103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5482

 

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Rep. Edgar Gonzalez, Jr.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 947/20
110 ILCS 947/50
110 ILCS 947/52
110 ILCS 947/65.15
110 ILCS 947/65.70
110 ILCS 947/65.110
110 ILCS 947/65.120
110 ILCS 975/2  from Ch. 144, par. 2752
110 ILCS 975/3  from Ch. 144, par. 2753
110 ILCS 975/3.1
110 ILCS 975/4  from Ch. 144, par. 2754
110 ILCS 975/6  from Ch. 144, par. 2756
110 ILCS 975/6.5

    Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that, notwithstanding any other law of this State to the contrary, effective on January 1, 2025, or as soon thereafter as is feasible, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall release from remaining repayment obligations any recipient of a scholarship, grant, or waiver that has been or may be converted to a student loan under a State program for which the Commission is responsible for collections. In provisions concerning the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program, the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program, special education teacher scholarships, the Optometric Education Scholarship Program, Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License scholarships, and the iGROW Tech Scholarship Program, removes provisions concerning repaying funds received due to the specified failure of the recipient to fulfill scholarship, grant, or waiver obligations. In provisions concerning special education teacher scholarships and Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License scholarships, provides that a recipient shall sign an agreement that the recipient will meet specified qualifications and provide evidence to the Commission that the recipient is fulfilling or fulfilled the terms of the agreement (instead of specifying that an applicant shall meet the specified qualifications) Amends the Nursing Education Scholarship Law to make similar changes.


LRB103 38559 RJT 68695 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5482LRB103 38559 RJT 68695 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
5amended by changing Sections 20, 50, 52, 65.15, 65.70, 65.110,
6and 65.120 as follows:
 
7    (110 ILCS 947/20)
8    Sec. 20. Functions of Commission.
9    (a) The Commission, in accordance with this Act, shall
10prepare and supervise the issuance of public information
11concerning its provisions; prescribe the form and regulate the
12submission of applications for assistance; provide for and
13conduct, or cause to be conducted, all eligibility
14determinations of applicants; award the appropriate financial
15assistance; and, upon request by a member of the General
16Assembly, nominate or evaluate and recommend for nomination
17applicants for General Assembly scholarships in accordance
18with criteria specified by the member under Section 30-9 of
19the School Code.
20    (b) The Commission is authorized to participate in any
21programs for monetary assistance to students and to receive,
22hold, and disburse all such funds made available by any agency
23or organization for the purpose or purposes for which they are

 

 

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1made available. The Commission is authorized to administer a
2program of grant assistance as authorized by the Baccalaureate
3Savings Act. The Commission is authorized to participate in
4any programs established to improve student financial aid
5services or the proficiency of persons engaged in student
6financial aid services and to receive, hold, and disburse all
7funds made available by any agency or organization for the
8purpose or purposes for which they are made available subject
9to the appropriations of the General Assembly.
10    (c) The Commission is authorized to deny a scholarship or
11a grant to any person who has defaulted on a guaranteed student
12loan and who is not maintaining a satisfactory repayment
13record. If a person has a defaulted guaranteed student loan
14but is otherwise eligible for assistance pursuant to Section
1540, the Commission shall award one term of assistance during
16which a satisfactory repayment record must be established. If
17such a repayment record is not established, additional
18assistance shall be denied until a satisfactory repayment
19record is established.
20    (d) The Commission is authorized to participate with
21federal, state, county, local, and university law enforcement
22agencies in cooperative efforts to detect and prosecute
23incidents of fraud in student assistance programs.
24    (e) The Administrative Review Law shall apply to and
25govern all proceedings for the judicial review of final
26administrative decisions of the Commission.

 

 

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1    (f) The Commission is authorized to make all necessary and
2proper rules, not inconsistent with this Act, for the
3efficient exercise of the foregoing functions.
4    (g) Unless otherwise provided by statute, the functions of
5the Commission shall be exercised without regard to any
6applicant's race, creed, sex, color, national origin, or
7ancestry.
8    (h) The Commission is authorized to establish systems and
9programs to encourage employers to match employee
10contributions to prepaid programs of college savings by making
11donations to the Commission for prepaid programs of college
12savings to make higher education affordable for all residents
13of the State and to receive, hold, and disburse all such funds
14made available through those programs for the purposes for
15which they are authorized by rule or by law.
16    (i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
17contrary, effective on January 1, 2025, or as soon thereafter
18as is feasible, the Commission shall release from remaining
19repayment obligations any recipient of a scholarship, grant,
20or waiver that has been or may be converted to a student loan
21under a State program for which the Commission is responsible
22for collections, including, but not limited to, any such
23repayment obligation pursuant to Sections 50, 52, 65.15,
2465.70, 65.110, or 65.120, to the Nursing Education Scholarship
25Law, or to any other similarly structured state scholarship,
26grant, or waiver program that the Commission is responsible

 

 

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1for collections.
2    The release from repayment obligations under this
3subsection (i) applies only to repayment obligations resulting
4from a recipient's failure to complete any required employment
5obligation under the terms of the scholarship, grant, or
6waiver. The release does not apply to amounts owed to the
7Commission for other reasons, including, but not limited to,
8error, fraud, rescission of funds, or because a recipient
9ceased to be eligible for the amount initially awarded.
10(Source: P.A. 96-198, eff. 8-10-09.)
 
11    (110 ILCS 947/50)
12    Sec. 50. Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship
13program.
14    (a) As used in this Section:
15        "Eligible applicant" means a minority student who has
16    graduated from high school or has received a State of
17    Illinois High School Diploma and has maintained a
18    cumulative grade point average of no less than 2.5 on a 4.0
19    scale, and who by reason thereof is entitled to apply for
20    scholarships to be awarded under this Section.
21        "Minority student" means a student who is any of the
22    following:
23            (1) American Indian or Alaska Native (a person
24        having origins in any of the original peoples of North
25        and South America, including Central America, and who

 

 

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1        maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment).
2            (2) Asian (a person having origins in any of the
3        original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or
4        the Indian subcontinent, including, but not limited
5        to, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia,
6        Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and
7        Vietnam).
8            (3) Black or African American (a person having
9        origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa).
10            (4) Hispanic or Latino (a person of Cuban,
11        Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or
12        other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race).
13            (5) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (a
14        person having origins in any of the original peoples
15        of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands).
16        "Qualified bilingual minority applicant" means a
17    qualified student who demonstrates proficiency in a
18    language other than English by (i) receiving a State Seal
19    of Biliteracy from the State Board of Education or (ii)
20    receiving a passing score on an educator licensure target
21    language proficiency test.
22        "Qualified student" means a person (i) who is a
23    resident of this State and a citizen or permanent resident
24    of the United States; (ii) who is a minority student, as
25    defined in this Section; (iii) who, as an eligible
26    applicant, has made a timely application for a minority

 

 

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1    teaching scholarship under this Section; (iv) who is
2    enrolled on at least a half-time basis at a qualified
3    Illinois institution of higher learning; (v) who is
4    enrolled in a course of study leading to teacher
5    licensure, including alternative teacher licensure, or, if
6    the student is already licensed to teach, in a course of
7    study leading to an additional teaching endorsement or a
8    master's degree in an academic field in which he or she is
9    teaching or plans to teach or who has received one or more
10    College and Career Pathway Endorsements pursuant to
11    Section 80 of the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness
12    Act and commits to enrolling in a course of study leading
13    to teacher licensure, including alternative teacher
14    licensure; (vi) who maintains a grade point average of no
15    less than 2.5 on a 4.0 scale; and (vii) who continues to
16    advance satisfactorily toward the attainment of a degree.
17    (b) In order to encourage academically talented Illinois
18minority students to pursue teaching careers at the preschool
19or elementary or secondary school level and to address and
20alleviate the teacher shortage crisis in this State described
21under the provisions of the Transitions in Education Act, each
22qualified student shall be awarded a minority teacher
23scholarship to any qualified Illinois institution of higher
24learning. However, preference may be given to qualified
25applicants enrolled at or above the junior level.
26    (c) Each minority teacher scholarship awarded under this

 

 

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1Section shall be in an amount sufficient to pay the tuition and
2fees and room and board costs of the qualified Illinois
3institution of higher learning at which the recipient is
4enrolled, up to an annual maximum of $5,000; except that in the
5case of a recipient who does not reside on-campus at the
6institution at which he or she is enrolled, the amount of the
7scholarship shall be sufficient to pay tuition and fee
8expenses and a commuter allowance, up to an annual maximum of
9$5,000. However, if at least $2,850,000 is appropriated in a
10given fiscal year for the Minority Teachers of Illinois
11scholarship program, then, in each fiscal year thereafter,
12each scholarship awarded under this Section shall be in an
13amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees and room and
14board costs of the qualified Illinois institution of higher
15learning at which the recipient is enrolled, up to an annual
16maximum of $7,500; except that in the case of a recipient who
17does not reside on-campus at the institution at which he or she
18is enrolled, the amount of the scholarship shall be sufficient
19to pay tuition and fee expenses and a commuter allowance, up to
20an annual maximum of $7,500.
21    (d) The total amount of minority teacher scholarship
22assistance awarded by the Commission under this Section to an
23individual in any given fiscal year, when added to other
24financial assistance awarded to that individual for that year,
25shall not exceed the cost of attendance at the institution at
26which the student is enrolled. If the amount of minority

