Springfield, IL - Governor Quinn signed an important bill into law on Friday, improving educational resources for active military personnel and veterans. State Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) is the sponsor of the legislation and believes the law will very beneficial to Illinois’ veterans "Providing quality education in Illinois has always been a top priority for me," Holmes said. "Making resources more readily available to military personnel and their families will attract more students to our universities and provide more quality education in the process."

The law requires public colleges and universities to conduct a survey of the services and programs on their campuses that are provided for veterans, active duty personnel, and their families. The survey will include a description of the service that is available, the number of veterans or active duty personnel that are using the programs, and contact information for the administrators of these services and programs.

All enrolling veterans will be provided with this information and it will be posted on the homepage of the university or college. In addition to these requirements, any higher education institution with more than 1,000 students is required to appoint a Coordinator of Veterans and Military Personnel Student Services. The goal of the Coordinator position is to be an advocate for the needs of student veterans and also to create a centralized source for student veterans and military personnel to learn how to obtain the benefit programs and services for which they are eligible.

"We want to ensure that all men and women of the armed forces are equipped with the necessary tools for a quality education," Holmes continued. "This legislation will guarantee quality guidance for these individuals and their families."