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SB 1353

HIGHER ED-IL VETERAN GRANT

104th Regular Session Introduced by Mike Hastings and 1 co-sponsor

Illinois Veteran Grant duration now follows a veteran's verified active-duty service (via DD-214), converted to credit hours, instead of a fixed four-year term.

Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments
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Bill Summary · SB 1353

Summary — SB 1353 (Higher Ed — Illinois Veteran Grant)

Status: Enacted — signed by Governor (6/20/2025); effective 9/1/2025
Primary subject: Changes to the Illinois Veteran grant program and related School Code provisions

Purpose

The bill revises the Illinois Veteran grant benefit so that the length of the tuition/mandatory-fee waiver is tied to an individual veteran’s verified active-duty service time (per DD‑214) rather than being a uniform four‑year benefit. It also creates limited transferability of the grant to qualified dependents beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year, and updates related School Code language addressing MIA/POW/dependent scholarships.

Key provisions

  • Benefit duration based on service:
    • Instead of a blanket “equivalent to 4 years of full‑time enrollment (including summer terms),” the tuition/mandatory‑fee waiver period for an Illinois Veteran grant recipient is calculated according to the veteran’s length of active‑duty service, verified via U.S. Department of Defense form DD‑214, and converted to academic credit‑hour equivalents (the bill adopts a credit‑hour conversion schedule rather than a fixed four‑year term).
  • Transferability:
    • Starting with the 2026–2027 academic year, an Illinois Veteran grant may be transferred to a qualified dependent (text establishes transferability but details/eligibility conditions are set in the amended statutes).
  • Related School Code amendments:
    • Conforming edits to the School Code’s MIA/POW and dependent scholarship provisions to align with the new approach to benefit duration/eligibility.
  • Effective date:
    • The enacted law is listed as effective 9/1/2025 (some drafting versions noted a July 1, 2025 effective date; the enacted measure shows 9/1/2025).

Who is affected

  • Primary: Illinois residents who are veterans and eligible for the Illinois Veteran grant.
  • Secondary: Qualified dependents of veterans (eligible to receive transferred benefit beginning 2026–27).
  • Institutions: State‑controlled universities and public community colleges in Illinois (administration, billing, and student‑aid offices will implement changes).
  • State budget and veterans’ affairs administration (implementation and potential fiscal effects).

Implementation & fiscal considerations

  • The bill ties benefit length to individually verified service, which could shift the distribution of costs relative to the prior uniform four‑year model. The text supplied does not include a fiscal note; implementation will require administrative updates by institutions and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (or appropriate administering agency).
  • Companion bill: HB 1034.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor(s) listed in available materials: Sen. Michael E. Hastings (filed), with other listed sponsors in the dataset. (Document set includes multiple drafts and associated sponsor listings.)

Note: This summary focuses on the Illinois SB 1353 provisions relating to the Illinois Veteran grant as described in the legislative text and synopsis.

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

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