SB1331ham001 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Rep. Kam Buckner

Filed: 5/30/2025

10400SB1331ham001 LRB104 07500 LNS 26983 a

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1331

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1331 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 5. The Transitions in Education Act is amended by changing Section 130-5 as follows:

(110 ILCS 180/130-5)

Sec. 130-5. Findings; policies.

(a) The General Assembly finds the following:

(1) Teachers are the single most important in-school factor in supporting student outcomes and success; yet, Illinois is suffering from a profound teacher shortage across the State.

(2) To reverse this shortage, Illinois needs to develop and invest in a robust and diverse educator pipeline, addressing any barriers or gaps that limit high quality candidates, particularly candidates of color, from becoming teachers.

(3) Illinois loses many high quality, diverse educator candidates in postsecondary programs due to confusion or lack of course transfer credits and course articulation from Illinois's 2-year to 4-year institutions.

(4) Lack of alignment and transferability of course credits may often force candidates to spend additional time and money to earn a degree or lead to an inability to complete a degree.

(5) In 1993, the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board, and the Transfer Coordinators of Illinois Colleges and Universities brought together faculty from public and independent, associate, and baccalaureate degree-granting institutions across the State to develop the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI).

(6) The goal of IAI is to facilitate the transfer of courses from one participating college or university to another in order to complete a baccalaureate degree.

(7) The Student Transfer Achievement Reform (STAR) Act, as mandated by subsection (b) of Section 25 of the Act, is designed to facilitate transfer among Illinois public institutions, particularly for students with a completed Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science degree.

(8) While Illinois is a leading state for college completion rates for adult learners and transfer students from community colleges, it needs to increase the number of high-quality postsecondary teaching credentials to meet the demands of our schools and education workforce.

(9) With the rising costs of higher education for Illinois students and families, the State needs to ensure to the maximize extent possible that community college courses will transfer with full credit for the student and be accepted at an Illinois public or private institution as they pursue a baccalaureate degree in education.

(10) Illinois can do this by improving transitions all along the education pipeline; for postsecondary education, this means strengthening articulation through stable funding and the expansion of transfer tools, such as Transferology and the IAI through development of an objective measure of transfer and acceptance of credits in education degrees.

(11) The IAI Education Pathway can be modeled off of existing IAI major pathways like Early Childhood Education and Criminal Justice.

(b) The General Assembly encourages the Board of Higher Education, the State Board of Education, and the Illinois Community College Board, as part of the IAI, to do the following:

(1) The Board of Higher Education, the State Board of Education, and the Illinois Community College Board are encouraged to jointly establish a task force for a Major Panel in Education and identify respective recommended major courses that would be accepted as credit toward the education major at the receiving institutions.

(2) As part of the report on the status of the Illinois Articulation Initiative pursuant to Section 25 of the Illinois Articulation Initiative Act, the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board are encouraged to include in the annual report to the General Assembly, the Governor, and the Illinois P-20 Council the progress made on the task force on the Education Major Panel.

(3) The Board of Higher Education, the State Board of Education, and the Illinois Community College Board are encouraged to further promote and encourage the enrollment of minority students into educator preparation programs, such as the annual information session about the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program pursuant to subsection (q) of Section 50 of the Higher Education Student Assistance Act.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

"Section 10. The Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Act is amended by changing Sections 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 11 and by adding Sections 7.5, 8.5, 11.10, and 11.15 as follows:

(110 ILCS 930/2) (from Ch. 144, par. 2302)

Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

"Academic year" means the period of time beginning with the fall term in one calendar year and running through the end of the summer term in the following calendar year.

"Board" means the Board of Higher Education.

"DFI" means the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Program of financial assistance to minorities who are traditionally underrepresented as participants in postsecondary education. The program shall assist successful applicants them in pursuing a graduate or professional degree and shall also assist program graduates to find employment at an Illinois institution of higher education, including a community college, in a faculty or staff position.

"Illinois resident" means any United States citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States who meets at least one of the following requirements:

(1) has earned a degree from an institution of higher education authorized to operate in this State; or

(2) is a registered voter in this State and has lived in this State for a period of at least 3 years prior to applying for a grant under this Act.

The status of Illinois residency of a student at the time of initial matriculation in the DFI shall hold for his or her entire time in his or her graduate or professional study at the DFI institution.

