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1     AN ACT concerning education.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
5 amended by changing Section 52 as follows:
 
6     (110 ILCS 947/52)
7     Sec. 52. Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program Illinois
8 Future Teacher Corps Program.
9     (a) In order to encourage academically talented Illinois
10 students, especially minority students, to pursue teaching
11 careers, especially in teacher shortage disciplines (which
12 shall be defined to include early childhood education) or at
13 hard-to-staff schools (as defined by the Commission in
14 consultation with the State Board of Education), to provide
15 those students with the crucial mentoring, guidance, and
16 in-service support that will significantly increase the
17 likelihood that they will complete their full teaching
18 commitments and elect to continue teaching in targeted
19 disciplines and hard-to-staff schools, and to ensure that
20 students in this State will continue to have access to a pool
21 of highly qualified teachers, the Commission shall combine the
22 best practices and methods and programmatic functions of the
23 Illinois Future Teacher Corps Program and the Golden Apple

 

 

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1 Foundation for Excellence in Teaching's Golden Apple Scholars
2 of Illinois Program into one program. The consolidated program
3 shall be known as the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program
4 and shall be managed by the Golden Apple Foundation for
5 Excellence in Teaching.
6         (1) This consolidated program shall be fully
7     operational before July 1, 2012. The existing programs, the
8     Illinois Future Teacher Corps Program and the Golden Apple
9     Scholars Program, shall continue to exist and be governed
10     as they have under this Section before the effective date
11     of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly and any
12     associated administrative rules, but shall also begin a
13     transition period commencing on the first day of the 2010
14     fiscal year and ending on the last day of the 2013 fiscal
15     year.
16         (2) During the transition period, the Commission
17     shall, in consultation with the Golden Apple Foundation,
18     establish rules governing the transition period and
19     related fund transfers and to facilitate coordination and
20     implementation of the consolidated program. Eligible
21     students in this State may continue to apply for Illinois
22     Future Teacher Corps scholarships under the current rules
23     governing such applications during the transition period.
24     Fiscal Year 2012 shall be the last year that such
25     scholarships are available.
26         (3) The Commission shall, by March 30, 2010, develop an

 

 

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1     estimate of General Revenue funds that it expects will
2     remain unexpended at the end of FY 2010 from the FY 2010
3     appropriation for the Illinois Future Teacher Corps. No
4     later than April 15, 2010, the Commission shall cause to be
5     transferred funds comprising 85% of this estimated amount
6     to the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching.
7     The Commission shall subsequently transfer funding from
8     the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Program to the Golden
9     Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching on the
10     following schedule and in the following amounts:
11             (A) FY 2011: an amount equal to 58% of the total
12         combined appropriation for the Golden Apple Foundation
13         for Excellence in Teaching and the Illinois Future
14         Teacher Corps Program;
15             (B) FY 2012: an amount equal to 80% of the combined
16         total appropriation for the Golden Apple Foundation
17         for Excellence in Teaching and the Illinois Future
18         Teacher Corps Program;
19             (C) FY 2013: the entire appropriation shall be
20         designated for the Golden Apple Foundation for
21         Excellence in Teaching.
22         (4) Following the consolidation of the 2 programs, at
23     least 30% of Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program
24     scholarships available each year shall be awarded to
25     students residing in counties having a population of less
26     than 500,000.

 

 

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1         (5) Following the consolidation of the 2 programs, the
2     Auditor General shall prepare an annual audit of the
3     operations and finances of the Golden Apple Scholars of
4     Illinois Program. This audit shall be provided to the
5     Governor and the General Assembly.
6     (a-5) The , the Commission shall, each year until Fiscal
7     Year 2011, receive and consider applications for
8     scholarship assistance under this Section. An applicant is
9     eligible for an Illinois Future Teacher Corps a scholarship
10     under this Section when the Commission finds that the
11     applicant is:
12         (1) a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen;
13         (2) a resident of Illinois;
14         (3) a high school graduate or a person who has received
15     a General Educational Development Certificate;
16         (4) enrolled or accepted for enrollment at or above the
17     junior level, on at least a half-time basis, at an Illinois
18     institution of higher learning; and
19         (5) pursuing a postsecondary course of study leading to
20     initial certification or pursuing additional course work
21     needed to gain State Board of Education approval to teach,
22     including alternative teacher certification.
23     (b) Recipients shall be selected from among applicants
24 qualified pursuant to subsection (a) based on a combination of
25 the following criteria as set forth by the Commission until
26 Fiscal Year 2011: (1) academic excellence; (2) status as a

 

 

