HIGHER ED ASSIST-VET GRANTS

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB3279

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3279

Introduced 2/3/2026, by Sen. Mike Porfirio

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

110 ILCS 947/40

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act with respect to
the Illinois Veteran grant program. Changes the definition of "qualified
applicant" to include a person who, among satisfying other requirements,
does not meet requirements regarding residency or public institution of
higher education enrollment in the State, but (i) at least 12 months of his
or her federal active duty took place in the State, (ii) he or she resided
in the State for 2 years after leaving federal active duty service, and
(iii) he or she now serves in a reserve component of the Armed Forces.
LRB104 20153 LNS 33604 b

A BILL FOR

SB3279
LRB104 20153 LNS 33604 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 40 as follows:

6

(110 ILCS 947/40)
7

Sec. 40.
Illinois Veteran grant program.
8

(a) As used in this Section:
9

"Qualified applicant" means a person who served in the
10
Armed Forces of the United States, a Reserve component of the
11
Armed Forces, or the Illinois National Guard, excluding
12
members of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and those
13
whose only service has been attendance at a service academy,
14
and who meets all of the qualifications of either paragraphs
15
(1) through (4)
,

or
paragraphs (2), (3), and (5)
, or
16
paragraphs (2), (3), and (6)
:
17

(1) At the time of entering federal active duty
18

service the person was one of the following:
19

(A) An Illinois resident.
20

(B) An Illinois resident within 6 months of
21

entering such service.
22

(C) Enrolled at a State-controlled university or
23

public community college in this State.

SB3279
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LRB104 20153 LNS 33604 b
1

(2) The person meets one of the following
2

requirements:
3

(A) He or she served at least one year of federal
4

active duty.
5

(B) He or she served less than one year of federal
6

active duty and received an honorable discharge for
7

medical reasons directly connected with such service.
8

(C) He or she served less than one year of federal
9

active duty and was discharged prior to August 11,
10

1967.
11

(D) He or she served less than one year of federal
12

active duty in a foreign country during a time of
13

hostilities in that foreign country.
14

(3) The person received an honorable discharge after
15

leaving federal active duty service.
16

(4) The person returned to this State within 6 months
17

after leaving federal active duty service, or, if married
18

to a person in continued military service stationed
19

outside this State, returned to this State within 6 months
20

after his or her spouse left service or was stationed
21

within this State.
22

(5) The person does not meet the requirements of
23

paragraph (1), but (i) is a resident of Illinois at the
24

time of application to the Commission and (ii) at some
25

point after leaving federal active duty service, was a
26

resident of Illinois for at least 15 consecutive years.

SB3279
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LRB104 20153 LNS 33604 b
1

(6) The person does not meet the requirements of
2

paragraph (1), but (i) at least 12 months of his or her
3

federal active duty took place in this State, (ii) he or
4

she resided in this State for 2 years after leaving
5

federal active duty service, and (iii) he or she now
6

serves in a reserve component of the Armed Forces.

7

"Time of hostilities" means any action by the Armed Forces
8
of the United States that is recognized by the issuance of a
9
Presidential proclamation or a Presidential executive order
10
and in which the Armed Forces expeditionary medal or other
11
campaign service medals are awarded according to Presidential
12
executive order.
13

(b) A person who otherwise qualifies under subsection (a)
14
of this Section but has not left federal active duty service
15
and has served at least one year of federal active duty or has
16
served for less than one year of federal active duty in a
17
foreign country during a time of hostilities in that foreign
18
country and who can provide documentation demonstrating an
19
honorable service record is eligible to receive assistance
20
under this Section.
21

(c) A qualified applicant is not required to pay any
22
tuition or mandatory fees while attending a State-controlled
23
university or public community college in this State for a
24
period that is equivalent to 4 years of full-time enrollment,
25
including summer terms.
26

A qualified applicant who has previously received benefits

SB3279
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LRB104 20153 LNS 33604 b
1
under this Section for a non-mandatory fee shall continue to
2
receive benefits covering such fees while he or she is
3
enrolled in a continuous program of study. The qualified
4
applicant shall no longer receive a grant covering
5
non-mandatory fees if he or she fails to enroll during an
6
academic term, unless he or she is serving federal active duty
7
service.
8

(d) A qualified applicant who has been or is to be awarded
9
assistance under this Section shall receive that assistance if
10
the qualified applicant notifies his or her postsecondary
11
institution of that fact by the end of the school term for
12
which assistance is requested.
13

(e) Assistance under this Section is considered an
14
entitlement that the State-controlled college or public
15
community college in which the qualified applicant is enrolled
16
shall honor without any condition other than the qualified
17
applicant's maintenance of minimum grade levels and a
18
satisfactory student loan repayment record pursuant to
19
subsection (c) of Section 20 of this Act.
20

(f) The Commission shall administer the grant program
21
established by this Section and shall make all necessary and
22
proper rules not inconsistent with this Section for its
23
effective implementation.
24

(g) All applications for assistance under this Section
25
must be made to the Commission on forms that the Commission
26
shall provide. The Commission shall determine the form of

SB3279
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LRB104 20153 LNS 33604 b
1
application and the information required to be set forth in
2
the application, and the Commission shall require qualified
3
applicants to submit with their applications any supporting
4
documents that the Commission deems necessary. Upon request,
5
the Department of Veterans Affairs shall assist the Commission
6
in determining the eligibility of applicants for assistance
7
under this Section.
8

(h) Assistance under this Section is available as long as
9
the federal government provides educational benefits to
10
veterans. Assistance must not be paid under this Section after
11
6 months following the termination of educational benefits to
12
veterans by the federal government, except for persons who
13
already have begun their education with assistance under this
14
Section. If the federal government terminates educational
15
benefits to veterans and at a later time resumes those
16
benefits, assistance under this Section shall resume.
17
(Source: P.A. 104-234, eff. 8-15-25.)

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