 

 

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1teacher scholarship to be awarded to a qualified student as
2provided in subsection (c) of this Section exceeds the cost of
3attendance at the institution at which the student is
4enrolled, the minority teacher scholarship shall be reduced by
5an amount equal to the amount by which the combined financial
6assistance available to the student exceeds the cost of
7attendance.
8    (e) The maximum number of academic terms for which a
9qualified student can receive minority teacher scholarship
10assistance shall be 8 semesters or 12 quarters.
11    (f) In any academic year for which an eligible applicant
12under this Section accepts financial assistance through the
13Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program, as authorized by
14Section 551 et seq. of the Higher Education Act of 1965, the
15applicant shall not be eligible for scholarship assistance
16awarded under this Section.
17    (g) All applications for minority teacher scholarships to
18be awarded under this Section shall be made to the Commission
19on forms which the Commission shall provide for eligible
20applicants. The form of applications and the information
21required to be set forth therein shall be determined by the
22Commission, and the Commission shall require eligible
23applicants to submit with their applications such supporting
24documents or recommendations as the Commission deems
25necessary.
26    (h) Subject to a separate appropriation for such purposes,

 

 

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1payment of any minority teacher scholarship awarded under this
2Section shall be determined by the Commission. All scholarship
3funds distributed in accordance with this subsection shall be
4paid to the institution and used only for payment of the
5tuition and fee and room and board expenses incurred by the
6student in connection with his or her attendance at a
7qualified Illinois institution of higher learning. Any
8minority teacher scholarship awarded under this Section shall
9be applicable to 2 semesters or 3 quarters of enrollment. If a
10qualified student withdraws from enrollment prior to
11completion of the first semester or quarter for which the
12minority teacher scholarship is applicable, the school shall
13refund to the Commission the full amount of the minority
14teacher scholarship.
15    (i) The Commission shall administer the minority teacher
16scholarship aid program established by this Section and shall
17make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with this
18Section for its effective implementation.
19    (j) When an appropriation to the Commission for a given
20fiscal year is insufficient to provide scholarships to all
21qualified students, the Commission shall allocate the
22appropriation in accordance with this subsection. If funds are
23insufficient to provide all qualified students with a
24scholarship as authorized by this Section, the Commission
25shall allocate the available scholarship funds for that fiscal
26year to qualified students who submit a complete application

 

 

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1form on or before a date specified by the Commission based on
2the following order of priority:
3        (1) To students who received a scholarship under this
4    Section in the prior academic year and who remain eligible
5    for a minority teacher scholarship under this Section.
6        (2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (k), to
7    students who demonstrate financial need, as determined by
8    the Commission.
9    (k) Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of subsection (j), at
10least 35% of the funds appropriated for scholarships awarded
11under this Section in each fiscal year shall be reserved for
12qualified male minority applicants, with priority being given
13to qualified Black male applicants beginning with fiscal year
142023. If the Commission does not receive enough applications
15from qualified male minorities on or before January 1 of each
16fiscal year to award 35% of the funds appropriated for these
17scholarships to qualified male minority applicants, then the
18Commission may award a portion of the reserved funds to
19qualified female minority applicants in accordance with
20subsection (j).
21    Beginning with fiscal year 2023, if at least $2,850,000
22but less than $4,200,000 is appropriated in a given fiscal
23year for scholarships awarded under this Section, then at
24least 10% of the funds appropriated shall be reserved for
25qualified bilingual minority applicants, with priority being
26given to qualified bilingual minority applicants who are

 

 

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1enrolled in an educator preparation program with a
2concentration in bilingual, bicultural education. Beginning
3with fiscal year 2023, if at least $4,200,000 is appropriated
4in a given fiscal year for the Minority Teachers of Illinois
5scholarship program, then at least 30% of the funds
6appropriated shall be reserved for qualified bilingual
7minority applicants, with priority being given to qualified
8bilingual minority applicants who are enrolled in an educator
9preparation program with a concentration in bilingual,
10bicultural education. Beginning with fiscal year 2023, if at
11least $2,850,000 is appropriated in a given fiscal year for
12scholarships awarded under this Section but the Commission
13does not receive enough applications from qualified bilingual
14minority applicants on or before January 1 of that fiscal year
15to award at least 10% of the funds appropriated to qualified
16bilingual minority applicants, then the Commission may, in its
17discretion, award a portion of the reserved funds to other
18qualified students in accordance with subsection (j).
19    (l) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any
20academic year, each recipient of a minority teacher
21scholarship awarded under this Section shall be required by
22the Commission to sign an agreement under which the recipient
23pledges that, within the one-year period following the
24termination of the program for which the recipient was awarded
25a minority teacher scholarship, the recipient (i) shall begin
26teaching for a period of not less than one year for each year

 

 

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1of scholarship assistance he or she was awarded under this
2Section; (ii) shall fulfill this teaching obligation at a
3nonprofit Illinois public, private, or parochial preschool,
4elementary school, or secondary school at which no less than
530% of the enrolled students are minority students in the year
6during which the recipient begins teaching at the school or
7may instead, if the recipient received a scholarship as a
8qualified bilingual minority applicant, fulfill this teaching
9obligation in a program in transitional bilingual education
10pursuant to Article 14C of the School Code or in a school in
11which 20 or more English learner students in the same language
12classification are enrolled; and (iii) shall, upon request by
13the Commission, provide the Commission with evidence that he
14or she is fulfilling or has fulfilled the terms of the teaching
15agreement provided for in this subsection.
16    (m) (Blank). If a recipient of a minority teacher
17scholarship awarded under this Section fails to fulfill the
18teaching obligation set forth in subsection (l) of this
19Section, the Commission shall require the recipient to repay
20the amount of the scholarships received, prorated according to
21the fraction of the teaching obligation not completed, at a
22rate of interest equal to 5%, and, if applicable, reasonable
23collection fees. If a recipient who enters into repayment
24under this subsection (m) subsequently, within 5 years of
25entering repayment, begins to teach at a school meeting the
26description under subsection (l) of this Section, the

 

 

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1Commission may reduce the amount owed by the recipient in
2proportion to the amount of the teaching obligation completed.
3The Commission is authorized to establish rules relating to
4its collection activities for repayment of scholarships under
5this Section. All repayments collected under this Section
6shall be forwarded to the State Comptroller for deposit into
7the State's General Revenue Fund.
8    (n) (Blank). A recipient of minority teacher scholarship
9shall not be considered in violation of the agreement entered
10into pursuant to subsection (l) if the recipient (i) enrolls
11on a full time basis as a graduate student in a course of study
12related to the field of teaching at a qualified Illinois
13institution of higher learning; (ii) is serving, not in excess
14of 3 years, as a member of the armed services of the United
15States; (iii) is a person with a temporary total disability
16for a period of time not to exceed 3 years as established by
17sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; (iv) is seeking and
18unable to find full time employment as a teacher at an Illinois
19public, private, or parochial preschool or elementary or
20secondary school that satisfies the criteria set forth in
21subsection (l) of this Section and is able to provide evidence
22of that fact; (v) becomes a person with a permanent total
23disability as established by sworn affidavit of a qualified
24physician; (vi) is taking additional courses, on at least a
25half-time basis, needed to obtain licensure as a teacher in
26Illinois; or (vii) is fulfilling teaching requirements

 

 

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1associated with other programs administered by the Commission
2and cannot concurrently fulfill them under this Section in a
3period of time equal to the length of the teaching obligation.
4    (o) (Blank). Scholarship recipients under this Section who
5withdraw from a program of teacher education but remain
6enrolled in school to continue their postsecondary studies in
7another academic discipline shall not be required to commence
8repayment of their Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship
9so long as they remain enrolled in school on a full-time basis
10or if they can document for the Commission special
11circumstances that warrant extension of repayment.
12    (p) If the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship
13program does not expend at least 90% of the amount
14appropriated for the program in a given fiscal year for 3
15consecutive fiscal years and the Commission does not receive
16enough applications from the groups identified in subsection
17(k) on or before January 1 in each of those fiscal years to
18meet the percentage reserved for those groups under subsection
19(k), then up to 3% of amount appropriated for the program for
20each of next 3 fiscal years shall be allocated to increasing
21awareness of the program and for the recruitment of Black male
22applicants. The Commission shall make a recommendation to the
23General Assembly by January 1 of the year immediately
24following the end of that third fiscal year regarding whether
25the amount allocated to increasing awareness and recruitment
26should continue.

