HB1256ham001 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Rep. Anna Moeller

Filed: 4/21/2017

10000HB1256ham001 LRB100 02964 MLM 25424 a

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1256

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1256 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is amended by adding Section 65.95 as follows:

(110 ILCS 947/65.95 new)

Sec. 65.95. Bilingual Teachers of Illinois scholarship program.

(a) As used in this Section:

"Eligible applicant" means a student who is fluent in a language other than English, has graduated from high school or has received a high school equivalency certificate, and has maintained a cumulative grade point average of no less than 2.5 on a 4.0 scale and who, by reason thereof, is entitled to apply for scholarships to be awarded under this Section.

"Qualified student" means a person (i) who is a resident of this State and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States; (ii) who, as an eligible applicant, has made a timely application for a bilingual education teacher scholarship under this Section; (iii) who is enrolled on at least a half-time basis at a qualified Illinois institution of higher learning; (iv) who is enrolled in a course of study leading to teacher licensure, including alternative teacher licensure; (v) who maintains a grade point average of no less than 2.5 on a 4.0 scale; and (vi) who continues to advance satisfactorily toward the attainment of a degree.

(b) In order to encourage academically talented Illinois students to pursue teaching careers at the preschool, elementary school, or secondary school level, each qualified student shall be awarded a bilingual education teacher scholarship to any qualified Illinois institution of higher learning. However, preference may be given to qualified applicants enrolled at or above the junior level.

(c) Each bilingual education teacher scholarship awarded under this Section shall be in an amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees and room and board costs of the qualified Illinois institution of higher learning at which the recipient is enrolled, up to an annual maximum of $5,000; except that, in the case of a recipient who does not reside on-campus at the institution at which he or she is enrolled, the amount of the scholarship shall be sufficient to pay tuition and fee expenses and a commuter allowance, up to an annual maximum of $5,000.

(d) The total amount of bilingual education teacher scholarship assistance awarded by the Commission under this Section to an individual in any given fiscal year, when added to other financial assistance awarded to that individual for that year, shall not exceed the cost of attendance at the institution at which the student is enrolled. If the amount of a bilingual education teacher scholarship to be awarded to a qualified student as provided in subsection (c) of this Section exceeds the cost of attendance at the institution at which the student is enrolled, the bilingual education teacher scholarship shall be reduced by an amount equal to the amount by which the combined financial assistance available to the student exceeds the cost of attendance.

(e) The maximum number of academic terms for which a qualified student can receive bilingual education teacher scholarship assistance shall be 8 semesters or 12 quarters.

(f) In any academic year for which an eligible applicant under this Section accepts financial assistance through the Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program, as authorized by Section 551 et seq. of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, the applicant shall not be eligible for scholarship assistance awarded under this Section.

(g) All applications for bilingual education teacher scholarships to be awarded under this Section shall be made to the Commission on forms that the Commission shall provide for eligible applicants. The form of applications and the information required to be set forth therein shall be determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall require eligible applicants to submit with their applications such supporting documents or recommendations as the Commission deems necessary.

(h) Subject to a separate appropriation for such purposes, payment of any bilingual education teacher scholarship awarded under this Section shall be determined by the Commission. All scholarship funds distributed in accordance with this Section shall be paid to the institution and used only for payment of the tuition and fee and room and board expenses incurred by the student in connection with his or her attendance as an undergraduate student at the institution. Any bilingual education teacher scholarship awarded under this Section shall be applicable to 2 semesters or 3 quarters of enrollment. If a qualified student withdraws from enrollment prior to completion of the first semester or quarter for which the bilingual education teacher scholarship is applicable, the institution shall refund to the Commission the full amount of the bilingual education teacher scholarship.

(i) The Commission shall administer the Bilingual Teachers of Illinois scholarship program established by this Section and shall make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with this Section for its effective implementation.