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1 minority student as defined in Section 50; and (3) financial
2 need. Preference may be given to previous recipients of
3 assistance under this Section, provided they continue to
4 maintain eligibility and maintain satisfactory academic
5 progress as determined by the institution of higher learning at
6 which they enroll.
7     In each year until the consolidation of the 2 programs
8 under subsection (a) of this Section has been completed, to
9 support mentoring, guidance, and in-service support for
10 teaching candidates in order to increase the likelihood that
11 they will complete their full teaching commitments and elect to
12 continue teaching in targeted disciplines and hard-to-staff
13 schools, a minimum of 200 awards shall be allocated to
14 participants in the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois program.
15     (c) Each scholarship awarded under this Section shall be in
16 an amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees and room and
17 board costs of the Illinois institution of higher learning at
18 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
20 reside on-campus at the institution of higher learning at which
21 he or she is enrolled, the amount of the scholarship shall be
22 sufficient to pay tuition and fee expenses and a commuter
23 allowance, up to an annual maximum of $5,000. For recipients
24 who agree to teach in a teacher shortage discipline or at a
25 hard-to-staff school under subsection (i) of this Section, the
26 Commission may, by rule and subject to appropriation, increase

 

 

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1 the annual maximum amount to $10,000. If a recipient agrees to
2 teach in both a teacher shortage discipline and at a
3 hard-to-staff school under subsection (i) of this Section, the
4 Commission may increase the amount of the scholarship awarded
5 by up to an additional $5,000.
6     (d) The total amount of scholarship assistance awarded by
7 the Commission under this Section to an individual in any given
8 fiscal year, when added to other financial assistance awarded
9 to that individual for that year, shall not exceed the cost of
10 attendance at the institution of higher learning at which the
11 student is enrolled.
12     (e) A recipient may receive up to 4 semesters or 6 quarters
13 of scholarship assistance under this Section.
14     (f) All applications for scholarship assistance to be
15 awarded under this Section shall be made to the Commission in a
16 form as set forth by the Commission. The form of application
17 and the information required to be set forth therein shall be
18 determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall require
19 eligible applicants to submit with their applications such
20 supporting documents as the Commission deems necessary.
21 Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, following the
22 completion of the transition of funding of the Illinois Future
23 Teacher Corps to the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in
24 Teaching, all applications for scholarship assistance under
25 this Section shall be in a form determined by the Golden Apple
26 Foundation for Excellence in Teaching.

 

 

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1     (g) Subject to a separate appropriation made for such
2 purposes, payment of any scholarship awarded under this Section
3 shall be determined by the Commission. There shall be a
4 separate appropriation made for scholarships awarded to
5 recipients who agree to teach in a teacher shortage discipline
6 or at a hard-to-staff school under subsection (i) of this
7 Section. The Commission may use for scholarship assistance
8 under this Section (i) all funds appropriated for scholarships
9 under this Section that were formerly known as ITEACH Teacher
10 Shortage Scholarships and (ii) all funds appropriated for
11 scholarships under Section 65.65 of this Act (repealed by this
12 amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly), formerly known as
13 Illinois Future Teacher Corps Scholarships.
14     All scholarship funds distributed in accordance with this
15 Section shall be paid to the institution on behalf of the
16 recipients. Scholarship funds are applicable toward 2
17 semesters or 3 quarters of enrollment within an academic year.
18     (h) The Commission shall administer the scholarship
19 program established by this Section and shall make all
20 necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with this Section
21 for its effective implementation.
22     (i) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any
23 academic year, each recipient of a scholarship awarded under
24 this Section shall be required by the Commission to sign an
25 agreement under which the recipient pledges that, within the
26 one-year period following the termination of the academic

 

 

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1 program for which the recipient was awarded a scholarship, the
2 recipient: (i) shall begin teaching for a period of not less
3 than 5 years, (ii) shall fulfill this teaching obligation at a
4 nonprofit Illinois public, private, or parochial preschool or
5 an Illinois public elementary or secondary school, and (iii)
6 shall, upon request of the Commission, provide the Commission
7 with evidence that he or she is fulfilling or has fulfilled the
8 terms of the teaching agreement provided for in this
9 subsection.
10     (j) If a recipient of a scholarship awarded under this
11 Section fails to fulfill the teaching obligation set forth in
12 subsection (i) of this Section, the Commission shall require
13 the recipient to repay the amount of the scholarships received,
14 prorated according to the fraction of the teaching obligation
15 not completed, plus interest at a rate of 5% and if applicable,
16 reasonable collection fees. The Commission is authorized to
17 establish rules relating to its collection activities for
18 repayment of scholarships under this Section. Payments
19 received by the Commission under this subsection (j) shall be
20 remitted to the State Comptroller for deposit into the General
21 Revenue Fund, except that that portion of a recipient's
22 repayment that equals the amount in expenses that the
23 Commission has reasonably incurred in attempting collection
24 from that recipient shall be remitted to the State Comptroller
25 for deposit into the Commission's Accounts Receivable Fund.
26     (k) A recipient of a scholarship awarded by the Commission