 

 

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1    (q) Each qualified Illinois institution of higher learning
2that receives funds from the Minority Teachers of Illinois
3scholarship program shall host an annual information session
4at the institution about the program for teacher candidates of
5color in accordance with rules adopted by the Commission.
6Additionally, the institution shall ensure that each
7scholarship recipient enrolled at the institution meets with
8an academic advisor at least once per academic year to
9facilitate on-time completion of the recipient's educator
10preparation program.
11    (r) The changes made to this Section by Public Act 101-654
12will first take effect with awards made for the 2022-2023
13academic year.
14(Source: P.A. 102-465, eff. 1-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22;
15102-1100, eff. 1-1-23; 103-448, eff. 8-4-23.)
 
16    (110 ILCS 947/52)
17    Sec. 52. Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program; Golden
18Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching.
19    (a) In this Section, "Foundation" means the Golden Apple
20Foundation for Excellence in Teaching, a registered 501(c)(3)
21not-for-profit corporation.
22    (a-2) In order to encourage academically talented Illinois
23students, especially minority students, to pursue teaching
24careers, especially in teacher shortage disciplines (which
25shall be defined to include early childhood education) or at

 

 

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1hard-to-staff schools (as defined by the Commission in
2consultation with the State Board of Education), to provide
3those students with the crucial mentoring, guidance, and
4in-service support that will significantly increase the
5likelihood that they will complete their full teaching
6commitments and elect to continue teaching in targeted
7disciplines and hard-to-staff schools, and to ensure that
8students in this State will continue to have access to a pool
9of highly-qualified teachers, each qualified student shall be
10awarded a Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program
11scholarship to any Illinois institution of higher learning.
12The Commission shall administer the Golden Apple Scholars of
13Illinois Program, which shall be managed by the Foundation
14pursuant to the terms of a grant agreement meeting the
15requirements of Section 4 of the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery
16Act.
17    (a-3) For purposes of this Section, a qualified student
18shall be a student who meets the following qualifications:
19        (1) is a resident of this State and a citizen or
20    eligible noncitizen of the United States;
21        (2) is a high school graduate or a person who has
22    received a State of Illinois High School Diploma;
23        (3) is enrolled or accepted, on at least a half-time
24    basis, at an institution of higher learning;
25        (4) is pursuing a postsecondary course of study
26    leading to initial certification or pursuing additional

 

 

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1    course work needed to gain State Board of Education
2    approval to teach, including alternative teacher
3    licensure; and
4        (5) is a participant in programs managed by and is
5    approved to receive a scholarship from the Foundation.
6    (a-5) (Blank).
7    (b) (Blank).
8    (b-5) Funds designated for the Golden Apple Scholars of
9Illinois Program shall be used by the Commission for the
10payment of scholarship assistance under this Section or for
11the award of grant funds, subject to the Illinois Grant Funds
12Recovery Act, to the Foundation. Subject to appropriation,
13awards of grant funds to the Foundation shall be made on an
14annual basis and following an application for grant funds by
15the Foundation.
16    (b-10) Each year, the Foundation shall include in its
17application to the Commission for grant funds an estimate of
18the amount of scholarship assistance to be provided to
19qualified students during the grant period. Any amount of
20appropriated funds exceeding the estimated amount of
21scholarship assistance may be awarded by the Commission to the
22Foundation for management expenses expected to be incurred by
23the Foundation in providing the mentoring, guidance, and
24in-service supports that will increase the likelihood that
25qualified students will complete their teaching commitments
26and elect to continue teaching in hard-to-staff schools. If

 

 

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1the estimate of the amount of scholarship assistance described
2in the Foundation's application is less than the actual amount
3required for the award of scholarship assistance to qualified
4students, the Foundation shall be responsible for using
5awarded grant funds to ensure all qualified students receive
6scholarship assistance under this Section.
7    (b-15) All grant funds not expended or legally obligated
8within the time specified in a grant agreement between the
9Foundation and the Commission shall be returned to the
10Commission within 45 days. Any funds legally obligated by the
11end of a grant agreement shall be liquidated within 45 days or
12otherwise returned to the Commission within 90 days after the
13end of the grant agreement that resulted in the award of grant
14funds.
15    (c) Each scholarship awarded under this Section shall be
16in an amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees and room
17and board costs of the Illinois institution of higher learning
18at which the recipient is enrolled, up to an annual maximum of
19$5,000; except that, in the case of a recipient who does not
20reside on campus at the institution of higher learning at
21which he or she is enrolled, the amount of the scholarship
22shall be sufficient to pay tuition and fee expenses and a
23commuter allowance, up to an annual maximum of $5,000. All
24scholarship funds distributed in accordance with this Section
25shall be paid to the institution on behalf of recipients.
26    (d) The total amount of scholarship assistance awarded by

 

 

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1the Commission under this Section to an individual in any
2given fiscal year, when added to other financial assistance
3awarded to that individual for that year, shall not exceed the
4cost of attendance at the institution of higher learning at
5which the student is enrolled. In any academic year for which a
6qualified student under this Section accepts financial
7assistance through any other teacher scholarship program
8administered by the Commission, a qualified student shall not
9be eligible for scholarship assistance awarded under this
10Section.
11    (e) A recipient may receive up to 8 semesters or 12
12quarters of scholarship assistance under this Section.
13Scholarship funds are applicable toward 2 semesters or 3
14quarters of enrollment each academic year.
15    (f) All applications for scholarship assistance to be
16awarded under this Section shall be made to the Foundation in a
17form determined by the Foundation. Each year, the Foundation
18shall notify the Commission of the individuals awarded
19scholarship assistance under this Section. Each year, at least
2030% of the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program
21scholarships shall be awarded to students residing in counties
22having a population of less than 500,000.
23    (g) (Blank).
24    (h) The Commission shall administer the payment of
25scholarship assistance provided through the Golden Apple
26Scholars of Illinois Program and shall make all necessary and

 

 

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1proper rules not inconsistent with this Section for the
2effective implementation of this Section.
3    (i) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any
4academic year, each recipient of a scholarship awarded under
5this Section shall be required by the Foundation to sign an
6agreement under which the recipient pledges that, within the
72-year period following the termination of the academic
8program for which the recipient was awarded a scholarship, the
9recipient: (i) shall begin teaching for a period of not less
10than 5 years, (ii) shall fulfill this teaching obligation at a
11nonprofit Illinois public, private, or parochial preschool or
12an Illinois public elementary or secondary school that
13qualifies for teacher loan cancellation under Section
14465(a)(2)(A) of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
15U.S.C. 1087ee(a)(2)(A)) or other Illinois schools deemed
16eligible for fulfilling the teaching commitment as designated
17by the Foundation, and (iii) shall, upon request of the
18Foundation, provide the Foundation with evidence that he or
19she is fulfilling or has fulfilled the terms of the teaching
20agreement provided for in this subsection. Upon request, the
21Foundation shall provide evidence of teacher fulfillment to
22the Commission.
23    (j) (Blank). If a recipient of a scholarship awarded under
24this Section fails to fulfill the teaching obligation set
25forth in subsection (i) of this Section, the Commission shall
26require the recipient to repay the amount of the scholarships

 

 

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1received, prorated according to the fraction of the teaching
2obligation not completed, plus interest at a rate of 5% and, if
3applicable, reasonable collection fees. If a recipient who
4enters into repayment under this subsection (j) subsequently,
5within 5 years of entering repayment, begins to teach at a
6school meeting the description under subsection (i) of this
7Section, the Commission may reduce the amount owed by the
8recipient in proportion to the amount of the teaching
9obligation completed. Reduction of the amount owed shall not
10be construed as reinstatement in the Golden Apple Scholars
11program. Reinstatement in the program shall be solely at the
12discretion of the Golden Apple Foundation on terms determined
13by the Foundation. Payments received by the Commission under
14this subsection (j) shall be remitted to the State Comptroller
15for deposit into the General Revenue Fund, except that that
16portion of a recipient's repayment that equals the amount in
17expenses that the Commission has reasonably incurred in
18attempting collection from that recipient shall be remitted to
19the State Comptroller for deposit into the ISAC Accounts
20Receivable Fund, a special fund in the State treasury.
21    (k) (Blank). A recipient of a scholarship awarded by the
22Foundation under this Section shall not be considered to have
23failed to fulfill the teaching obligations of the agreement
24entered into pursuant to subsection (i) if the recipient (i)
25enrolls on a full-time basis as a graduate student in a course
26of study related to the field of teaching at an institution of

 

 

