(20 ILCS 2705/2705-587)

Sec. 2705-587. Diversity in Engineering scholarship program.

(a) The Diversity in Engineering scholarship program is created to assist in increasing the representation of targeted group members among the civil engineers employed by the Department.

(b) For purposes of this Section:

"Targeted group member" means a person belonging to a class of race, color, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, or disability whose percentage of the civil engineer workforce employed by the Department is less than the percentage of the statewide labor market for civil engineers as determined by the Department's review of statewide labor statistics.

"Eligible student" means a person who: (i) is an Illinois resident at the time of application for a scholarship under the Program established by this Section; (ii) is enrolled at any Illinois college or university in any program leading toward a degree in civil engineering; (iii) agrees to conditions required by the Department, including the obligation to work for the Department after graduation if a position is offered for at least one year for each academic year the student receives a scholarship.

(c) The Department, subject to appropriation, shall award scholarships to up to 20 selected eligible students each year, unless no targeted group members are identified by the Department. The Department shall establish a process for selecting eligible students, which considers obtaining a critical mass of students in the program to remedy the underutilization of targeted group members. Each scholarship issued pursuant to this Section shall not exceed $7,500 per academic year.

(d) The Department shall adopt rules to implement and administer the scholarship program created by this Section.

(Source: P.A. 97-288, eff. 1-1-12; 98-585, eff. 8-27-13.)