(j) If an appropriation to the Commission for a given fiscal year is insufficient to provide scholarships under this Section to all qualified students, the Commission shall allocate the appropriation in accordance with this subsection (j). If funds are insufficient to provide all qualified students with a scholarship as authorized by this Section, the Commission shall allocate the available scholarship funds for that fiscal year on the basis of the date the Commission receives a complete application form.

(k) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (j) or any other provision of this Section, at least 25% of the funds appropriated for scholarships awarded under this Section in each fiscal year shall be reserved for applicants who earned the State Seal of Biliteracy as a high school graduate. If the Commission does not receive enough applications on or before January 1 of each fiscal year to award 25% of the funds appropriated for these scholarships to applicants who earned the State Seal of Biliteracy, then the Commission may award a portion of the reserved funds to other applicants.

(l) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (j) or any other provision of this Section, at least 20% of funds appropriated for scholarships awarded under this Section in each fiscal year shall be reserved for applicants who commit to teaching bilingual education at a school district in this State whose annual student enrollment is less than 300,000. If the Commission does not receive enough applications on or before January 1 of each fiscal year to award 20% of the funds appropriated for these scholarships to applicants who commit to teaching bilingual education at a school district in this State whose annual student enrollment is less than 300,000, then the Commission may award a portion of the reserved funds to other applicants.

(m) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (j) or any other provision of this Section, at least 10% of funds appropriated for scholarships awarded under this Section in each fiscal year shall be reserved for applicants who commit to teaching bilingual education in a school district-administered preschool program in this State. If the Commission does not receive enough applications on or before January 1 of each fiscal year to award 10% of the funds appropriated for these scholarships to applicants who commit to teaching bilingual education in a school district-administered preschool program, then the Commission may award a portion of the reserved funds to other applicants.

(n) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any academic year, each recipient of a bilingual education teacher scholarship awarded under this Section shall be required by the Commission to sign an agreement under which the recipient pledges that, within the one-year period following the termination of the program for which the recipient was awarded a bilingual education teacher scholarship, the recipient (i) shall begin teaching in this State for a period of not less than one year for each year of scholarship assistance he or she was awarded under this Section and (ii) shall, upon request by the Commission, provide the Commission with evidence that he or she is fulfilling or has fulfilled the terms of the teaching agreement provided for in this subsection (n).

(o) If a recipient of a bilingual education teacher scholarship awarded under this Section fails to fulfill the teaching obligation set forth in subsection (n) of this Section, the Commission shall require the recipient to repay the amount of the scholarships received, prorated according to the fraction of the teaching obligation not completed, at a rate of interest equal to 5% and, if applicable, reasonable collection fees. The Commission is authorized to establish rules relating to its collection activities for repayment of scholarships under this Section. All repayments collected under this Section shall be forwarded to the State Comptroller for deposit into the State's General Revenue Fund.

(p) A recipient of a bilingual education teacher scholarship shall not be considered in violation of the agreement entered into pursuant to subsection (n) if the recipient (i) enrolls on a full-time basis as a graduate student in a course of study related to the field of teaching at a qualified Illinois institution of higher learning; (ii) is serving, not in excess of 3 years, as a member of the armed services of the United States; (iii) is a person with a temporary total disability for a period of time not to exceed 3 years, as established by sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; (iv) is seeking and unable to find full-time employment as a teacher at an Illinois public, private, or parochial preschool, elementary school, or secondary school that satisfies the criteria set forth in the agreement under subsection (n) of this Section and is able to provide evidence of that fact; (v) becomes a person with a permanent total disability, as established by sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; (vi) is taking additional courses, on at least a half-time basis, needed to obtain licensure as a teacher in Illinois; or (vii) is fulfilling teaching requirements associated with other programs administered by the Commission and cannot concurrently fulfill them under this Section in a period of time equal to the length of the teaching obligation.

(q) Scholarship recipients under this Section who withdraw from a program of teacher education but remain enrolled in school to continue their postsecondary studies in another academic discipline shall not be required to commence repayment of their bilingual education teacher scholarship so long as they remain enrolled in school on a full-time basis or if they can document for the Commission special circumstances that warrant extension of repayment.".