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1higher learning; (ii) is serving as a member of the armed
2services of the United States; (iii) is a person with a
3temporary total disability, as established by sworn affidavit
4of a qualified physician; (iv) is seeking and unable to find
5full-time employment as a teacher at a school that satisfies
6the criteria set forth in subsection (i) and is able to provide
7evidence of that fact; (v) is taking additional courses, on at
8least a half-time basis, needed to obtain certification as a
9teacher in Illinois; (vi) is fulfilling teaching requirements
10associated with other programs administered by the Commission
11and cannot concurrently fulfill them under this Section in a
12period of time equal to the length of the teaching obligation;
13or (vii) is participating in a program established under
14Executive Order 10924 of the President of the United States or
15the federal National Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
1612501 et seq.). Any such extension of the period during which
17the teaching requirement must be fulfilled shall be subject to
18limitations of duration as established by the Commission.
19    (l) (Blank). A recipient who fails to fulfill the teaching
20obligations of the agreement entered into pursuant to
21subsection (i) of this Section shall repay the amount of
22scholarship assistance awarded to them under this Section
23within 10 years.
24    (m) Annually, at a time determined by the Commission in
25consultation with the Foundation, the Foundation shall submit
26a report to assist the Commission in monitoring the

 

 

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1Foundation's performance of grant activities. The report shall
2describe the following:
3        (1) the Foundation's anticipated expenditures for the
4    next fiscal year;
5        (2) the number of qualified students receiving
6    scholarship assistance at each institution of higher
7    learning where a qualified student was enrolled under this
8    Section during the previous fiscal year;
9        (3) the total monetary value of scholarship funds paid
10    to each institution of higher learning at which a
11    qualified student was enrolled during the previous fiscal
12    year;
13        (4) the number of scholarship recipients who completed
14    a baccalaureate degree during the previous fiscal year;
15        (5) the number of scholarship recipients who fulfilled
16    their teaching obligation during the previous fiscal year;
17        (6) the number of scholarship recipients who failed to
18    fulfill their teaching obligation during the previous
19    fiscal year;
20        (7) (blank); the number of scholarship recipients
21    granted an extension described in subsection (k) of this
22    Section during the previous fiscal year;
23        (8) (blank); the number of scholarship recipients
24    required to repay scholarship assistance in accordance
25    with subsection (j) of this Section during the previous
26    fiscal year;

 

 

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1        (9) (blank); the number of scholarship recipients who
2    successfully repaid scholarship assistance in full during
3    the previous fiscal year;
4        (10) (blank); the number of scholarship recipients who
5    defaulted on their obligation to repay scholarship
6    assistance during the previous fiscal year;
7        (11) (blank); the amount of scholarship assistance
8    subject to collection in accordance with subsection (j) of
9    this Section at the end of the previous fiscal year;
10        (12) (blank); and the amount of collected funds to be
11    remitted to the Comptroller in accordance with subsection
12    (j) of this Section at the end of the previous fiscal year;
13    and
14        (13) other information that the Commission may
15    reasonably request.
16    (n) Nothing in this Section shall affect the rights of the
17Commission to collect information on the completion of
18teaching obligations moneys owed to it by recipients of
19scholarship assistance through the Illinois Future Teacher
20Corps Program, repealed by Public Act 98-533.
21    (o) The Auditor General shall prepare an annual audit of
22the operations and finances of the Golden Apple Scholars of
23Illinois Program. This audit shall be provided to the
24Governor, General Assembly, and the Commission.
25    (p) The suspension of grant making authority found in
26Section 4.2 of the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act shall not

 

 

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1apply to grants made pursuant to this Section.
2(Source: P.A. 102-1071, eff. 6-10-22; 102-1100, eff. 1-1-23;
3103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-448, eff. 8-4-23.)
 
4    (110 ILCS 947/65.15)
5    Sec. 65.15. Special education teacher scholarships.
6    (a) There shall be awarded annually 250 scholarships to
7persons qualifying as members of any of the following groups:
8        (1) Students who are otherwise qualified to receive a
9    scholarship as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this
10    Section and who make application to the Commission for
11    such scholarship and agree to take courses that will
12    prepare the student for the teaching of children described
13    in Section 14-1 of the School Code.
14        (2) Persons holding a valid certificate issued under
15    the laws relating to the certification of teachers and who
16    make application to the Commission for such scholarship
17    and agree to take courses that will prepare them for the
18    teaching of children described in Section 14-1 of the
19    School Code.
20        (3) Persons who (A) have graduated high school; (B)
21    have not been certified as a teacher; and (C) make
22    application to the Commission for such scholarship and
23    agree to take courses that will prepare them for the
24    teaching of children described in Section 14-1 of the
25    School Code.

 

 

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1    Scholarships awarded under this Section shall be issued
2pursuant to regulations promulgated by the Commission;
3provided that no rule or regulation promulgated by the State
4Board of Education prior to the effective date of this
5amendatory Act of 1993 pursuant to the exercise of any right,
6power, duty, responsibility or matter of pending business
7transferred from the State Board of Education to the
8Commission under this Section shall be affected thereby, and
9all such rules and regulations shall become the rules and
10regulations of the Commission until modified or changed by the
11Commission in accordance with law.
12    For the purposes of this Section scholarships awarded each
13school year shall be deemed to be issued on July 1 of the year
14prior to the start of the postsecondary school term and all
15calculations for use of the scholarship shall be based on such
16date. Each scholarship shall entitle its holder to exemption
17from fees as provided in subsection (a) of Section 65.40 while
18enrolled in a special education program of teacher education,
19for a period of not more than 4 calendar years and shall be
20available for use at any time during such period of study
21except as provided in subsection (b) of Section 65.40.
22    Scholarships issued to holders of a valid certificate
23issued under the laws relating to the certification of
24teachers as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection may
25also entitle the holder thereof to a program of teacher
26education that will prepare the student for the teaching of

 

 

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1children described in Section 14-1 of the School Code at the
2graduate level.
3    (b) The principal, or his or her designee, of an approved
4high school shall certify to the Commission, for students who
5are Illinois residents and are completing an application, that
6the students ranked scholastically in the upper one-half of
7their graduating class at the end of the sixth semester.
8    (c) Each holder of a scholarship must furnish proof to the
9Commission, in such form and at such intervals as the
10Commission prescribes, of the holder's continued enrollment in
11a teacher education program qualifying the holder for the
12scholarship. Any holder of a scholarship who fails to register
13in a special education program of teacher education at the
14university within 10 days after the commencement of the term,
15quarter or semester immediately following the receipt of the
16scholarship or who, having registered, withdraws from the
17university or transfers out of teacher education, shall
18thereupon forfeit the right to use it and it may be granted to
19the person having the next highest rank as shown on the list
20held by the Commission. If the person having the next highest
21rank, within 10 days after notification thereof by the
22Commission, fails to register at any such university in a
23special education program of teacher education, or who, having
24registered, withdraws from the university or transfers out of
25teacher education, the scholarship may then be granted to the
26person shown on the list as having the rank next below such

 

 

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1person.
2    (d) Any person accepting who has accepted a scholarship
3under the preceding subsections of this Section must sign an
4agreement pledging (i) that, within one year after graduation
5from or termination of enrollment in a teacher education
6program, the recipient will begin teaching at a nonprofit
7Illinois public, private, or parochial preschool, or
8elementary school, or secondary school for a period of at
9least 2 of the 5 years immediately following that graduation
10or termination, and (ii) that the recipient will provide the
11Commission, upon the Commission's request, with evidence that
12the recipient is fulfilling or has fulfilled the terms of the
13teaching agreement provided for in this subsection. excluding,
14however, from the computation of that 5 year period (i) any
15time up to 3 years spent in the military service, whether such
16service occurs before or after the person graduates; (ii) any
17time that person is enrolled full-time in an academic program
18related to the field of teaching leading to a graduate or
19postgraduate degree; (iii) the time that person is a person
20with a temporary total disability for a period of time not to
21exceed 3 years, as established by the sworn affidavit of a
22qualified physician; (iv) the time that person is seeking and
23unable to find full time employment as a teacher at an Illinois
24public, private, or parochial school; (v) the time that person
25is taking additional courses, on at least a half-time basis,
26needed to obtain certification as a teacher in Illinois; or

 

 

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1(vi) the time that person is fulfilling teaching requirements
2associated with other programs administered by the Commission
3if he or she cannot concurrently fulfill them under this
4Section in a period of time equal to the length of the teaching
5obligation.
6    A person who has accepted a scholarship under the
7preceding subsections of this Section and who has been unable
8to fulfill the teaching requirements of this Section may
9receive a deferment from the obligation of repayment under
10this subsection (d) under guidelines established by the
11Commission; provided that no guideline established for any
12such purpose by the State Board of Education prior to the
13effective date of this amendatory Act of 1993 shall be
14affected by the transfer to the Commission of the
15responsibility for administering and implementing the
16provisions of this Section, and all guidelines so established
17shall become the guidelines of the Commission until modified
18or changed by the Commission.
19    Any such person who fails to fulfill this teaching
20requirement shall pay to the Commission the amount of tuition
21waived by virtue of his or her acceptance of the scholarship,
22together with interest at 5% per year on that amount. However,
23this obligation to repay the amount of tuition waived plus
24interest does not apply when the failure to fulfill the
25teaching requirement results from the death or adjudication as
26a person under legal disability of the person holding the

