|
|
||||
| Public Act 093-0879 |
||||
| ||||
| ||||
AN ACT concerning education.
| ||||
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| ||||
represented in the General Assembly:
| ||||
Section 5. The Nursing Education Scholarship Law is amended | ||||
by changing Sections 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 as follows:
| ||||
(110 ILCS 975/2) (from Ch. 144, par. 2752)
| ||||
Sec. 2. Legislative finding and declaration of policy. The | ||||
General Assembly finds and hereby declares that the provision | ||||
of a
higher education leading to an associate degree in | ||||
nursing, an
associate
degree in applied sciences in nursing, a | ||||
hospital-based diploma
in nursing, a
baccalaureate degree in | ||||
nursing, a graduate degree in nursing, or a certificate in | ||||
practical nursing for
persons of this State
who desire such an | ||||
education is important to the health, welfare and
security of | ||||
this State and Nation, and consequently is an important public
| ||||
purpose. Many qualified and potential nurses
are deterred by | ||||
financial considerations from pursuing their nursing
| ||||
education, with consequent irreparable loss to the State and | ||||
Nation of
talents vital to health, welfare and security. A | ||||
system of scholarships,
repayment of which may be excused if | ||||
the individual is employed as a
registered professional
nurse | ||||
or a licensed practical nurse after
obtaining an associate | ||||
degree in
nursing, associate degree in applied sciences in | ||||
nursing, hospital-based
diploma in nursing, baccalaureate | ||||
degree in nursing, graduate degree in nursing, or certificate
| ||||
in practical nursing, will enable such individuals
to attend | ||||
approved institutions of their choice in the State,
public or
| ||||
private.
| ||||
(Source: P.A. 92-43, eff. 1-1-02.)
| ||||
(110 ILCS 975/3) (from Ch. 144, par. 2753)
| ||||
Sec. 3. Definitions.
| ||||
The following terms, whenever used or referred to, have the | ||
following
meanings except where the context clearly indicates | ||
otherwise:
| ||
(1) "Board" means the Board of Higher Education created by | ||
the Board
of Higher Education Act.
| ||
(2) "Department" means the Illinois Department of Public | ||
Health.
| ||
(3) "Approved institution" means a public community | ||
college, private
junior college, hospital-based diploma in | ||
nursing
program, or public or private
college or university | ||
located in this State that has approval by the Department of | ||
Professional
Regulation for an associate degree in nursing
| ||
program,
associate degree in applied
sciences in nursing | ||
program, hospital-based diploma in nursing
program,
| ||
baccalaureate degree in nursing program, graduate degree in | ||
nursing program, or
certificate in practical
nursing program.
| ||
(4) "Baccalaureate degree in nursing program" means a | ||
program offered by
an
approved institution and leading to a | ||
bachelor of science degree in nursing.
| ||
(5) "Enrollment" means the establishment and maintenance | ||
of an
individual's status as a student in an approved | ||
institution, regardless of
the terms used at the institution to | ||
describe such status.
| ||
(6) "Academic year" means the period of time from September | ||
1 of one
year through August 31 of the next year or as | ||
otherwise defined by the
academic institution.
| ||
(7) "Associate degree in nursing program or hospital-based | ||
diploma in
nursing program" means a program
offered by an | ||
approved institution and leading to an associate
degree in
| ||
nursing, associate degree in applied sciences in nursing, or
| ||
hospital-based diploma in nursing.
| ||
(8) "Graduate degree in nursing program" means a program | ||
offered by an approved institution and leading to a master of | ||
science degree in nursing or a doctorate of philosophy or | ||
doctorate of nursing degree in nursing.
| ||
(9)
(8) "Director" means the Director of the Illinois | ||
Department of Public
Health.
| ||
(10)
(9) "Accepted for admission" means a student has | ||
completed the
requirements for entry into an associate degree | ||
in nursing program,
associate degree in applied sciences in | ||
nursing program, hospital-based
diploma in nursing program,
| ||
baccalaureate degree in nursing program, graduate degree in | ||
nursing program, or
certificate in practical nursing program at | ||
an approved institution, as
documented by the
institution.
| ||
(11)
(10) "Fees" means those mandatory charges, in addition | ||
to tuition, that
all enrolled students must pay, including | ||
required course or lab fees.
| ||
(12)
(11) "Full-time student" means a student enrolled for | ||
at least 12 hours
per
term or as otherwise determined by the | ||
academic institution.
| ||
(13)
(12) "Law" means the Nursing Education Scholarship | ||
Law.
