103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB2040

 

Introduced 2/9/2023, by Sen. Cristina H. Pacione-Zayas

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
30 ILCS 105/5.990 new
110 ILCS 947/50

    Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act with respect to the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program. Provides that any money appropriated to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for scholarship awards for a particular academic year that remains unused at the end of that academic year shall be deposited into the Student Teaching Fund. Requires the Commission to establish and administer a student teaching stipend program in which the Commission receives and considers applications for a stipend from scholarship recipients who are student teaching. Subject to appropriation from the Student Teaching Fund, provides that the Commission shall select stipend recipients from among applicants who are in financial need. Provides that the amount and payment of any stipend shall be determined by the Commission, and provides for rulemaking. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Student Teaching Fund as a special fund in the State treasury.


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A BILL FOR

 

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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 State Finance Act is amended by adding
5Section 5.990 as follows:
 
6    (30 ILCS 105/5.990 new)
7    Sec. 5.990. The Student Teaching Fund.
 
8    Section 10. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
9amended by changing Section 50 as follows:
 
10    (110 ILCS 947/50)
11    Sec. 50. Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship
12program.
13    (a) As used in this Section:
14        "Eligible applicant" means a minority student who has
15    graduated from high school or has received a State of
16    Illinois High School Diploma and has maintained a
17    cumulative grade point average of no less than 2.5 on a 4.0
18    scale, and who by reason thereof is entitled to apply for
19    scholarships to be awarded under this Section.
20        "Minority student" means a student who is any of the
21    following:

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1scholarship as authorized by this Section, the Commission
2shall allocate the available scholarship funds for that fiscal
3year to qualified students who submit a complete application
4form on or before a date specified by the Commission based on
5the following order of priority:
6        (1) To students who received a scholarship under this
7    Section in the prior academic year and who remain eligible
8    for a minority teacher scholarship under this Section.
9        (2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (k), to
10    students who demonstrate financial need, as determined by
11    the Commission.
12    (k) Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of subsection (j), at
13least 35% of the funds appropriated for scholarships awarded
14under this Section in each fiscal year shall be reserved for
15qualified male minority applicants, with priority being given
16to qualified Black male applicants beginning with fiscal year
172023. If the Commission does not receive enough applications
18from qualified male minorities on or before January 1 of each
19fiscal year to award 35% of the funds appropriated for these
20scholarships to qualified male minority applicants, then the
21Commission may award a portion of the reserved funds to
22qualified female minority applicants in accordance with
23subsection (j).
24    Beginning with fiscal year 2023, if at least $2,850,000
25but less than $4,200,000 is appropriated in a given fiscal
26year for scholarships awarded under this Section, then at

 

 

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

 

 

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1termination of the program for which the recipient was awarded
2a minority teacher scholarship, the recipient (i) shall begin
3teaching for a period of not less than one year for each year
4of scholarship assistance he or she was awarded under this
5Section; (ii) shall fulfill this teaching obligation at a
6nonprofit Illinois public, private, or parochial preschool,
7elementary school, or secondary school at which no less than
830% of the enrolled students are minority students in the year
9during which the recipient begins teaching at the school or
10may instead, if the recipient received a scholarship as a
11qualified bilingual minority applicant, fulfill this teaching
12obligation in a program in transitional bilingual education
13pursuant to Article 14C of the School Code or in a school in
14which 20 or more English learner students in the same language
15classification are enrolled; and (iii) shall, upon request by
16the Commission, provide the Commission with evidence that he
17or she is fulfilling or has fulfilled the terms of the teaching
18agreement provided for in this subsection.
19    (m) If a recipient of a minority teacher scholarship
20awarded under this Section fails to fulfill the teaching
21obligation set forth in subsection (l) of this Section, the
22Commission shall require the recipient to repay the amount of
23the scholarships received, prorated according to the fraction
24of the teaching obligation not completed, at a rate of
25interest equal to 5%, and, if applicable, reasonable
26collection fees. The Commission is authorized to establish

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1at the institution about the program for teacher candidates of
2color in accordance with rules adopted by the Commission.
3Additionally, the institution shall ensure that each
4scholarship recipient enrolled at the institution meets with
5an academic advisor at least once per academic year to
6facilitate on-time completion of the recipient's educator
7preparation program.
8    (r) The changes made to this Section by Public Act 101-654
9will first take effect with awards made for the 2022-2023
10academic year.
11    (s) The Student Teaching Fund is created as a special fund
12in the State treasury. Any money appropriated to the
13Commission for scholarship awards under this Section for a
14particular academic year that remains unused at the end of
15that academic year shall be deposited into the Student
16Teaching Fund. All money in the Student Teaching Fund shall be
17used, subject to appropriation, by the Commission for the
18purposes of this subsection (s).
19    The Commission shall establish and administer a student
20teaching stipend program. Under the program, the Commission
21shall receive and consider applications for a stipend from
22recipients of scholarships under this Section who are student
23teaching. Subject to appropriation from the Student Teaching
24Fund, the Commission shall select stipend recipients from
25among applicants who are in financial need. All applications
26for stipends under this subsection (s) shall be made to the

 

 

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1Commission in a form as set forth by the Commission. The form
2of application and the information required to be set forth in
3the application shall be determined by the Commission, and the
4Commission shall require applicants to submit with their
5applications such supporting documents as the Commission deems
6necessary.
7    The amount and payment of any stipend under this
8subsection (s) shall be determined by the Commission, and the
9Commission shall make all necessary and proper rules not
10inconsistent with this subsection (s) for its effective
11implementation.
12(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21; 102-465, eff. 1-1-22;
13102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 102-1100, eff. 1-1-23.)