 

 

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1scholarship, and no claim for repayment may be filed against
2the estate of such a decedent or person under legal
3disability. If a recipient who enters into repayment under
4this paragraph subsequently, within 5 years of entering
5repayment, begins to teach at a school meeting the description
6under this subsection (d), the Commission may reduce the
7amount owed by the recipient in proportion to the amount of the
8teaching obligation completed. Payments received by the
9Commission under this subsection (d) shall be remitted to the
10State Treasurer for deposit in the General Revenue Fund. Each
11person receiving a scholarship shall be provided with a
12description of the provisions of this subsection (d) at the
13time he or she qualifies for the benefits of such a
14scholarship.
15    (e) (Blank). This Section is basically the same as
16Sections 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, and 30-4a of the School Code, which
17are repealed by this amendatory Act of 1993, and shall be
18construed as a continuation of the teacher scholarship program
19established by that prior law, and not as a new or different
20teacher scholarship program. The State Board of Education
21shall transfer to the Commission, as the successor to the
22State Board of Education for all purposes of administering and
23implementing the provisions of this Section, all books,
24accounts, records, papers, documents, contracts, agreements,
25and pending business in any way relating to the teacher
26scholarship program continued under this Section; and all

 

 

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1scholarships at any time awarded under that program by, and
2all applications for any such scholarships at any time made
3to, the State Board of Education shall be unaffected by the
4transfer to the Commission of all responsibility for the
5administration and implementation of the teacher scholarship
6program continued under this Section. The State Board of
7Education shall furnish to the Commission such other
8information as the Commission may request to assist it in
9administering this Section.
10(Source: P.A. 103-448, eff. 8-4-23.)
 
11    (110 ILCS 947/65.70)
12    Sec. 65.70. Optometric Education Scholarship Program.
13    (a) The General Assembly finds and declares that the
14provision of graduate education leading to a doctoral degree
15in optometry for persons of this State who desire such an
16education is important to the health and welfare of this State
17and Nation and, consequently, is an important public purpose.
18Many qualified potential optometrists are deterred by
19financial considerations from pursuing their optometric
20education with consequent irreparable loss to the State and
21Nation of talents vital to health and welfare. A program of
22scholarships for individuals who pledge to practice , repayment
23of which may be excused if the individual practices
24professional optometry in this State, will enable such
25individuals to attend qualified public or private institutions

 

 

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1of their choice in the State.
2    (b) Beginning with the 2003-2004 academic year, the
3Commission shall, each year, consider applications for
4scholarship assistance under this Section. An applicant is
5eligible for a scholarship under this Section if the
6Commission finds that the applicant is:
7        (1) a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen;
8        (2) a resident of Illinois; and
9        (3) enrolled on a full-time basis in a public or
10    private college of optometry located in this State that
11    awards a doctorate degree in optometry and is approved by
12    the Department of Professional Regulation.
13    (c) Each year the Commission shall award 10 scholarships
14under this Section among applicants qualified pursuant to
15subsection (b). Two of these scholarships each shall be
16awarded to eligible applicants enrolled in their first year,
17second year, third year, and fourth year. The remaining 2
18scholarships shall be awarded to any level of student. The
19Commission shall receive funding for the scholarships through
20appropriations from the Optometric Licensing and Disciplinary
21Board Fund. If in any year the number of qualified applicants
22exceeds the number of scholarships to be awarded, the
23Commission shall give priority in awarding scholarships to
24students demonstrating exceptional merit and who are in
25financial need. A scholarship shall be in the amount of $5,000
26each year applicable to tuition and fees.

 

 

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1    (d) The total amount of scholarship assistance awarded by
2the Commission under this Section to an individual in any
3given fiscal year, when added to other financial assistance
4awarded to that individual for that year, shall not exceed the
5cost of attendance at the institution at which the student is
6enrolled.
7    (e) A recipient may receive up to 8 semesters or 12
8quarters of scholarship assistance under this Section.
9    (f) Subject to a separate appropriation made for such
10purposes, payment of any scholarship awarded under this
11Section shall be determined by the Commission. All scholarship
12funds distributed in accordance with this Section shall be
13paid to the institution on behalf of the recipients.
14Scholarship funds are applicable toward 2 semesters or 3
15quarters of enrollment within an academic year.
16    (g) The Commission shall administer the Optometric
17Education Scholarship Program established by this Section and
18shall make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent
19with this Section for its effective implementation.
20    (h) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any
21academic year, each recipient of a scholarship awarded under
22this Section shall be required by the Commission to sign an
23agreement under which the recipient pledges that, within the
24one-year period following the termination of the academic
25program for which the recipient was awarded a scholarship, the
26recipient shall practice in this State as a licensed

 

 

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1optometrist under the Illinois Optometric Practice Act of 1987
2for a period of not less than one year for each year of
3scholarship assistance awarded under this Section. Each
4recipient shall, upon request of the Commission, provide the
5Commission with evidence that the recipient he or she is
6fulfilling or has fulfilled the terms of the practice
7agreement provided for in this subsection.
8    (i) (Blank). If a recipient of a scholarship awarded under
9this Section fails to fulfill the practice obligation set
10forth in subsection (h) of this Section, the Commission shall
11require the recipient to repay the amount of the scholarships
12received, prorated according to the fraction of the obligation
13not completed, plus interest at a rate of 5% and, if
14applicable, reasonable collection fees. The Commission is
15authorized to establish rules relating to its collection
16activities for repayment of scholarships under this Section.
17    (j) (Blank). A recipient of a scholarship awarded by the
18Commission under this Section shall not be in violation of the
19agreement entered into pursuant to subsection (h) if the
20recipient (i) is serving as a member of the armed services of
21the United States; (ii) is enrolled in a residency program
22following graduation at an approved institution; (iii) is a
23person with a temporary total disability, as established by
24sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; or (iii) cannot
25fulfill the employment obligation due to his or her death,
26disability, or incompetency, as established by sworn affidavit

 

 

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1of a qualified physician. No claim for repayment may be filed
2against the estate of such a decedent or incompetent. Any
3extension of the period during which the employment
4requirement must be fulfilled shall be subject to limitations
5of duration as established by the Commission.
6(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)
 
7    (110 ILCS 947/65.110)
8    Sec. 65.110. Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work
9Professional Educator License scholarship.
10    (a) Subject to appropriation, beginning with awards for
11the 2022-2023 academic year, the Commission shall award
12annually up to 250 Post-Master of Social Work School Social
13Work Professional Educator License scholarships to a person
14who:
15        (1) holds a valid Illinois-licensed clinical social
16    work license or social work license;
17        (2) has obtained a master's degree in social work from
18    an approved program;
19        (3) is a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen;
20    and
21        (4) submits an application to the Commission for such
22    scholarship and agrees to take courses to obtain an
23    Illinois Professional Educator License with an endorsement
24    in School Social Work.
25    (b) If an appropriation for this Section for a given

 

 

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1fiscal year is insufficient to provide scholarships to all
2qualified applicants, the Commission shall allocate the
3appropriation in accordance with this subsection (b). If funds
4are insufficient to provide all qualified applicants with a
5scholarship as authorized by this Section, the Commission
6shall allocate the available scholarship funds for that fiscal
7year to qualified applicants who submit a complete application
8on or before a date specified by the Commission, based on the
9following order of priority:
10        (1) firstly, to students who received a scholarship
11    under this Section in the prior academic year and who
12    remain eligible for a scholarship under this Section;
13        (2) secondly, to new, qualified applicants who are
14    members of a racial minority, as defined in subsection
15    (c); and
16        (3) finally, to other new, qualified applicants in
17    accordance with this Section.
18    (c) Scholarships awarded under this Section shall be
19issued pursuant to rules adopted by the Commission. In
20awarding scholarships, the Commission shall give priority to
21those applicants who are members of a racial minority. Racial
22minorities are underrepresented as school social workers in
23elementary and secondary schools in this State, and the
24General Assembly finds that it is in the interest of this State
25to provide them with priority consideration for programs that
26encourage their participation in this field and thereby foster

 

 

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1a profession that is more reflective of the diversity of
2Illinois students and the parents they will serve. A more
3reflective workforce in school social work allows improved
4outcomes for students and a better utilization of services.
5Therefore, the Commission shall give priority to those
6applicants who are members of a racial minority. In this
7subsection (c), "racial minority" means a person who is a
8citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident of
9the United States and who is:
10        (1) Black (a person having origins in any of the black
11    racial groups in Africa);
12        (2) Hispanic (a person of Spanish or Portuguese
13    culture with origins in Mexico, South or Central America,
14    or the Caribbean Islands, regardless of race);
15        (3) Asian American (a person having origins in any of
16    the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the
17    Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands); or
18        (4) American Indian or Alaskan Native (a person having
19    origins in any of the original peoples of North America).
20    (d) Each scholarship shall be applied to the payment of
21tuition and mandatory fees at the University of Illinois,
22Southern Illinois University, Chicago State University,
23Eastern Illinois University, Governors State University,
24Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois University,
25Northern Illinois University, and Western Illinois University.
26Each scholarship may be applied to pay tuition and mandatory

