ADULT LEARNER FLEX ED GRANT

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB3154

Select Language

×

The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience. In no way should it be considered accurate as to the translation of any content herein.

Visitors of the Illinois General Assembly website are encouraged to use other translation services available on the internet.

The English language version is always the official and authoritative version of this website.

NOTE: To return to the original English language version, select the "Show Original" button on the Google Translate™ menu bar at the top of the window.

Choose Language

English

Afrikaans

Albanian

Arabic

Armenian

Azerbaijani

Basque

Bengali

Bosnian

Catalan

Croatian

Czech

Danish

Dutch

Esperanto

Estonian

Filipino

Finnish

French

Galician

Georgian

German

Greek

Gujarati

Haitian Creole

Hausa

Hawaiian

Hebrew

Hindi

Hungarian

Icelandic

Indonesian

Interlingua

Interlingue

Inuktitut

Irish

Italian

Japanese

Javanese

Kannada

Khmer

Korean

Latin

Latvian

Lithuanian

Luxembourgish

Macedonian

Malagasy

Malayalam

Maltese

Maori

Marathi

Myanmar

Nepali

Norwegian

Odia

Pashto

Punjabi

Romanian

Russian

Samoan

Sango

Sanskrit

Sardinian

Sindhi

Sinhala

Slovak

Slovenian

Somali

Southern Sotho

Spanish

Sundanese

Swahili

Swedish

Tamil

Telugu

Thai

Tigrinya

Tonga

Turkish

Ukrainian

Urdu

Vietnamese

Welsh

Xhosa

Yiddish

Yoruba

Zulu

Powered by
Translate

Close

Illinois General Assembly

Top Navigation Bar

Translate

Learn

Select General Assembly

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter search terms for legislation, members, committees, or schedules.

ILGA.GOV

LEGISLATION & LAWS

Bills & Resolutions

Public Acts

Illinois Compiled Statutes

Illinois Constitution

Search Legislation

Glossary

Guide

Reports & Inquiry

Legislative Reports

Special Reports

FTP Site

Legislator Lookup

Capitol Complex Phone Numbers

Rules & Regulations

Illinois Register

Administrative Rules

Senate

Members

Schedules

Committees

Request for Remote Testimony

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

Senate Employment Opportunities

Media Guidelines

House

Members

Schedules

Committees

Submit testimony for House Committees

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

House Employment Opportunities

Log In

Mobile Top Bar

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter keywords to search the Illinois General Assembly website.

Full Text of SB3154

Home

Legislation

Full Text

SB3154 - 104th General Assembly

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Select Menu

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Open PDF

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3154

Introduced 2/2/2026, by Sen. Christopher Belt

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

110 ILCS 947/65.135 new

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Requires the
Illinois Student Assistance Commission to establish the Adult Learner
Flexible Education Grant Program to facilitate access to online
postsecondary education for adults over the age of 25. Sets forth
application requirements and eligibility. Provides that grants are
applicable only to tuition and mandatory fees. Effective July 1, 2026.
LRB104 17980 LNS 31417 b

A BILL FOR

SB3154
LRB104 17980 LNS 31417 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 adding Section 65.135 as follows:

6

(110 ILCS 947/65.135 new)
7

Sec. 65.135.
Adult Learner Flexible Education Grant
8
Program.
9

(a) In this Section:

10

"Qualified institution" means either a qualified
11
institution, as defined in Section 10, or a not-for-profit
12
postsecondary institution that is accredited by a regional
13
accrediting organization recognized by the Board of Higher
14
Education or the United States Department of Education and
15
that meets all of the following criteria:
16

