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SB 1475

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2025 Regular Session Introduced by Todd Pillion

Provides $500/semester scholarships to student members of IBHE and ICCB, paid to their institution for tuition, fees, and books, to reduce financial barriers to board service.

Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0363)
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Bill Summary · SB 1475

SB 1475 — HIGHER ED — Board Member Compensation (Public Act 104-0380)

Status: Enacted (Public Act 104-0380)
Filed/Introduced: Feb 20, 2025 (introduced Jan 31, 2025)
Governor approved: Aug 15, 2025 — Effective: January 1, 2026

Main purpose / intent

To provide modest scholarship payments to student members who serve on Illinois statewide higher education boards, thereby reducing financial barriers to student participation in board service.

Key provisions and statutory changes

  • Amends:
    • Board of Higher Education Act — 110 ILCS 205/5 (from Ch. 144, par. 185)
    • Public Community College Act — 110 ILCS 805/2-5 (from Ch. 122, par. 102-5)
  • Student-member scholarship:
    • A student member serving on the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) or on the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) shall receive a scholarship award of $500 for each semester in which the student is enrolled and serving as the student member.
    • The scholarship is payable directly to the institution at which the student is enrolled (institution of higher education or community college).
    • Permitted uses: tuition and fees, books, and supplies.
  • Other board members:
    • Continues the long-standing rule that non-student members serve without compensation but are reimbursed for actual and necessary travel and other expenses incurred in performance of duties.

Who is affected

  • Primary beneficiaries:
    • The student member(s) of the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board.
  • Secondary impacts:
    • Colleges and universities (which will receive the scholarship payments).
    • The Boards/State agencies responsible for administering or processing the payment.
    • State finances: modest fiscal impact (one-time per semester payments tied to whoever holds the student-member seats).

Procedural / timeline highlights

  • Introduced in the Senate (Sen. David Koehler among sponsors) and companion bill HB 1156 exists.
  • Passed both legislative chambers (vote listed as 99–14 on third reading) and sent to the Governor on June 20, 2025.
  • Governor approved Aug 15, 2025. Effective date set for January 1, 2026.
  • Public Act number: 104-0380.

Potential impact / considerations

  • Financial: Small, predictable increase in payments tied to the presence of student members (estimated at $500 per student per semester).
  • Access & equity: Lowers direct costs of board service for students (tuition/books), potentially making student-representative positions more accessible to students with financial need.
  • Administrative: Institutions must accept and apply scholarship payments; Boards or state finance offices may need to implement payment processing procedures.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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