Public Act 094-0205
 
HB0060 Enrolled LRB094 04989 RAS 35021 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
amended by adding Section 65.27 as follows:
 
    (110 ILCS 947/65.27 new)
    Sec. 65.27. Teach Illinois Scholarship Program.
    (a) For the purposes of this Section:
    "Area of identified staff shortage" means a school district
in which the number of teachers is insufficient to meet student
or school district demand or a subject area for which the
number of teachers who are qualified to teach that subject area
is insufficient to meet student or school district demand, as
determined by the State Board of Education.
    "Qualified institution of higher learning" means one of the
universities listed in Section 65.40 of this Act.
    (b) The Commission shall implement and administer a teacher
scholarship program, to be known as the Teach Illinois
Scholarship Program. The Commission shall annually award
scholarships to persons preparing to teach in areas of
identified staff shortages. These scholarships shall be
awarded to individuals who make application to the Commission
and who agree to take courses at qualified institutions of
higher learning that will prepare them to teach in areas of
identified staff shortages.
    (c) Scholarships awarded under this Section shall be issued
pursuant to rules promulgated by the Commission.
    (d) Each scholarship shall be utilized by its holder for
the payment of tuition and non-revenue bond fees at any
qualified institution of higher learning. Such tuition and fees
shall be available only for courses that will enable the
individual to be certified to teach in areas of identified
staff shortages. The Commission shall determine which courses
are eligible for tuition payments under this Section.
    (e) The Commission shall make tuition payments directly to
the qualified institution of higher learning that the
individual attends for the courses prescribed.
    (f) Following the completion of the program of study, the
individual must accept employment to teach in an elementary or
secondary school in Illinois in an area of identified staff
shortage for a period of at least 5 years. Individuals who fail
to comply with this provision shall refund all of the awarded
scholarships to the Commission, whether payments were made
directly to the institutions of higher learning or to the
individuals, and this condition shall be agreed to in writing
by all scholarship recipients at the time the scholarship is
awarded. No individual shall be required to refund tuition
payments if his or her failure to obtain employment as a
teacher in a school is the result of financial conditions
within school districts. The rules promulgated as provided in
this Section shall contain provisions regarding the waiving and
deferral of such payments.
    (g) The Commission, with the cooperation of the State Board
of Education, shall assist individuals who have participated in
the scholarship program established by this Section in finding
employment in areas of identified staff shortages.
    (h) The scholarships under this Section are subject to
appropriations to the Commission by the General Assembly.