(a)As used in this Section: "Eligible applicant" means a student from any high school in this State, either approved by or not recognized by the State Board of Education, who is engaged in a program of study that in due course will be completed by the end of the academic year, and (i) whose cumulative high school grade point average is at or above the 95th percentile of his or her high school class after completion of the 6th semester of a high school program of instruction or (ii) whose score on a standardized examination determined by the Commission, taken before or during the 6th semester of high school, is at or above the 95th percentile of students in the State who take the standardized college entrance examination. These high school students are all eligible to receive a scholarship
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(a) As used in this Section: "Eligible applicant" means a student from any high school in this State, either approved by or not recognized by the State Board of Education, who is engaged in a program of study that in due course will be completed by the end of the academic year, and (i) whose cumulative high school grade point average is at or above the 95th percentile of his or her high school class after completion of the 6th semester of a high school program of instruction or (ii) whose score on a standardized examination determined by the Commission, taken before or during the 6th semester of high school, is at or above the 95th percentile of students in the State who take the standardized college entrance examination. These high school students are all eligible to receive a scholarship to be awarded under this Section. "Qualified student" means a person: (1) who is a resident of this State and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States; (2) who, as an eligible applicant, is in good academic standing at the high school in which he or she is enrolled and has made a timely application for a Merit Recognition Scholarship under this Section; (3) who has successfully completed the program of instruction at any high school located in this State; and (4) who enrolls or is enrolled in a qualified Illinois institution of higher learning or a Service Academy as an undergraduate student or cadet and has not received a baccalaureate degree. "Merit Recognition Scholarship" means a $1,000 academic scholarship awarded under this Section during an academic year to a qualified student, without regard to financial need, as a scholarship to any qualified Illinois institution of higher learning or a Service Academy in which the student is or will be enrolled as an undergraduate student or cadet. "Service Academy" means the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Military Academy, or the U.S. Naval Academy. (b) In order to identify, encourage, promote, and reward the distinguished academic achievement of students from every high school located in this State, each qualified student shall be awarded a Merit Recognition Scholarship by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to any qualified Illinois institution of higher learning or to any Service Academy. (b-5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, a student who has received a grant under the State Scholar program under Section 25 of this Act is ineligible to receive a Merit Recognition Scholarship. (c) No Merit Recognition Scholarship provided for a qualified student under this Section shall be considered in evaluating the financial situation of that student or be deemed a financial resource of or a form of financial aid or assistance to that student, for purposes of determining the eligibility of the student for any scholarship, grant, or monetary assistance awarded by the Commission, the State, or any agency thereof pursuant to the provisions of any other Section of this Act or any other law of this State; nor shall any Merit Recognition Scholarship provided for a qualified student under this Section reduce the amount of any scholarship, grant, or monetary assistance that that student is eligible to be awarded by the Commission, the State, or any agency thereof in accordance with the provisions of any other Section of this Act or any other law of this State. (d) The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is designated as administrator of the Merit Recognition Scholarship program. Each high school located in this State shall certify to the Commission the names of its students who are eligible applicants, specifying which of the students certified as eligible applicants have completed the program of instruction at that high school and the graduation date fixed for their high school class and specifying for each of the other eligible applicants whose names appear on the certification the semester of high school last completed by them. The Commission shall promptly notify those eligible applicants so certified who are reasonably assured of receiving a Merit Recognition Scholarship in accordance with the annual funding levels recommended in the Governor's budget of their eligibility to apply for a scholarship under this Section, other than any eligible applicant named on any such certification who, as an eligible applicant, has previously made application to the Commission for a Merit Recognition Scholarship under this Section. An otherwise eligible applicant who fails to make a timely application (as determined by the Commission) for a Merit Recognition Scholarship under this Section shall no longer be deemed an eligible applicant and shall not qualify for the award. (e) All applications for Merit Recognition Scholarships to be awarded under this Section shall be made to the Commission on forms that the Commission shall provide for eligible applicants. The form of applications and the information required to be set forth therein shall be determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall require eligible applicants to submit with their applications such supporting documents as the Commission deems necessary. (f) The names and addresses of Merit Recognition Scholarship recipients are a matter of public record. (g) Whenever an eligible applicant who has completed the program of instruction at any high school located in this State thereafter makes timely application to the Commission for a Merit Recognition Scholarship under this Section, the Commission shall promptly determine whether that eligible applicant is a qualified student as defined in subsection (a) of this Section. Each such eligible applicant so determined by the Commission to be a qualified student shall be awarded a Merit Recognition Scholarship in the amount of $1,000, effective exclusively during the academic year following the qualified student's high school graduation, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly. (h) Subject to a separate appropriation for purposes of this Section, payment of any Merit Recognition Scholarship awarded under this Section shall be determined exclusively by the Commission. All scholarship funds distributed in accordance with this subsection (h) shall be paid to the qualified Illinois institution of higher learning or Service Academy and used only for payment of the educational expenses incurred by the student in connection with his or her attendance as an undergraduate student or cadet at that institution or Service Academy, including but not limited to tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, required Service Academy uniforms, and travel and personal expenses related to the student's attendance at that institution or Service Academy. Any Merit Recognition Scholarship awarded under this Section shall be applicable to 2 semesters or 3 quarters of enrollment. Should a qualified student withdraw from enrollment prior to completion of the first semester or quarter for which the Merit Recognition Scholarship is applicable, the student shall refund to the Commission the amount of the scholarship received. (i) The Commission shall administer the Merit Recognition Scholarship program established by this Section and shall make all necessary and proper rules, not inconsistent with this Section, for its effective implementation. (j) When an appropriation to the Commission for purposes of this Section is insufficient to provide scholarships to all qualified students, the Commission shall allocate the appropriation in accordance with this subsection (j). If funds are insufficient to provide all qualified students with a scholarship as authorized by subsection (g) of this Section, the Commission shall allocate the scholarships to qualified students in order of decreasing relative academic rank, as determined by the Commission using a formula based upon the qualified student's grade point average, score on the appropriate statewide standardized examination, or a combination of grade point average and standardized test score. All Merit Recognition Scholarships awarded shall be in the amount of $1,000. (k) The Commission, in determining the number of Merit Recognition Scholarships to be offered pursuant to subsection (j) of this Section, shall take into consideration past experience with the rate of merit scholarship funds unclaimed by qualified students. To the extent necessary to avoid an over-commitment of funds, the Commission may allocate scholarship funds on the basis of the date the Commission receives a completed application form.