Public Act 094-0205
 		





HB0060 Enrolled
LRB094 04989 RAS 35021 b






    AN ACT concerning education. 

 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
represented in the General Assembly: 


 
    Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is

amended by adding Section 65.27 as follows:


 
    (110 ILCS 947/65.27 new)

    Sec. 65.27. Teach Illinois Scholarship Program.

    (a) For the purposes of this Section:

    "Area of identified staff shortage" means a school district 
in which
the number of teachers is insufficient to meet student 
or school district
demand or a subject area for which the 
number of teachers who are qualified to teach that subject area 
is insufficient to meet student or school district demand, as 
determined by the State Board of
Education.

    "Qualified institution of higher learning" means one of the

universities listed in Section 65.40 of this Act.

    (b) The Commission shall implement and administer a teacher

scholarship program, to be known as the Teach Illinois 
Scholarship
Program.  The Commission shall annually award 
scholarships to persons
preparing to teach in areas of 
identified staff shortages.  These
scholarships shall be 
awarded to individuals who make application to the
Commission 
and who agree to take courses at qualified institutions of

higher learning that will prepare them to teach in areas of 
identified staff
shortages.

    (c) Scholarships awarded under this Section shall be issued

pursuant to rules promulgated by the Commission.

    (d) Each scholarship shall be utilized by its holder for 
the payment
of tuition and non-revenue bond fees at any 
qualified institution of
higher learning.  Such tuition and fees 
shall be available only for courses
that will enable the 
individual to be certified to teach in areas of
identified 
staff shortages.  The Commission shall determine which
courses 
are eligible for tuition payments under this Section.

    (e) The Commission shall make tuition payments directly to 
the
qualified institution of higher learning that the 
individual attends for the
courses prescribed.

    (f) Following the completion of the program of study, the 
individual
must accept employment to teach in an elementary or 
secondary school in
Illinois
in an area of identified staff 
shortage for a period of at least 5
years.  Individuals who fail 
to comply with this provision shall refund all
of the awarded 
scholarships to the Commission, whether payments were
made 
directly to the institutions of higher learning or to the 
individuals,
and this condition shall be agreed to in writing 
by all scholarship
recipients at the time the scholarship is 
awarded.  No individual shall be
required to refund tuition 
payments if his or her failure to obtain
employment as a 
teacher in a school is the result of financial conditions

within school districts.  The rules promulgated as provided in 
this
Section shall contain provisions regarding the waiving and 
deferral of
such payments.

    (g) The Commission, with the cooperation of the State Board 
of
Education, shall assist individuals who have participated in 
the
scholarship program established by this Section in finding 
employment
in areas of identified staff shortages.

    (h) The scholarships under this Section are subject to 
appropriations to the Commission by the General Assembly.