HB3476 Summary

• Establishes tuition and fee exemption for children of wounded warriors at Illinois State universities for up to 124 semester credit hours at the undergraduate rate

• Eligibility requires parent to have served in U.S. armed forces, received Purple Heart or been wounded in enemy action, received non-dishonorable discharge, and designated Illinois as home of record or resided in Illinois 5 years before application; applicant must be under 32 years old with requisite academic qualifications

• Alternate eligibility path for children whose parent served during war or hazardous duty recognized by service/campaign medal, suffered service-connected disability or death per VA determination, and met Illinois residency/enlistment requirements

• Students must maintain cumulative GPA of at least satisfactory progress first year, 2.25 second year, and 2.5 in junior/senior years; students on academic probation must improve GPA by next semester to continue benefits

• Children of parents with service-connected disability rated 80% or higher receive 100% tuition reduction; those with lower disability ratings receive 20% plus their parent's disability rating percentage; reductions based on most recent VA disability rating and applied to subsequent academic periods if rating changes