\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{amssymb}  % For \therefore symbol
\usepackage{amsmath}
% Underlining package
\usepackage[normalem]{ulem} % [normalem] prevents the package from changing the default behavior of `\\emph` to underline.
\usepackage[a4paper, portrait, margin=1cm]{geometry}
\usepackage{multicol}
\usepackage{fancyhdr}
\usepackage[none]{hyphenat}

\def \HeadingAnswers {\section*{\Large Name: \underline{\hspace{8cm}} \hfill Date: \underline{\hspace{3cm}}} \vspace{-3mm}
{<<chsol_filename>> Check Solution: Answers} \vspace{1pt}\hrule}

% \linespread{1.5} % Adjust line spacing factor
\raggedbottom

% raise footer with page number; no header
\fancypagestyle{myfancypagestyle}{
  \fancyhf{}% clear all header and footer fields
  \renewcommand{\headrulewidth}{0pt} % no rule under header
  \fancyfoot[C] {\thepage} \setlength{\footskip}{14.5pt} % raise page number allowed min 14.5pt
}
\pagestyle{myfancypagestyle}  % apply myfancypagestyle
\newcounter{minipagecount}
\begin{document}
\HeadingAnswers
\vspace{1pt}
\begin{multicols}{2}
  <<diagrams>>
\end{multicols}
\end{document}
