103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB2838

 

Introduced 1/19/2024, by Sen. Sally J. Turner

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 947/65.27

    Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that scholarships awarded under the Teach Illinois Scholarship Program may be granted to individuals employed as teachers who agree to pursue a master's degree at a qualified institution of higher learning in order to teach dual credit courses at a secondary school. Provides that for any individual receiving a scholarship to teach dual credit courses, following the completion of the program of study, the individual must teach at least one dual credit course per school year in a secondary school in this State for a period of at least 5 years. Provides that individuals who fail to comply shall refund all of the awarded scholarships to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, whether payments were made directly to the institutions of higher learning or to the individuals, and this condition shall be agreed to in writing by the scholarship recipients at the time the scholarship is awarded. Provides that no individual may be required to refund tuition payments if his or her failure to teach a dual credit course in a secondary school is the result of financial conditions within school districts. Makes conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2025.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB2838LRB103 37788 RJT 67917 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 Section 65.27 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 947/65.27)
7    Sec. 65.27. Teach Illinois Scholarship Program.
8    (a) For the purposes of this Section:
9    "Area of identified staff shortage" means a school
10district in which the number of teachers is insufficient to
11meet student or school district demand or a subject area for
12which the number of teachers who are qualified to teach that
13subject area is insufficient to meet student or school
14district demand, as determined by the State Board of
15Education.
16    "Dual credit course" means a college course taken by a
17high school student for credit at both the college and high
18school level.
19    "Qualified institution of higher learning" means one of
20the universities listed in Section 65.40 of this Act.
21    (b) The Commission shall implement and administer a
22teacher scholarship program, to be known as the Teach Illinois
23Scholarship Program. The Commission shall annually award

 

 

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1scholarships to persons preparing to teach in areas of
2identified staff shortages or to persons employed as teachers
3who are preparing to teach dual credit courses within a
4secondary school. These scholarships shall be awarded to
5individuals who make application to the Commission and who
6agree to take courses at qualified institutions of higher
7learning that will prepare them to teach in areas of
8identified staff shortages or to individuals employed as
9teachers who make application to the Commission and who agree
10to pursue a master's degree at a qualified institution of
11higher learning in order to teach dual credit courses within a
12secondary school.
13    (c) Scholarships awarded under this Section shall be
14issued pursuant to rules promulgated by the Commission.
15    (d) Each scholarship shall be utilized by its holder for
16the payment of tuition and non-revenue bond fees at any
17qualified institution of higher learning. Such tuition and
18fees shall be available only for courses that will enable the
19individual to be licensed certified to teach in areas of
20identified staff shortages or to be able to teach dual credit
21courses. The Commission shall determine which courses are
22eligible for tuition payments under this Section.
23    (e) The Commission shall make tuition payments directly to
24the qualified institution of higher learning that the
25individual attends for the courses prescribed.
26    (f) For any individual receiving a scholarship under this

 

 

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1Section to teach in an area of identified staff shortage,
2following Following the completion of the program of study,
3the individual must accept employment to teach in an
4elementary or secondary school in Illinois in an area of
5identified staff shortage for a period of at least 5 years.
6Individuals who fail to comply with this subsection (f)
7provision shall refund all of the awarded scholarships to the
8Commission, whether payments were made directly to the
9institutions of higher learning or to the individuals, and
10this condition shall be agreed to in writing by such all
11scholarship recipients at the time the scholarship is awarded.
12No individual shall be required to refund tuition payments if
13his or her failure to obtain employment as a teacher in a
14school is the result of financial conditions within school
15districts. The rules promulgated as provided in this Section
16shall contain provisions regarding the waiving and deferral of
17such payments.
18    (f-5) For any individual receiving a scholarship under
19this Section to teach dual credit courses, following the
20completion of the program of study, the individual must teach
21at least one dual credit course per school year in a secondary
22school in this State for a period of at least 5 years.
23Individuals who fail to comply with this subsection (f-5)
24shall refund all of the awarded scholarships to the
25Commission, whether payments were made directly to the
26institutions of higher learning or to the individuals, and

 

 

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1this condition shall be agreed to in writing by such
2scholarship recipients at the time the scholarship is awarded.
3No individual may be required to refund tuition payments if
4his or her failure to teach a dual credit course in a secondary
5school is the result of financial conditions within school
6districts. The rules promulgated as provided in this Section
7shall contain provisions regarding the waiving and deferral of
8such payments.
9    (g) The Commission, with the cooperation of the State
10Board of Education, shall assist individuals who have
11participated in the scholarship program established by this
12Section in finding employment in areas of identified staff
13shortages or in finding dual credit courses in secondary
14schools to teach.
15    (h) The scholarships under this Section are subject to
16appropriations to the Commission by the General Assembly.
17(Source: P.A. 94-205, eff. 1-1-06.)
 
18    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
192025.