ROMEOVILLE, IL (07/12/2012)(readMedia)-- Brett Busch of East Moline, IL was among those honored on the Lewis University Deans' List for spring semester 2012. Busch was studying Arts & Sciences at Lewis Unviersity.

To be eligible for this honor, students must have completed a minimum of 12 semester hours of credit with a grade point average of 3.25 out of a possible 4.0.

Lewis University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 6,500 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally connected, and socially responsible graduates. The ninth largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit http://www.lewisu.edu for further information.

TINLEY PARK - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will kick off the 2012 College Changes Everything conference on Thursday morning in Tinley Park. The conference, coordinated by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, brings together educators, legislators and other advocates to work towards the state's college completion goal. To keep pace with employer needs, the state wants 60 percent of working-age adults to hold a college degree or credential by 2025, up from 41 percent today.

In her opening remarks, Simon will discuss two of her college completion initiatives. She crafted legislation signed by Governor Quinn this month that aims to reduce remedial needs at colleges and universities by implementing the state's first middle school and high school math curricula. She also wants to create College Choice Reports for Illinois colleges and universities so prospective students can compare higher education options and make good choices about where to pursue certificates and degrees.

TIME: 8:30 a.m.

DATE: Thursday, July 12

PLACE: Tinley Park Convention Center, 18451 Convention Center Drive, Tinley Park

New Law Ends General Assembly Tuition Waiver Program Plagued by Abuse

CHICAGO - July 11, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today signed a new law abolishing the century-old political scholarship program in Illinois, one of his ethics reform goals since taking office. The Governor proposed to abolish this troubled program in 2009, 2010 and in 2011, and worked with the General Assembly to get it done this spring. Governor Quinn is committed to increasing college scholarships to students with merit who are in true financial need as well as restoring integrity to state government.

"There is no place for political scholarships in Illinois," Governor Quinn said. "I believe in the power of education, the importance of ethics and integrity, and the idea that you can get ahead in life with a little hard work. That's why today I enact this long-overdue reform and redouble our efforts to increase scholarships for deserving college students."

House Bill 3810, sponsored by Representative Fred Crespo (D-Hoffman Estates) and Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago), provides that members of the General Assembly may no longer award higher education scholarships after September 1, 2012. Recipients nominated for the 2012-2013 school year will still be awarded their scholarship. The legislation was passed following numerous news reports documenting abuse of scholarships and advocacy from the Governor, Lt. Governor and good government groups.

The General Assembly Scholarship program allowed legislators to annually award eligible persons from their district with scholarships waiving tuition fees at state universities. Legislators were found to have awarded scholarships to relatives, political insiders and to people living outside their district. During the 2010-2011 school year, the program cost 11 of 12 public state universities an aggregated $13.4 million in waived tuition fees.

"While legislative scholarships help a small number of students, the program's abuse comes at an incredibly high cost in terms of trust in government and absorbed tuition at colleges and universities," Lt. Governor Sheila Simon said. "By eliminating the legislative scholarship program, Illinois can take a meaningful step toward improving our ethical standards, while focusing our efforts on making college more affordable for all students."

"Abolishing the political scholarship program ends a needless waste of taxpayer dollars and helps to alleviate state universities from an unfair financial burden," said Rep. Crespo. "Signing this legislation into law stops these abuses in the General Assembly and restores faith in our government."

HB 3810 also creates a task force to review all tuition and fee waivers offered by state universities, ensuring that taxpayer dollars funding these public institutions are being spent appropriately and helping those of merit in financial need. The task force must report its findings on or before April 15, 2013.

"It is unfortunate that the legislative scholarship program was misused by legislators, taking away what for some students was their only way of attending college," said President Cullerton. "This new law will allow us to take a comprehensive look at all tuition waivers and how we can make higher education more accessible for those who need the most help."

The new law is supported by the Better Government Association and numerous reform advocates. The law is effective immediately.