans discharged prior to August 11, 1967 whose service may be for less than one year, and except for those veterans (i) who serve in the armed forces of the United States for less than one year in a time of hostilities in a foreign country and (ii) who receive an honorable discharge.

The amounts that become due to any State-controlled college or university or community college shall be payable by the Comptroller to that institution on vouchers approved by the Commission. The Commission, or its designated representative at that institution, shall determine the eligibility of the persons who make application for the benefits provided for in this Section. The Department of Veterans' Affairs shall assist the Commission in determining the eligibility of applicants. On July 29, 1986, the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs shall transfer and deliver to the Commission all books, records, papers, documents, applications and pending business in any way pertaining to the duties, responsibilities and authority theretofore exercised or performed by the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs under and pursuant to Section 4.1 of the Department of Veterans Affairs Act.

The benefits provided for in this Section shall be available as long as the federal government provides educational benefits to veterans. No benefits shall be paid under this Section, except for veterans who already have begun their education under this Section, after 6 months following the termination of educational benefits to veterans by the federal government. If the federal government terminates educational benefits to veterans and at a later time resumes those benefits, the benefits of this Section shall resume.

As used in this Section, "time of hostilities in a foreign country" means any action by the armed forces of the United States that is recognized by the issuance of a Presidential proclamation or a Presidential executive order and in which the armed forces expeditionary medal or other campaign service medals are awarded according to Presidential executive order.

(Source: P.A. 90-752, eff. 8-14-98; 91-496, eff. 8-13-99.)