Section 598.140  Scholarship Repayment

a)         Upon successful completion of all educational requirements at the approved school and all applicable Illinois licensure requirements for the profession, the scholarship recipient shall provide health care services as an allied health care professional in a designated shortage area of Illinois. The term of this service shall be one year for each year he or she is a scholarship recipient. (Section 2003(a)(3) of the Act)

b)         Service as an allied health care professional shall begin no later than 30 calendar days after completion of the allied health training program, or, if licensure is required, 30 calendar days after the issuance of a temporary license by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

c)         The scholarship recipient shall submit a written request to the Department for approval for a proposed practice location.  The Department will provide approval or disapproval, in the form of a letter, to the scholarship recipient.  A letter of approval shall include a description of the terms of the service obligation.

1)         Without the Department's approval, time in practice at this location shall not meet the scholarship recipient's service obligation.

2)         The scholarship recipient may request and receive approval for a practice location up to 18 months preceding the time practice at the location is to begin.

3)         Approval for a practice location is granted for the duration of the scholarship recipient's service obligation.

d)         The scholarship recipient's practice shall meet the following requirements:

1)         Be located in a designated shortage area;

2)         Be a full-time practice providing face-to-face direct patient care; and

3)         Provide continuous service at the rate of 12 months for each academic year of school supported by the scholarship.

e)         Scholarship recipients may relocate to another practice location or practice in more than one location if prior written approval is granted by the Department.

f)         Scholarship recipients shall enter into a written contract with the Department that describes terms of the service obligation and contains provisions for enforcement of the contract.

g)         Scholarship recipients who fail to fulfill the obligation described in the Act and in Section 598.130(c) and (d) shall pay to the Department an amount equal to 3 times the amount of the annual scholarship grant received for each unfulfilled year of the obligation together with interest at 7% per year on that amount. (Section 2005 of the Act) Repayment of the obligation shall be in accordance with the provisions of the recipient's agreement and Section 598.150.

1)         After the Department determines that the scholarship obligation has not been fulfilled and after the Department has satisfied all of the applicable requirements of Section 598.150, the Department and recipient shall enter into a contract for the repayment of the scholarship obligation.

2)         To fulfill the repayment requirements of the Act and this Section, the scholarship recipient shall have 30 calendar days after the conclusion of all applicable requirements of Section 598.150 to enter into a contract with the Department.

3)         Payments shall be made in equal monthly installments in amounts so all sums due shall be paid within a period of time equal to the recipient's service term, or remaining portion thereof, or as otherwise approved by the Department.

4)         Both the scholarship recipient and Department shall enter into a written contract that describes terms of the repayment and contains provisions for enforcement of the contract.

5)         The amounts paid by the recipient to the Department under this Section shall be deposited into the Community Health Center Care Fund and shall be used by the Department to improve access to primary health care services as authorized under Section 2310-200(a) of the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law.

h)         If a scholarship recipient fails to pay monies owed to the Department, the Department shall refer the matter to the Illinois Attorney General, a collection agency, or a licensed attorney for restitution.

(Source:  Amended at 36 Ill. Reg. 2345, effective January 27, 2012)