Bill Text: IL SB2426 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Engrossed

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Bill Title: Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Defines "dependent". Provides that beginning no later than the 2024-2025 academic year, if an exonerated person has been found by the Commission to qualify for a grant under this Section, and that person has not yet exhausted his or her eligibility for assistance, the exonerated person may designate one or more dependents to use any unexpended portion of the exonerated person's eligibility, up to the total benefit for which the exonerated person is eligible. Provides that the combined benefits used by the exonerated person and any designated dependents may not exceed the total benefit for which the exonerated person is eligible. Provides that if funding is insufficient to serve all applicants, the Commission may prioritize applicants who have been exonerated over applicants who are dependents of exonerated individuals.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2023-04-28 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [SB2426 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB2426-Engrossed.html

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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 changing Section 62 as follows:
(110 ILCS 947/62)
Sec. 62. Grants for exonerated persons.
(a) In this Section:
"Dependent" means any spouse, natural child, legally
adopted child, or child in the legal custody of an individual.
"Exonerated person" means an individual who has received a
pardon from the Governor of the State of Illinois stating that
such a pardon is issued on the grounds of innocence of the
crime for which he or she was imprisoned or an individual who
has received a certificate of innocence from a circuit court
pursuant to Section 2-702 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
"Satisfactory academic progress" means the qualified
applicant's maintenance of minimum standards of academic
performance, consistent with requirements for maintaining
federal financial aid eligibility, as determined by the
institution of higher learning.
(b) Subject to a separate appropriation for this purpose,
the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider

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applications for grant assistance under this Section.
Recipients of grants issued by the Commission in accordance
with this Section must be exonerated persons or, as described
in subsection (c-1) of this Section, their dependents.
Provided that the recipient is maintaining satisfactory
academic progress, the funds from the grant may be used to pay
up to 8 semesters or 12 quarters of full payment of tuition and
mandatory fees at any public university or public community
college located in this State for either full or part-time
study. This benefit may be used for undergraduate or graduate
study.
In addition, an exonerated person or, as described in
subsection (c-1) of this Section, a dependent who has not yet
received a high school diploma or a State of Illinois High
School Diploma and completes a high school equivalency
preparation course through an Illinois Community College
Board-approved provider may use grant funds to pay costs
associated with obtaining a State of Illinois High School
Diploma, including payment of the cost of the high school
equivalency test and up to one retest on each test module, and
any additional fees that may be required in order to obtain a
State of Illinois High School Diploma or an official
transcript of test scores after successful completion of the
high school equivalency test.
(c) An applicant for a grant under this Section need not
demonstrate financial need to qualify for the benefits and

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need not be an resident of the State at the time of enrollment.
(c-1) Beginning no later than the 2024-2025 academic year,
if an exonerated person has been found by the Commission to
qualify for a grant under this Section, and that person has not
yet exhausted his or her eligibility for assistance described
in subsection (b), the exonerated person may designate one or
more dependents to use any unexpended portion of the
exonerated person's eligibility, up to the total benefit for
which the exonerated person is eligible. The combined benefits
used by the exonerated person and any designated dependents
may not exceed the total benefit for which the exonerated
person is eligible. If funding is insufficient to serve all
applicants, the Commission may prioritize applicants who have
been exonerated over applicants who are dependents of
exonerated individuals.
(d) The Commission may adopt any rules necessary to
implement and administer this Section.
(Source: P.A. 102-1100, eff. 1-1-23.)