| ||
(14)
(13) "Nursing employment obligation" means employment | ||
in this State as a
registered
professional
nurse or licensed | ||
practical nurse in direct patient care
or as a nurse educator | ||
in the case of a graduate degree in nursing program recipient | ||
for at least one year for each year of scholarship assistance | ||
received through
the Nursing
Education Scholarship Program.
| ||
(15)
(14) "Part-time student" means a person who is | ||
enrolled for at least
one-third of the number of hours required | ||
per term by a school for its
full-time students.
| ||
(16)
(15) "Practical nursing program" means a program | ||
offered by an approved
institution leading to a certificate in | ||
practical nursing.
| ||
(17)
(16) "Registered professional nurse" means a
person | ||
who is currently licensed as a registered professional nurse
by | ||
the Department of Professional
Regulation under the Nursing and | ||
Advanced Practice Nursing Act.
| ||
(18)
(17) "Licensed practical nurse" means a
person who is | ||
currently licensed as a licensed practical nurse
by the | ||
Department of Professional
Regulation under the Nursing and | ||
Advanced Practice Nursing Act.
| ||
(19)
(18) "School term" means an academic term, such as a | ||
semester, quarter,
trimester, or number of clock hours, as | ||
defined by an approved institution.
| ||
(20)
(19) "Student in good standing" means a student | ||
maintaining a cumulative
grade point average equivalent to at | ||
least the academic grade of a "C".
| ||
(21)
(20) "Total and permanent disability" means a physical | ||
or mental impairment,
disease, or loss of a permanent nature | ||
that prevents nursing employment with or
without reasonable | ||
accommodation. Proof of disability shall be a declaration
from | ||
the social security administration, Illinois Industrial | ||
Commission,
Department of Defense, or an insurer authorized to | ||
transact business in
Illinois who is providing disability | ||
insurance coverage to a contractor.
| ||
(22)
(21) "Tuition" means the established charges of an | ||
institution of higher
learning for instruction at that | ||
institution.
| ||
(23) "Nurse educator" means a person who is currently | ||
licensed as a registered nurse by the Department of | ||
Professional Regulation under the Nursing and Advanced | ||
Practice Nursing Act, who has a graduate degree in nursing, and | ||
who is employed by an approved academic institution to educate | ||
registered nursing students, licensed practical nursing | ||
students, and registered nurses pursuing graduate degrees.
| ||
(Source: P.A. 92-43, eff. 1-1-02.)
| ||
(110 ILCS 975/5) (from Ch. 144, par. 2755)
| ||
Sec. 5. Nursing education undergraduate scholarships. | ||
Beginning with the fall term of the 2004-2005
2002-2003
| ||
academic year, the
Department, in accordance with rules and | ||
regulations promulgated by it for this
program, shall provide | ||
scholarships to individuals selected
from among those | ||
applicants who qualify for consideration by showing:
| ||
(1) that he or she has been a resident of this State | ||
for at least one
year prior to application, and is a | ||
citizen or a lawful permanent resident
alien of the United | ||
States;
| ||
(2) that he or she is enrolled in or accepted for | ||
admission to an associate degree in
nursing program, | ||
hospital-based
diploma in nursing program, baccalaureate | ||
degree
in nursing program, graduate degree in nursing | ||
program, or practical nursing program at an approved
| ||
institution; and
| ||
(3) that he or she agrees to meet the nursing | ||
employment obligation.
| ||
If in any year the number of qualified applicants exceeds | ||
the number of
scholarships to be awarded, the Department shall | ||
give priority in awarding
scholarships: | ||
(A) To
to students in the greatest financial need, | ||
as shown on a
standardized financial needs assessment | ||
form used by an approved
institution who will pursue | ||
their education on a full-time or closest to
full-time
| ||
basis and who already have a certificate in practical | ||
nursing, a diploma
in nursing, or an associate degree | ||
in nursing and are pursuing a higher
degree.
| ||
(B) To registered nurses pursuing a graduate | ||
degree in nursing to pursue employment in an approved | ||
institution that educates licensed practical nurses | ||
and that educates registered nurses in undergraduate | ||
and graduate nursing programs.
| ||
Unless otherwise indicated, scholarships shall be awarded | ||
to
recipients at approved institutions for a period
of up to 2 | ||
years if the recipient is enrolled in an
associate degree in
| ||
nursing
program, up to 3 years if the recipient is enrolled in | ||
a hospital-based
diploma in nursing program, up to 4 years if | ||
the recipient is enrolled in a
baccalaureate degree in nursing | ||
program, up to 5 years if the recipient is enrolled in a | ||
graduate degree in nursing program, and up to one year if the
| ||
recipient is enrolled in a certificate in practical nursing | ||
program. At least
40%
50% of the scholarships awarded shall be | ||
for recipients who are
pursuing baccalaureate degrees in | ||
nursing, 30%
40% of the scholarships
awarded shall be for | ||
recipients who are pursuing associate degrees in
nursing
or a | ||
diploma in nursing, and 10% of the scholarships awarded
shall | ||
be for recipients who are pursuing a certificate in practical | ||
nursing, and 20% of the scholarships awarded shall be for | ||
recipients who are pursuing a graduate degree in nursing.
| ||
(Source: P.A. 92-43, eff. 1-1-02.)
| ||
(110 ILCS 975/6) (from Ch. 144, par. 2756)
| ||
Sec. 6. Nursing requirements for scholarship recipients. | ||
Within 12 months after graduation from an associate degree in
| ||
nursing program, hospital-based diploma in nursing
program,
| ||
baccalaureate degree in nursing program, graduate degree in | ||
nursing program, or
certificate in practical nursing program, | ||
any
recipient who accepted a
scholarship under Section 5 shall | ||
begin meeting the required nursing
employment obligation. In | ||
order to defer his
or her continuous employment obligation, a | ||
recipient must
request the deferment in writing from the | ||
Department.
A recipient shall notify program staff within 30 | ||
days if he or she
spends up to 4 years in military service | ||
before or after graduation. A
recipient shall notify program | ||
staff within 30 days if he or she is enrolled in
an academic
| ||
program leading to a graduate degree in nursing. If a recipient | ||
receives
funding through the Nursing Education Scholarship | ||
Program for a higher degree,
the nursing employment obligation | ||
shall be deferred until he or she is no
longer
enrolled or has | ||
graduated. The recipient must begin meeting the required
| ||
nursing employment obligations no later than 6 months after the | ||
end of the
deferments.
| ||
Any person who fails to fulfill the nursing employment | ||
obligation shall
pay to the Department an amount equal to the | ||
amount of scholarship funds
received per year for each | ||
unfulfilled year of the nursing employment
obligation, | ||
together with interest at 7% per year on the
unpaid balance.
| ||
Payment must begin within 6 months following the date of the | ||
occurrence
initiating the
repayment. All repayments must be | ||
completed within 6 years from the date of
the
occurrence | ||
initiating the repayment. However, this obligation may be
| ||
deferred and re-evaluated every 6 months when the failure to | ||
fulfill the
nursing employment
obligation results
from | ||
involuntarily leaving the profession due to a decrease in the | ||
number
of nurses employed in the State or when the failure to | ||
fulfill the nursing
employment obligation results from total | ||
and permanent disability. The
repayment obligation shall be | ||
excused if the failure to fulfill the nursing
employment | ||
obligation results from the death or adjudication as
| ||
incompetent of the person holding the scholarship. No claim for | ||
repayment
may be filed against the estate of such a decedent or | ||
incompetent.
| ||
Each person applying for such a scholarship shall be | ||
provided with a copy
of this Section at the time of application | ||
for the
benefits of such
scholarship.
| ||
(Source: P.A. 92-43, eff. 1-1-02.)
| ||
(110 ILCS 975/7) (from Ch. 144, par. 2757)
| ||
Sec. 7. Amount of scholarships. To determine a scholarship
| ||
amount, the Department shall consider tuition and fee charges | ||
at
community colleges and universities statewide and projected | ||
living
expenses. Using information provided annually by the | ||
Illinois Student
Assistance Commission, 75% of the weighted | ||
tuition and fees charged by
community colleges in Illinois | ||
shall be added to the uniform living
allowance reported in the | ||
weighted Monetary Award Program (MAP)
budget to determine the | ||
full-time scholarship amount for students
pursuing an | ||
associate degree or diploma in nursing at an Illinois
community | ||
college. Scholarship amounts for students pursuing
associate,
| ||
or baccalaureate, or graduate degrees in nursing at a college | ||
or university shall
include 75% of the
weighted tuition and | ||
fees charged by public universities in Illinois plus
the | ||
uniform living allowance reported in the weighted MAP budget.
| ||
Scholarship amounts for students in practical nursing programs | ||
shall
include 75% of the average of tuition charges at all | ||
practical nursing
programs plus the uniform living allowance | ||
reported in the weighted MAP
budget. The
Department may provide | ||
that scholarships shall be on a quarterly or
semi-annual basis | ||
and shall be contingent upon the student's diligently
pursuing | ||
nursing studies and being a student in good
standing. | ||
Scholarship awards may be provided to part-time students; the
| ||
amount shall be determined by applying the proportion | ||
represented by the
part-time enrollment to full-time | ||
enrollment ratio to the average per-term
scholarship amount for | ||
a student in the same nursing degree category.
| ||
(Source: P.A. 92-43, eff. 1-1-02.)
| ||