 

 

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1fees required to obtain an Illinois Professional Educator
2License with an endorsement in School Social Work.
3    (e) The Commission shall make tuition and fee payments
4directly to the qualified institution of higher learning that
5the applicant attends.
6    (f) Any person accepting who has accepted a scholarship
7under this Section must sign an agreement pledging (i) that,
8within one year after graduation or termination of enrollment
9in a Post-Master of Social Work Professional Education License
10with an endorsement in School Social Work program, the
11recipient will begin working as a school social worker at a
12public or nonpublic not-for-profit preschool, elementary
13school, or secondary school located in this State for at least
142 of the 5 years immediately following that graduation or
15termination, and (ii) that the recipient shall, upon request
16of the Commission, provide the Commission with evidence that
17the recipient is fulfilling or has fulfilled the terms of the
18work agreement provided for in this subsection. excluding,
19however, from the computation of that 5-year period: (i) any
20time up to 3 years spent in the military service, whether such
21service occurs before or after the person graduates; (ii) the
22time that person is a person with a temporary total disability
23for a period of time not to exceed 3 years, as established by
24the sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; and (iii) the
25time that person is seeking and unable to find full-time
26employment as a school social worker at a State public or

 

 

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1nonpublic not-for-profit preschool, elementary school, or
2secondary school.
3    (g) (Blank). If a recipient of a scholarship under this
4Section fails to fulfill the work obligation set forth in
5subsection (f), the Commission shall require the recipient to
6repay the amount of the scholarships received, prorated
7according to the fraction of the obligation not completed, at
8a rate of interest equal to 5%, and, if applicable, reasonable
9collection fees. The Commission is authorized to establish
10rules relating to its collection activities for repayment of
11scholarships under this Section. All repayments collected
12under this Section shall be forwarded to the State Comptroller
13for deposit into this State's General Revenue Fund.
14    A recipient of a scholarship under this Section is not
15considered to be in violation of the failure to fulfill the
16work obligation under subsection (f) if the recipient (i)
17enrolls on a full-time basis as a graduate student in a course
18of study related to the field of social work at a qualified
19Illinois institution of higher learning; (ii) is serving, not
20in excess of 3 years, as a member of the armed services of the
21United States; (iii) is a person with a temporary total
22disability for a period of time not to exceed 3 years, as
23established by the sworn affidavit of a qualified physician;
24(iv) is seeking and unable to find full-time employment as a
25school social worker at an Illinois public or nonpublic
26not-for-profit preschool, elementary school, or secondary

 

 

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1school that satisfies the criteria set forth in subsection (f)
2and is able to provide evidence of that fact; or (v) becomes a
3person with a permanent total disability, as established by
4the sworn affidavit of a qualified physician.
5(Source: P.A. 102-621, eff. 1-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22;
6102-1030, eff. 5-27-22.)
 
7    (110 ILCS 947/65.120)
8    Sec. 65.120. iGROW Tech Scholarship Program.
9    (a) As used in this Section:
10    "Eligible applicant" means a student who has graduated
11from high school or has received a State of Illinois High
12School Diploma, who has maintained a cumulative grade point
13average of no less than 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, who is pursuing or
14intends to pursue a qualifying degree in a qualified
15institution, and who is entitled to apply for assistance under
16this Section.
17    "Full-time" means the number of credit hours the
18Commission determines is full-time enrollment for a student
19for purposes of the program created under this Section.
20    "Minority student" has the same meaning as the term is
21defined under Section 50 of the Higher Education Student
22Assistance Act (110 ILCS 947).
23    "Program" means the iGROW Tech Scholarship Program created
24under this Section.
25    "Qualifying degree" means an associate or a bachelor's

 

 

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1degree granted by a qualified institution in the field of
2computer information sciences; information technology;
3information science; computer science; computer systems
4networking and telecommunications; computer and information
5systems security or information assurance, including
6cybersecurity; or management information systems.
7    "Qualifying job" means a job with an employer in this
8State performing work that is directly related to the field of
9study that qualified the candidate for assistance under this
10Section.
11    "Qualified student" means a person (i) who is a resident
12of this State; (ii) who, as an eligible applicant, has made a
13timely application for an iGROW tech scholarship under this
14Section; (iii) who is enrolled on at least a half-time basis at
15a qualified institution; (iv) who is enrolled in a course of
16study in the field of computer and information sciences;
17information technology; information science; computer science;
18computer systems networking and telecommunications; computer
19and information systems security or information assurance,
20including cybersecurity; or management information systems;
21(v) who maintains a grade point average of no less than a 2.5
22on a 4.0 scale; and (vi) who continues to advance
23satisfactorily toward the attainment of a degree.
24    "Recipient" means an Illinois resident enrolled in a
25qualified institution who receives an award under this
26Section.

 

 

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1    (b) Subject to appropriation, and no sooner than the
22024-2025 academic year, there is established the Illinois
3Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship
4Program to recruit and train individuals to work in technology
5jobs that have a high demand for new employees and offer high
6wages by awarding scholarships.
7    (c) Each iGROW tech scholarship awarded under this Section
8shall be determined by the Commission in an amount up to and
9including the full costs of tuition and fees and room and board
10of the qualified institution at which the recipient is
11enrolled if the institution is public, or an equivalent rate
12established by the Commission for private institutions. The
13total amount of iGROW tech scholarship assistance awarded by
14the Commission under this Section to an eligible applicant in
15any given fiscal year, when added to other financial
16assistance awarded to that individual for that year, shall not
17exceed the cost of attendance at the institution at which the
18student is enrolled. If the amount of financial assistance to
19be awarded to a qualified student exceeds the cost of
20attendance at the institution at which the student is
21enrolled, the iGROW tech scholarship shall be reduced by an
22amount equal to the amount by which the combined financial
23assistance available to the student exceeds the cost of
24attendance.
25    (d) The maximum number of academic terms for which a
26qualified student can receive iGROW tech scholarship

 

 

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1assistance shall be 8 semesters or 12 quarters.
2    (e) All applications for scholarships awarded under this
3Section shall be made to the Commission on forms which the
4Commission shall provide for eligible applicants. The form of
5applications and the information required to be set forth
6therein shall be determined by the Commission, and the
7Commission shall require eligible applicants to submit with
8their applications such supporting documents or
9recommendations as the Commission deems necessary.
10    (f) Subject to appropriation for such purposes, payment of
11any iGROW tech scholarship awarded under this Section shall be
12determined by the Commission. All scholarship funds
13distributed in accordance with this subsection shall be paid
14to the qualified institution and used only for payment of the
15tuition and fees assessed by the institution and the standard
16housing and food allowance used for all undergraduate students
17by the qualified student in connection with his or her
18attendance at a qualified institution.
19    Any iGROW tech scholarship awarded under this Section
20shall be applicable to 2 semesters or 3 quarters of enrollment
21annually. The qualified institution can only request payment
22for tuition and fees up to the amount of actual tuition and fee
23expenses incurred.
24    If a student withdraws after the expiration of the tuition
25refund or withdrawal adjustment period, the student may
26receive payment for tuition and fees incurred up to the term

 

 

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1award. The housing and food allowance shall be prorated based
2on the qualified institution's return of funds policy.
3    (g) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any
4academic year, each recipient of an iGROW tech scholarship
5awarded under this Section shall be required by the Commission
6to sign an agreement under which the recipient pledges that
7the recipient (i) shall work in the State in a qualified job
8for a period of not less than one year for each year of
9scholarship assistance he or she was awarded under this
10Section; however, in no event shall he or she agree to work in
11the State in a qualified job for a period of less than 2 years;
12and (ii) shall, upon request by the Commission, provide the
13Commission with evidence that he or she is fulfilling or has
14fulfilled the terms of the agreement provided for in this
15subsection.
16    If a recipient of an iGROW tech scholarship awarded under
17this Section fails to fulfill the obligations set forth in
18this subsection, the Commission shall require the recipient to
19repay the amount of the scholarships received, prorated
20according to the fraction of the employment obligation not
21completed, at a rate of interest equal to 5%, and, if
22applicable, reasonable collection fees. The Commission is
23authorized to establish rules relating to its collection
24activities for repayment of scholarships under this Section.
25All repayments collected under this Section shall be forwarded
26to the State Comptroller for deposit into the State's General

 

 

