Kifowit Legislation To Move Illinois Marine Corps Scholarship Fund into Illinois Becomes Law

AURORA, Ill. – Continuing her efforts to help Veterans and their families, state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, a fellow Marine Veteran, recently passed legislation that would move into Illinois and give Illinois Marine Organizations more oversight over the Marine Corps Scholarship Fund.

“It is important that our local Marine Organizations have input in where the collected money goes, and that we can keep the money we collect from our Marines here in Illinois to benefit Illinois Marine Veterans and their families,” Kifowit said. 

Prior to Kifowit’s legislation, owners of the U.S. Marine Corps license plates were charged an additional $5 fee, which was collected by the Secretary of State (SOS) and deposited into the Marine Corps Scholarship Fund. The revenues in that fund were then paid to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, Inc. which is based in Pennsylvania, to provide grants used for college tuition by the children of former members of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Kifowit introduced House Bill 2293 to effectively change the beneficiary of the Marine Corps Scholarship Fund from the Pennsylvanian located Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation to the Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Illinois, Inc, to allow Illinois Marine Veterans to have more oversight of the money they collected. Her legislation also expanded the eligibility for the scholarship program and the organizations that could use the grants.

In order to be eligible for the scholarships, students must be an Illinois resident, attend a college or university in Illinois, and maintain a minimum accumulative GPA of 2.00. Scholarships can only be used for the applicant’s first bachelor’s degree.

“Advocating for Veterans and military families is always a top priority of mine,” Kifowit said. “This legislation now provides more oversight of the Marine Corps Scholarship Fund assets to Marine Veterans here in Illinois and provides more opportunities to our Marines and their families here and not out of state.”