On May 29th State Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) passed his first bill as an Illinois State Senator after he received traditional pestering by fellow colleagues in the Senate. House Bill 6302 amends the Illinois Prepaid Tuition Act to change the definition of an “eligible institution” to mean an eligible educational institution as defined by the IRS and other prepaid tuition and college saving programs throughout the country.
“Even though I experienced a lot of heat from my colleagues on the floor, I’m glad they unanimously voted in favor of this legislation,” McConchie said. “The current definition under the Act includes a number of elements that are difficult and time-consuming to check off for out-of-state institutions where College Illinois! beneficiaries may want to use their benefits.”
College Illinois! is a prepaid tuition plan that helps lock in the cost of college by allowing Illinois families to prepay for future tuition at today’s plan rates. The goal of HB 6302 is to make it easier to confirm that an institution meets the standards of the plan and is approved for participation.
“Making this small change to the language would expand the College Illinois! beneficiary’s range of postsecondary options and would give students the option to use their plan at trade schools,” McConchie said. “It would also streamline program administration and potentially make the program more attractive to potential contract purchasers.”
As is tradition in the Senate when a member presents their first bill, colleagues gave the Senator a bit of a hard time, asking a variety of questions as he presented his legislation. Following the humorous debate, HB 6302 passed with a 52-0-0 vote and now heads to the Governor.