 

 

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1 under this Section shall not be in violation of the agreement
2 entered into pursuant to subsection (i) if the recipient (i)
3 enrolls on a full-time basis as a graduate student in a course
4 of study related to the field of teaching at an institution of
5 higher learning; (ii) is serving as a member of the armed
6 services of the United States; (iii) is temporarily totally
7 disabled, as established by sworn affidavit of a qualified
8 physician; (iv) is seeking and unable to find full-time
9 employment as a teacher at a school that satisfies the criteria
10 set forth in subsection (i) and is able to provide evidence of
11 that fact; (v) is taking additional courses, on at least a
12 half-time basis, needed to obtain certification as a teacher in
13 Illinois; or (vi) is fulfilling teaching requirements
14 associated with other programs administered by the Commission
15 and cannot concurrently fulfill them under this Section in a
16 period of time equal to the length of the teaching obligation.
17 Any such extension of the period during which the teaching
18 requirement must be fulfilled shall be subject to limitations
19 of duration as established by the Commission.
20 (Source: P.A. 94-133, eff. 7-7-05; 95-939, eff. 1-1-09.)
 
21     Section 10. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
22 changing Section 3-648 as follows:
 
23     (625 ILCS 5/3-648)
24     Sec. 3-648. Education license plates.

 

 

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1     (a) The Secretary, upon receipt of an application made in
2 the form prescribed by the Secretary, may issue special
3 registration plates designated as Education license plates.
4 The special plates issued under this Section shall be affixed
5 only to passenger vehicles of the first division and motor
6 vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000
7 pounds. Plates issued under this Section shall expire according
8 to the multi-year procedure established by Section 3-414.1 of
9 this Code.
10     (b) The design and color of the plates shall be determined
11 by a contest that every elementary school pupil in the State of
12 Illinois is eligible to enter. The designs submitted for the
13 contest shall be judged on September 30, 2002, and the winning
14 design shall be selected by a committee composed of the
15 Secretary, the Director of State Police, 2 members of the
16 Senate, one member chosen by the President of the Senate and
17 one member chosen by the Senate Minority Leader, and 2 members
18 of the House of Representatives, one member chosen by the
19 Speaker of the House and one member chosen by the House
20 Minority Leader. The Secretary may allow the plates to be
21 issued as vanity or personalized plates under Section 3-405.1
22 of the Code. The Secretary shall prescribe stickers or decals
23 as provided under Section 3-412 of this Code.
24     (c) An applicant for the special plate shall be charged a
25 $40 fee for original issuance, in addition to the appropriate
26 registration fee. Of this $40 additional original issuance fee,

 

 

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1 $15 shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special
2 License Plate Fund, to be used by the Secretary to help defray
3 the administrative processing costs, and $25 shall be deposited
4 into the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Scholarship Fund. For
5 each registration renewal period, a $40 fee, in addition to the
6 appropriate registration fee, shall be charged. Of this $40
7 additional renewal fee, $2 shall be deposited into the
8 Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund and $38 shall be
9 deposited into the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Scholarship
10 Fund. Each fiscal year, once deposits from the additional
11 original issuance and renewal fees into the Secretary of State
12 Special License Plate Fund have reached $500,000, all the
13 amounts received for the additional fees for the balance of the
14 fiscal year shall be deposited into the Illinois Future Teacher
15 Corps Scholarship Fund.
16     (d) The Illinois Future Teacher Corps Scholarship Fund is
17 created as a special fund in the State treasury. Ninety-five
18 percent of the moneys in the Illinois Future Teacher Corps
19 Scholarship Fund shall be appropriated to the Illinois Student
20 Assistance Commission for scholarships under Section 52 of the
21 Higher Education Student Assistance Act, and 5% of the moneys
22 in the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Scholarship Fund shall be
23 appropriated to the State Board of Education for grants to the
24 Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching, a
25 recognized charitable organization that meets the requirements
26 of Title 26, Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Code.

 

 

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1 Notwithstanding the other provisions of this subsection (d),
2 beginning in the 2010 fiscal year, funds for the Illinois
3 Future Teacher Corps Program and the Golden Apple Foundation
4 for Excellence in Teaching shall be apportioned according to
5 Section 52 of the Higher Education Student Assistance Act.
6 (Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)
 
7     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
8 becoming law.