Bill
HB 2466
The bill narrows its effect to allow incarcerated students only to be eligible for the Section 35 monetary award program, not for broad inclusion as higher learning institutions un
Status snapshot
- Introduced by Rep. Carol Ammons; primary sponsors in Senate include Sen. Adriane Johnson. Passed the Illinois House (4/10/2025). Arrived in the Senate 4/14/2025; as of 2025-06-02, re‑referred to Assignments (Rule 3‑9(a)). Effective date in the bill text: July 1, 2026 (if enacted).
Purpose
- To change how the Higher Education Student Assistance Act treats postsecondary academic programs operated for incarcerated individuals and to change eligibility rules for the AIM HIGH Grant Program as originally introduced. The bill (and later amendment) alter the statutory definition of “institution of higher learning” with respect to incarcerated student programs.
Key provisions (versions and current effect)
- Introduced / Engrossed version
- Removes the existing statutory language that explicitly excludes academic programs for incarcerated students from the definitions of “institution of higher learning,” “qualified institution,” and “institution.” That change would allow incarcerated-student academic programs to be treated as eligible institutions under the Act.
- Also, in the engrossed text, the AIM HIGH Grant Program eligibility language was amended to remove a requirement that applicants not be incarcerated — i.e., incarcerated students would have been eligible for AIM HIGH grants.
- House Floor Amendment No. 1 (adopted)
- Replaced the earlier engrossed language and narrowed the change to Section 10 (definitions). The amendment retains an exclusion for academic programs for incarcerated students from the definition of “institution,” but creates a carve‑out: academic programs for incarcerated students remain excluded except for students participating in the monetary award program established under Section 35 of the Act.
- The amendment therefore narrows the bill’s effect compared with the engrossed version: it does not broadly make incarcerated student programs institutions for all purposes under the Act, but does permit a limited category (those in the Section 35 monetary award program) to be treated differently.
Who is affected
- Incarcerated students enrolled in academic programs and the institutions or programs that serve them.
- State grant programs (notably AIM HIGH) and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (and related administrative units) to the extent the bill changes eligibility or program definitions.
- Public universities and other eligible institutions only to the degree the final statutory definition changes the universe of qualifying institutions.
Potential impacts
- Under the engrossed (broader) version, incarcerated students could become eligible for financial aid and state programs (including AIM HIGH), potentially increasing program participation and state/ institutional administrative workload and costs.
- Under the adopted House amendment (narrower), the practical change is limited: only participants in the specific monetary award program (Section 35) would be treated as falling within the Act’s coverage — limiting fiscal and administrative exposure while providing targeted access to the monetary award program.
- Additional rulemaking/adjudication by the Commission would likely be required to implement any change affecting institution eligibility or student grant access.
Procedural notes / next steps
- The bill passed the Illinois House and is in the Senate (assigned, then re‑referred to Assignments). Committee consideration and any further amendments in the Senate will determine the bill’s final scope. If passed by both chambers, the bill’s stated effective date is July 1, 2026.
Related legislation
- Companion: HB 1191.
(If you want, I can prepare a short comparison table showing the specific language removed/added in Section 10 and the AIM HIGH eligibility change from the engrossed text vs. the House amendment.)
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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