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institution, and who is entitled to apply for assistance under |
this Section. |
"Full-time" means the number of credit hours the |
Commission determines is full-time enrollment for a student |
for purposes of the program created under this Section. |
"Minority student" has the same meaning as the term is |
defined under Section 50 of the Higher Education Student |
Assistance Act (110 ILCS 947). |
"Program" means the iGROW Tech Scholarship Program created |
under this Section. |
"Qualifying degree" means an associate or a bachelor's |
degree granted by a qualified institution in the field of |
computer information sciences; information technology; |
information science; computer science; computer systems |
networking and telecommunications; computer and information |
systems security or information assurance, including |
cybersecurity; or management information systems. |
"Qualifying job" means a job with an employer in this |
State performing work that is directly related to the field of |
study that qualified the candidate for assistance under this |
Section. |
"Qualified student" means a person (i) who is a resident |
of this State; (ii) who, as an eligible applicant, has made a |
timely application for an iGROW tech scholarship under this |
Section; (iii) who is enrolled on at least a half-time basis at |
a qualified institution; (iv) who is enrolled in a course of |
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study in the field of computer and information sciences; |
information technology; information science; computer science; |
computer systems networking and telecommunications; computer |
and information systems security or information assurance, |
including cybersecurity; or management information systems; |
(v) who maintains a grade point average of no less than a 2.5 |
on a 4.0 scale; and (vi) who continues to advance |
satisfactorily toward the attainment of a degree. |
"Recipient" means an Illinois resident enrolled in a |
qualified institution who receives an award under this |
Section. |
(b) Subject to appropriation, and no sooner than the |
2024-2025 academic year, there is established the Illinois |
Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship |
Program to recruit and train individuals to work in technology |
jobs that have a high demand for new employees and offer high |
wages by awarding scholarships. |
(c) Each iGROW tech scholarship awarded under this Section |
shall be determined by the Commission in an amount up to and |
including the full costs of tuition and fees and room and board |
of the qualified institution at which the recipient is |
enrolled if the institution is public, or an equivalent rate |
established by the Commission for private institutions. The |
total amount of iGROW tech scholarship assistance awarded by |
the Commission under this Section to an eligible applicant in |
any given fiscal year, when added to other financial |
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assistance awarded to that individual for that year, shall not |
exceed the cost of attendance at the institution at which the |
student is enrolled. If the amount of financial assistance to |
be awarded to a qualified student exceeds the cost of |
attendance at the institution at which the student is |
enrolled, the iGROW tech scholarship shall be reduced by an |
amount equal to the amount by which the combined financial |
assistance available to the student exceeds the cost of |
attendance. |
(d) The maximum number of academic terms for which a |
qualified student can receive iGROW tech scholarship |
assistance shall be 8 semesters or 12 quarters. |
(e) All applications for scholarships awarded under this |
Section shall be made to the Commission on forms which the |
Commission shall provide for eligible applicants. The form of |
applications and the information required to be set forth |
therein shall be determined by the Commission, and the |
Commission shall require eligible applicants to submit with |
their applications such supporting documents or |
recommendations as the Commission deems necessary. |
(f) Subject to appropriation for such purposes, payment of |
any iGROW tech scholarship awarded under this Section shall be |
determined by the Commission. All scholarship funds |
distributed in accordance with this subsection shall be paid |
to the qualified institution and used only for payment of the |
tuition and fees assessed by the institution and the standard |
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housing and food allowance used for all undergraduate students |
by the qualified student in connection with his or her |
attendance at a qualified institution. |
Any iGROW tech scholarship awarded under this Section |
shall be applicable to 2 semesters or 3 quarters of enrollment |
annually. The qualified institution can only request payment |
for tuition and fees up to the amount of actual tuition and fee |
expenses incurred. |
If a student withdraws after the expiration of the tuition |
refund or withdrawal adjustment period, the student may |
receive payment for tuition and fees incurred up to the term |
award. The housing and food allowance shall be prorated based |
on the qualified institution's return of funds policy. |
(g) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any |
academic year, each recipient of an iGROW tech scholarship |
awarded under this Section shall be required by the Commission |
to sign an agreement under which the recipient pledges that |
the recipient (i) shall work in the State in a qualified job |
for a period of not less than one year for each year of |
scholarship assistance he or she was awarded under this |
Section; however, in no event shall he or she agree to work in |
the State in a qualified job for a period of less than 2 years; |
and (ii) shall, upon request by the Commission, provide the |
Commission with evidence that he or she is fulfilling or has |
fulfilled the terms of the agreement provided for in this |
subsection. |
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If a recipient of an iGROW tech scholarship awarded under |
this Section fails to fulfill the obligations set forth in |
this subsection, the Commission shall require the recipient to |
repay the amount of the scholarships received, prorated |
according to the fraction of the employment obligation not |
completed, at a rate of interest equal to 5%, and, if |
applicable, reasonable collection fees. The Commission is |
authorized to establish rules relating to its collection |
activities for repayment of scholarships under this Section. |
All repayments collected under this Section shall be forwarded |
to the State Comptroller for deposit into the State's General |
Revenue Fund. |
A recipient of an iGROW tech scholarship shall not be |
considered in violation of the agreement entered into pursuant |
to this subsection if the recipient (I) enrolls on a full-time |
basis as a graduate student in a course of study related to the |
technology degree for which he or she qualified for the iGROW |
tech scholarship at a qualified institution; (II) is serving, |
not in excess of 3 years, as a member of the armed services of |
the United States; (III) is a person with a temporary total |
disability for a period of time not to exceed 3 years as |
established by sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; (IV) |
is seeking and unable to find full-time employment with a |
State employer that satisfies the criteria set forth in this |
subsection and is able to provide evidence of that fact; (V) |
becomes a person with a permanent total disability as |
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established by sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; or |
(VI) meets any other criteria that the Commission may deem |
necessary. |
(h) Scholarship recipients under this Section who withdraw |
from a program of computer science or other related major area |
of study provided under this Section but remain enrolled in |
school to continue their postsecondary studies in another |
academic discipline shall not be required to commence |
repayment of their iGROW tech scholarship so long as they |
remain enrolled in school on a full-time basis or if they can |
document for the Commission special circumstances that warrant |
extension of repayment. |
(i) If the Program does not expend at least 90% of the |
amount appropriated for the Program in a given fiscal year for |
3 consecutive fiscal years on or before January 1 in each of |
those fiscal years, then up to 3% of amount appropriated for |
the Program for each of next 3 fiscal years shall be allocated |
to increasing awareness of the program. |
(j) The Commission shall administer the Program and shall |
make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with this |
Section for its effective implementation. |
(k) The Commission shall establish a methodology for |
prioritizing applications from applicants who demonstrate a |
financial need or hardship, applications from minority |
students, and applications from applicants demonstrating |
academic excellence. After the first academic year that the |
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Program operates, the Commission shall prioritize the |
applications of those applicants who received a scholarship |
under this Section during the prior academic year and who |
remain eligible for a scholarship under this Section. |
(l) Each fiscal year, the Commission may use up to 5% of |
money appropriated for the Program for administration. |
(m) Scholarships may be made under this Section through |
the 2029-30 academic year. |
(n) The Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) |
Tech Scholarship Fund is created as a special fund in the State |
treasury. Moneys in the fund may come from both public |
entities and institutional, organizational, or other private |
entities. All money in the Fund shall be used, subject to |
appropriation, by the Commission to implement and administer |
the Program pursuant to this Section.
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January |
1, 2024. |