(1) The institution was originally chartered and is
17

currently operating as a not-for-profit entity.
18

(2) The institution's 3-year federal student loan
19

cohort default rate, as published by the United States
20

Department of Education, does not exceed 10%.
21

(3) The institution's average annual cost of full-time
22

tuition and mandatory fees over the preceding 4 academic
23

years is less than the average annual cost of full-time

SB3154
- 2 -
LRB104 17980 LNS 31417 b
1

tuition and mandatory fees at public universities in this
2

State over the preceding 4 academic years, based on data
3

published by the United States Department of Education.
4

(4) The institution participates in the federal Pell
5

Grant program and in at least 2 of the following federal
6

student aid programs:
7

(A) The Federal Work-Study program.
8

(B) The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan
9

Program.
10

(C) The Federal Supplemental Educational
11

Opportunity Grant Program.
12

"Qualified program" means a bachelor's degree or
13
certificate program that requires at least 60% of instruction
14
and coursework to be delivered and completed online.

15

"Tuition and mandatory fees" means the customary charge
16
for instruction and the additional fixed fees charged for
17
specified purposes that are required generally of nongrant
18
students for each academic period for which a grant recipient
19
enrolls. The Commission may adopt rules concerning the
20
computation of tuition and mandatory fees for the purposes of
21
this definition.
22

(b) The Commission shall establish the Adult Learner
23
Flexible Education Grant Program to facilitate access to
24
online postsecondary education for adults over the age of 25.
25

(c) Beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year, subject to
26
appropriation, the Commission shall receive and consider

SB3154
- 3 -
LRB104 17980 LNS 31417 b
1
applications for grant assistance under this Section. An
2
applicant is eligible for a grant under this Section if the
3
Commission finds that the applicant meets all of the following
4
qualifications:
5

(1) The applicant is over the age of 25.
6

(2) The applicant is accepted for enrollment at a
7

qualified institution to pursue a qualified program.
8

(3) The applicant is a resident of this State and a
9

permanent resident of the United States.
10

(4) The applicant has completed the Free Application
11

for Federal Student Aid.
12

(5) The applicant, in the absence of grant assistance,
13

will be deterred by financial considerations from
14

completing an educational program at the qualified
15

institution of the applicant's choice.
16

(6) The applicant has not already received a
17

baccalaureate degree.
18

(d) All grants under this Section are applicable only to
19
tuition and mandatory fees. The Commission shall determine the
20
grant amount for each student, which amount must not exceed
21
$5,000. The total amount of a grant awarded by the Commission
22
under this Section to an individual in any given fiscal year,
23
when added to other financial assistance awarded to that
24
individual for that fiscal year, may not exceed the cost of
25
attendance at the qualified institution at which the
26
individual is enrolled.

SB3154
- 4 -
LRB104 17980 LNS 31417 b
1

(e) All applications for grants to be awarded under this
2
Section shall be made to the Commission in the form and manner
3
as prescribed by the Commission. The information required to
4
be set forth in the application shall be determined by the
5
Commission. The Commission shall require eligible applicants
6
to submit with their applications such supporting documents,
7
including financial documents, as the Commission deems
8
necessary.
9

(f) All grant funds distributed in accordance with this
10
Section shall be paid to the qualified institution on behalf
11
of the recipient. Grants are applicable toward 2 semesters or
12
equivalent academic terms of enrollment within an academic
13
year. Up to 3% of the appropriation for this program may be
14
used by the Commission for the costs of administering the
15
program. The Commission may establish a methodology for the
16
distribution of grants, prioritizing students as follows:
17

(1) Students who are ineligible for others forms of
18

State-based financial aid.
19

(2) Students who demonstrate the most financial need
20

based on the Student Aid Index of the Free Application for
21

Federal Student Aid form or any other methodology used by
22

the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form to
23

determine and prioritize student need.
24

(3) First-generation students.
25

(4) Students who meet any other criteria the
26

Commission deems necessary.

SB3154
- 5 -
LRB104 17980 LNS 31417 b
1

(g) The Commission shall adopt rules for the effective
2
implementation of this Section.

3

Section 99.
Effective date.
This Act takes effect July 1,
4
2026.

Footer

Disclaimer

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.

Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.
Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn