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| Public Act 102-0622 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is | ||||
amended by adding Section 65.110 as follows: | ||||
(110 ILCS 947/65.110 new) | ||||
Sec. 65.110. School Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment | ||||
Program. | ||||
(a) To encourage Illinois students to work, and to | ||||
continue to work, as a school social worker in public school | ||||
districts in this State, the Commission shall, each year, | ||||
receive and consider applications for loan repayment | ||||
assistance under this Section. This program shall be known as | ||||
the School Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program. The | ||||
Commission shall administer the program and shall adopt all | ||||
necessary and proper rules to effectively implement the | ||||
program. | ||||
(b) Beginning July 1, 2022, subject to a separate | ||||
appropriation made for such purposes, the Commission shall | ||||
award a grant, up to a maximum of $6,500, to each qualified | ||||
applicant. The Commission may encourage the recipient of a | ||||
grant under this Section to use the grant award for repayment | ||||
of the recipient's educational loan. If an appropriation for | ||||
this program for a given fiscal year is insufficient to | ||
provide grants to all qualified applicants, the Commission | ||
shall allocate the appropriation in accordance with this | ||
subsection. If funds are insufficient to provide all qualified | ||
applicants with a grant as authorized by this Section, the | ||
Commission shall allocate the available grant funds for that | ||
fiscal year to qualified applicants who submit a complete | ||
application on or before a date specified by the Commission, | ||
based on the following order of priority: | ||
(1) first, to new, qualified applicants who are | ||
members of a racial minority as defined in subsection (e); | ||
and | ||
(2) second, to other new, qualified applicants in | ||
accordance with this Section. | ||
(c) A person is a qualified applicant under this Section | ||
if he or she meets all of the following qualifications: | ||
(1) The person is a United States citizen or eligible | ||
noncitizen. | ||
(2) The person is a resident of this State. | ||
(3) The person is a borrower with an outstanding | ||
balance due on an educational loan related to obtaining a | ||
degree in social work. | ||
(4) The person has been employed as a school social | ||
worker by a public elementary school or secondary school | ||
in this State for at least 12 consecutive months. | ||
(5) The person is currently employed as a school | ||
social worker by a public elementary school or secondary | ||
school in this State. | ||
(d) An applicant shall submit an application, in a form | ||
determined by the Commission, for grant assistance under this | ||
Section to the Commission. An applicant is required to submit, | ||
with the application, supporting documentation as the | ||
Commission may deem necessary. | ||
(e) Racial minorities are underrepresented as school | ||
social workers in elementary and secondary schools in | ||
Illinois, and the General Assembly finds that it is in the | ||
interest of this State to provide them priority consideration | ||
for programs that encourage their participation in this field | ||
and thereby foster a profession that is more reflective of the | ||
diversity of Illinois students and parents they will serve. A | ||
more reflective workforce in school social work allows | ||
improved outcomes for students and a better utilization of | ||
services. Therefore, the Commission shall give priority to | ||
those applicants who are members of a racial minority. In this | ||
subsection (e), "racial minority" means a person who is a | ||
citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident | ||
alien of the United States and who is: | ||
(1) Black (a person having origins in any of the black
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racial groups in Africa); | ||
(2) Hispanic (a person of Spanish or Portuguese
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culture with origins in Mexico, South or Central America,
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or the Caribbean Islands, regardless of race); | ||
(3) Asian American (a person having origins in any of
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the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the
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Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands); or | ||
(4) American Indian or Alaskan Native (a person having
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origins in any of the original peoples of North America).
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | ||
2022.
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