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1Revenue Fund.
2    A recipient of an iGROW tech scholarship shall not be
3considered in violation of the agreement entered into pursuant
4to this subsection if the recipient (I) enrolls on a full-time
5basis as a graduate student in a course of study related to the
6technology degree for which he or she qualified for the iGROW
7tech scholarship at a qualified institution; (II) is serving,
8not in excess of 3 years, as a member of the armed services of
9the United States; (III) is a person with a temporary total
10disability for a period of time not to exceed 3 years as
11established by sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; (IV)
12is seeking and unable to find full-time employment with a
13State employer that satisfies the criteria set forth in this
14subsection and is able to provide evidence of that fact; (V)
15becomes a person with a permanent total disability as
16established by sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; or
17(VI) meets any other criteria that the Commission may deem
18necessary.
19    (h) (Blank.) Scholarship recipients under this Section who
20withdraw from a program of computer science or other related
21major area of study provided under this Section but remain
22enrolled in school to continue their postsecondary studies in
23another academic discipline shall not be required to commence
24repayment of their iGROW tech scholarship so long as they
25remain enrolled in school on a full-time basis or if they can
26document for the Commission special circumstances that warrant

 

 

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1extension of repayment.
2    (i) If the Program does not expend at least 90% of the
3amount appropriated for the Program in a given fiscal year for
43 consecutive fiscal years on or before January 1 in each of
5those fiscal years, then up to 3% of amount appropriated for
6the Program for each of next 3 fiscal years shall be allocated
7to increasing awareness of the program.
8    (j) The Commission shall administer the Program and shall
9make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with this
10Section for its effective implementation.
11    (k) The Commission shall establish a methodology for
12prioritizing applications from applicants who demonstrate a
13financial need or hardship, applications from minority
14students, and applications from applicants demonstrating
15academic excellence. After the first academic year that the
16Program operates, the Commission shall prioritize the
17applications of those applicants who received a scholarship
18under this Section during the prior academic year and who
19remain eligible for a scholarship under this Section.
20    (l) Each fiscal year, the Commission may use up to 5% of
21money appropriated for the Program for administration.
22    (m) Scholarships may be made under this Section through
23the 2029-30 academic year.
24    (n) The Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW)
25Tech Scholarship Fund is created as a special fund in the State
26treasury. Moneys in the fund may come from both public

 

 

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1entities and institutional, organizational, or other private
2entities. All money in the Fund shall be used, subject to
3appropriation, by the Commission to implement and administer
4the Program pursuant to this Section.
5(Source: P.A. 103-519, eff. 1-1-24.)
 
6    Section 10. The Nursing Education Scholarship Law is
7amended by changing Sections 2, 3, 3.1, 4, 6, and 6.5 as
8follows:
 
9    (110 ILCS 975/2)  (from Ch. 144, par. 2752)
10    Sec. 2. Legislative finding and declaration of policy.
11    (a) The General Assembly finds and hereby declares that
12the provision of a higher education leading to an associate
13degree in nursing, an associate degree in applied sciences in
14nursing, a hospital-based diploma in nursing, a baccalaureate
15degree in nursing, a graduate degree in nursing, or a
16certificate in practical nursing for persons of this State who
17desire such an education is important to the health, welfare
18and security of this State and Nation, and consequently is an
19important public purpose. Many qualified and potential nurses
20are deterred by financial considerations from pursuing their
21nursing education, with consequent irreparable loss to the
22State and Nation of talents vital to health, welfare and
23security. A system of scholarships for individuals who plan to
24work in this State as , repayment of which may be excused if the

 

 

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1individual is employed as a registered professional nurse or a
2licensed practical nurse after obtaining an associate degree
3in nursing, associate degree in applied sciences in nursing,
4hospital-based diploma in nursing, baccalaureate degree in
5nursing, graduate degree in nursing, or certificate in
6practical nursing, will enable such individuals to attend
7approved institutions of their choice in the State, public or
8private.
9    (b) The General Assembly finds that there is a critical
10shortage of nursing instructors in this State, and such a
11shortage will only worsen the shortage of available nurses in
12this State and jeopardize the quality of healthcare citizens
13of this State have every right to enjoy. In order to provide
14for the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of this
15State, the General Assembly declares that there is a need for
16an increase in skilled nurse educators in this State.
17(Source: P.A. 96-805, eff. 10-30-09.)
 
18    (110 ILCS 975/3)  (from Ch. 144, par. 2753)
19    Sec. 3. Definitions. The following terms, whenever used or
20referred to, have the following meanings except where the
21context clearly indicates otherwise:
22    (1) "Board" means the Board of Higher Education created by
23the Board of Higher Education Act.
24    (2) "Department" means the Illinois Department of Public
25Health.

 

 

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1    (3) "Approved institution" means a public community
2college, private junior college, hospital-based diploma in
3nursing program, or public or private college or university
4with a pre-licensure nursing education program located in this
5State that has approval by the Department of Financial and
6Professional Regulation for an associate degree in nursing
7program, associate degree in applied sciences in nursing
8program, hospital-based diploma in nursing program,
9baccalaureate degree in nursing program, graduate degree in
10nursing program, or certificate in a practical nursing program
11or a post-licensure nursing education program approved by the
12Board of Higher Education or any successor agency with similar
13authority.
14    (4) "Baccalaureate degree in nursing program" means a
15program offered by an approved institution and leading to a
16bachelor of science degree in nursing.
17    (5) "Enrollment" means the establishment and maintenance
18of an individual's status as a student in an approved
19institution, regardless of the terms used at the institution
20to describe such status.
21    (6) "Academic year" means the period of time from
22September 1 of one year through August 31 of the next year or
23as otherwise defined by the academic institution.
24    (7) "Associate degree in nursing program or hospital-based
25diploma in nursing program" means a program offered by an
26approved institution and leading to an associate degree in

 

 

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1nursing, associate degree in applied sciences in nursing, or
2hospital-based diploma in nursing.
3    (8) "Graduate degree in nursing program" means a program
4offered by an approved institution and leading to a master of
5science degree in nursing or a doctorate of philosophy or
6doctorate of nursing degree in nursing.
7    (9) "Director" means the Director of the Illinois
8Department of Public Health.
9    (10) "Accepted for admission" means a student has
10completed the requirements for entry into an associate degree
11in nursing program, associate degree in applied sciences in
12nursing program, hospital-based diploma in nursing program,
13baccalaureate degree in nursing program, graduate degree in
14nursing program, or certificate in practical nursing program
15at an approved institution, as documented by the institution.
16    (11) "Fees" means those mandatory charges, in addition to
17tuition, that all enrolled students must pay, including
18required course or lab fees.
19    (12) "Full-time student" means a student enrolled for at
20least 12 hours per term or as otherwise determined by the
21academic institution.
22    (13) "Law" means the Nursing Education Scholarship Law.
23    (14) "Nursing employment obligation" means employment in
24this State as a registered professional nurse, licensed
25practical nurse, or advanced practice registered nurse in
26direct patient care for at least one year for each year of

 

 

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1scholarship assistance received through the Nursing Education
2Scholarship Program.
3    (15) "Part-time student" means a person who is enrolled
4for at least one-third of the number of hours required per term
5by a school for its full-time students.
6    (16) "Practical nursing program" means a program offered
7by an approved institution leading to a certificate in
8practical nursing.
9    (17) "Registered professional nurse" means a person who is
10currently licensed as a registered professional nurse by the
11Department of Professional Regulation under the Nurse Practice
12Act.
13    (18) "Licensed practical nurse" means a person who is
14currently licensed as a licensed practical nurse by the
15Department of Professional Regulation under the Nurse Practice
16Act.
17    (19) "School term" means an academic term, such as a
18semester, quarter, trimester, or number of clock hours, as
19defined by an approved institution.
20    (20) "Student in good standing" means a student
21maintaining a cumulative grade point average equivalent to at
22least the academic grade of a "C".
23    (21) (Blank). "Total and permanent disability" means a
24physical or mental impairment, disease, or loss of a permanent
25nature that prevents nursing employment with or without
26reasonable accommodation. Proof of disability shall be a

 

 

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1declaration from the social security administration, Illinois
2Workers' Compensation Commission, Department of Defense, or an
3insurer authorized to transact business in Illinois who is
4providing disability insurance coverage to a contractor.
5    (22) "Tuition" means the established charges of an
6institution of higher learning for instruction at that
7institution.
8    (23) "Nurse educator" means a person who is currently
9licensed as a registered nurse by the Department of
10Professional Regulation under the Nurse Practice Act, who has
11a graduate degree in nursing, and who is employed by an
12approved academic institution to educate registered nursing
13students, licensed practical nursing students, and registered
14nurses pursuing graduate degrees.
15    (24) "Nurse educator employment obligation" means
16employment in this State as a nurse educator for at least 2
17years for each year of scholarship assistance received under
18Section 6.5 of this Law.
19    (25) "Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance
20Commission.
21    Rulemaking authority to implement the provisions of this
22Act is conditioned on the rules being adopted in accordance
23with all provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure
24Act and all rules and procedures of the Joint Committee on
25Administrative Rules; any purported rule not so adopted, for
26whatever reason, is unauthorized.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 102-699, eff. 4-19-22.)
 
2    (110 ILCS 975/3.1)
3    Sec. 3.1. Approved institutions. An approved institution
4must maintain compliance with all applicable State and federal
5laws. An approved institution approved to participate in the
6scholarship program under this Section is not necessarily
7eligible for other programs administered by the Commission and
8is not, in order to participate in the program under this
9Section, required to meet the definition of "institution of
10higher learning", "qualified institution", or "institution" as
11defined in Section 10 of the Higher Education Student
12Assistance Act. The Commission may establish by rule
13additional requirements for approved institutions.
14(Source: P.A. 102-699, eff. 4-19-22.)
 
15    (110 ILCS 975/4)  (from Ch. 144, par. 2754)
16    Sec. 4. Functions of Department. The Department shall
17prepare and supervise the issuance of public information about
18the provisions of this Article; prescribe the form and
19regulate the submission of applications for scholarships;
20determine the eligibility of applicants; award the appropriate
21scholarships; and prescribe the contracts or other
22acknowledgments of scholarship which an applicant is required
23to execute; and determine whether all or any part of a
24recipient's scholarship needs to be monetarily repaid, or has

 

 

HB5482- 54 -LRB103 38559 RJT 68695 b

1been excused from repayment, and the extent of any repayment
2or excused repayment. The Department may require a recipient
3to reimburse the State for expenses, including but not limited
4to attorney's fees, incurred by the Department or other agent
5of the State for a successful legal action against the
6recipient for a breach of any provision of the scholarship
7contract. The Department is authorized to make all necessary
8and proper rules, not inconsistent with this Article, for the
9efficient exercise of the foregoing functions.
10(Source: P.A. 100-872, eff. 8-14-18.)
 
11    (110 ILCS 975/6)  (from Ch. 144, par. 2756)
12    Sec. 6. Nursing requirements for scholarship recipients.
13In accepting a scholarship under this Section, a recipient
14must pledge that (i) within Within 12 months after graduation
15from an associate degree in nursing program, hospital-based
16diploma in nursing program, baccalaureate degree in nursing
17program, graduate degree in nursing program, or certificate in
18practical nursing program, the any recipient will who accepted
19a scholarship under Section 5 shall begin meeting the required
20nursing employment obligation, and (ii) upon request by the
21Commission, the recipient will provide the Commission with
22evidence that the recipient is fulfilling or has fulfilled the
23terms of the agreement provided for in this Section. In order
24to defer his or her continuous employment obligation, a
25recipient must request the deferment in writing from the

 

 

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1Department. A recipient shall notify program staff within 30
2days if he or she spends up to 4 years in military service
3before or after graduation. A recipient shall notify program
4staff within 30 days if he or she is enrolled in an academic
5program leading to a graduate degree in nursing. If a
6recipient receives funding through the Nursing Education
7Scholarship Program for a higher degree, the nursing
8employment obligation shall be deferred until he or she is no
9longer enrolled or has graduated. The recipient must begin
10meeting the required nursing employment obligations no later
11than 6 months after the end of the deferments.
12    Any person who fails to fulfill the nursing employment
13obligation shall pay to the Department an amount equal to the
14amount of scholarship funds received per year for each
15unfulfilled year of the nursing employment obligation,
16together with interest at 7% per year on the unpaid balance.
17Payment must begin within 6 months following the date of the
18occurrence initiating the repayment. All repayments must be
19completed within 6 years from the date of the occurrence
20initiating the repayment. However, this obligation may be
21deferred and re-evaluated every 6 months when the failure to
22fulfill the nursing employment obligation results from
23involuntarily leaving the profession due to a decrease in the
24number of nurses employed in the State or when the failure to
25fulfill the nursing employment obligation results from total
26and permanent disability. The repayment obligation shall be

 

 

HB5482- 56 -LRB103 38559 RJT 68695 b

1excused if the failure to fulfill the nursing employment
2obligation results from the death or adjudication as
3incompetent of the person holding the scholarship. No claim
4for repayment may be filed against the estate of such a
5decedent or incompetent.
6    Each person applying for such a scholarship shall be
7provided with a copy of this Section at the time of application
8for the benefits of such scholarship.
9(Source: P.A. 92-43, eff. 1-1-02; 93-879, eff. 1-1-05.)
 
10    (110 ILCS 975/6.5)
11    Sec. 6.5. Nurse educator scholarships.
12    (a) Beginning with the fall term of the 2009-2010 academic
13year, the Department shall provide scholarships to individuals
14selected from among those applicants who qualify for
15consideration by showing the following:
16        (1) that he or she has been a resident of this State
17    for at least one year prior to application and is a citizen
18    or a lawful permanent resident of the United States;
19        (2) that he or she is enrolled in or accepted for
20    admission to a graduate degree in nursing program at an
21    approved institution; and
22        (3) that he or she agrees to meet the nurse educator
23    employment obligation.
24    (b) If in any year the number of qualified applicants
25exceeds the number of scholarships to be awarded under this

 

 

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1Section, the Department shall, in consultation with the
2Illinois Nursing Workforce Center Advisory Board, consider the
3following factors in granting priority in awarding
4scholarships:
5        (1) Financial need, as shown on a standardized
6    financial needs assessment form used by an approved
7    institution, of students who will pursue their education
8    on a full-time or close to full-time basis and who already
9    have a diploma in nursing and are pursuing a higher
10    degree.
11        (2) A student's status as a registered nurse who is
12    pursuing a graduate degree in nursing to pursue employment
13    in an approved institution that educates licensed
14    practical nurses and that educates registered nurses in
15    undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.
16        (3) A student's merit, as shown through his or her
17    grade point average, class rank, experience as a nurse,
18    including supervisory experience, experience as a nurse in
19    the United States military, and other academic and
20    extracurricular activities.
21    (c) Unless otherwise indicated, scholarships under this
22Section shall be awarded to recipients at approved
23institutions for a period of up to 3 years.
24    (d) In accepting a scholarship under this Section, a
25recipient must pledge that (i) within Within 12 months after
26graduation from a graduate degree in nursing program for nurse

 

 

HB5482- 58 -LRB103 38559 RJT 68695 b

1educators, the any recipient will who accepted a scholarship
2under this Section shall begin meeting the required nurse
3educator employment obligation, and (ii) the recipient will,
4upon request by the Commission, provide the Commission with
5evidence that the recipient is fulfilling or has fulfilled the
6terms of the agreement provided for in this Section. In order
7to defer his or her continuous employment obligation, a
8recipient must request the deferment in writing from the
9Department. A recipient shall receive a deferment if he or she
10notifies the Department, within 30 days after enlisting, that
11he or she is spending up to 4 years in military service. A
12recipient shall receive a deferment if he or she notifies the
13Department, within 30 days after enrolling, that he or she is
14enrolled in an academic program leading to a graduate degree
15in nursing. The recipient must begin meeting the required
16nurse educator employment obligation no later than 6 months
17after the end of the deferment or deferments.
18    Any person who fails to fulfill the nurse educator
19employment obligation shall pay to the Department an amount
20equal to the amount of scholarship funds received per year for
21each unfulfilled year of the nurse educator employment
22obligation, together with interest at 7% per year on the
23unpaid balance. Payment must begin within 6 months following
24the date of the occurrence initiating the repayment. All
25repayments must be completed within 6 years from the date of
26the occurrence initiating the repayment. However, this

 

 

HB5482- 59 -LRB103 38559 RJT 68695 b

1repayment obligation may be deferred and re-evaluated every 6
2months when the failure to fulfill the nurse educator
3employment obligation results from involuntarily leaving the
4profession due to a decrease in the number of nurses employed
5in this State or when the failure to fulfill the nurse educator
6employment obligation results from total and permanent
7disability. The repayment obligation shall be excused if the
8failure to fulfill the nurse educator employment obligation
9results from the death or adjudication as incompetent of the
10person holding the scholarship. No claim for repayment may be
11filed against the estate of such a decedent or incompetent.
12    The Department may allow a nurse educator employment
13obligation fulfillment alternative if the nurse educator
14scholarship recipient is unsuccessful in finding work as a
15nurse educator. The Department shall maintain a database of
16all available nurse educator positions in this State.
17    (e) Each person applying for a scholarship under this
18Section must be provided with a copy of this Section at the
19time of application for the benefits of this scholarship.
20    (f) Rulemaking authority to implement this Act is
21conditioned on the rules being adopted in accordance with all
22provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and
23all rules and procedures of the Joint Committee on
24Administrative Rules; any purported rule not so adopted, for
25whatever reason, is unauthorized.
26(Source: P.A. 102-699, eff. 4-19-22; 102-1030, eff. 5-27-22;

 

 

HB5482- 60 -LRB103 38559 RJT 68695 b

1103-154, eff. 6-30-23.)