"Institutional representative" means the designated individual who is responsible for coordinating DFI activities at each qualified institution of higher education.

"Program Board" means the entity created to administer the grant program authorized by this Act.

"Qualified institution of higher education" means a qualifying publicly or privately operated educational institution located within Illinois (i) that offers instruction leading toward or prerequisite to an academic or professional degree beyond the baccalaureate degree, excluding theological schools, and (ii) that is authorized to operate in the State of Illinois, and (iii) in which at least 45% of students receive federal Pell Grants, which shall be based on the 3-year average proportion of federal Pell Grant recipients at Illinois public universities using the most recent data available to the Board.

"Racial minority" means a person who is a citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident of the United States and who is any of the following:

(1) American Indian or Alaska Native (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America, including Central America, and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment).

(2) Asian (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, but not limited to, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam).

(3) Black or African American (a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa).

(4) Hispanic or Latino (a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race).

(5) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands).

(Source: P.A. 102-465, eff. 1-1-22; 102-1030, eff. 5-27-22.)

(110 ILCS 930/3) (from Ch. 144, par. 2303)

Sec. 3. Composition of the Program Board. The Program Board shall be comprised of 11 members and shall be appointed by the Board of Higher Education. The Board shall name the chair person of the Program Board. The Program Board shall name the vice chair person of the Program Board and make any necessary subcommittee appointments. Persons appointed to the Program Board shall include, but need not be limited to, individuals who are in leadership positions in public institutions of higher education, including community colleges. Program Board members shall serve 2-year terms and shall continue to serve until a replacement or reappointment is determined. There are no term limits for members of the Program Board. Illinois institutions that grant doctoral degrees must have representation on the Program Board.

The Board shall assure that racial minorities who are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education programs and activities are members of the Program Board.

(Source: P.A. 101-354, eff. 8-9-19.)

(110 ILCS 930/4) (from Ch. 144, par. 2304)

Sec. 4. Responsibilities of the Program Board. The Program Board shall be responsible for:

(a) Establishing policy for administration of the DFI grant program authorized under this Act, including program guidelines for the operation of the DFI and criteria to promote placement of grant recipients.

(b) Creating the application materials, setting application deadlines, reviewing applications, Reviewing and approving applications for participation in the DFI grant program.

(c) Establishing subcommittees or panels as necessary to review applications and promote student placement.

(d) Reporting annually to the Board on program outcomes and results, including lists of new and continuing scholarship award recipients by institution, level, and field of study; lists of recipients retained in the program from the previous year; lists of placements of most recent program graduates; a description of institutional efforts to place program graduates; and a description of policy and administrative actions designed to increase placement of grant recipients.

(e) Disseminating information regarding the DFI to qualified institutions of higher education for distribution.

(f) Prioritizing fields of study for awarding DFI funds annually.

(g) Meeting at least 3 times per year.

(Source: P.A. 93-862, eff. 8-4-04.)

(110 ILCS 930/6) (from Ch. 144, par. 2306)

Sec. 6. DFI grants. A program of financial assistance is established to implement the policy of encouraging minority students to enroll and complete academic programs at the postbaccalaureate level and to enhance the diversity of faculty and staff of Illinois institutions of higher education. The Board of Higher Education shall provide administrative assistance for the Program Board and shall distribute funds appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose in accordance with decisions made by the Program Board.

(Source: P.A. 93-862, eff. 8-4-04.)

(110 ILCS 930/7) (from Ch. 144, par. 2307)

Sec. 7. Eligibility for DFI grants. Institutions of higher education shall verify that student applicants meet the eligibility requirements for DFI grants. An individual is eligible for an award under the provisions of this Act if when the Program Board finds:

(a) that That the individual is an Illinois a resident of this State and a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States;

(b) (blank); That the individual is a member of a racial minority as defined under the terms of this Act;

(c) that That the individual has earned any educational diploma at an institution of education located in this State, or is an Illinois a resident of the State for no less than 3 three years prior to applying for the grant, and the individual holds must hold a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education authorized to operate in this State learning;

(d) that That the individual's financial resources are such that, in the absence of a DFI grant, the individual will be prevented from pursuing a graduate or professional degree at a qualified institution of higher education of his or her choice;

(e) that That the individual has above average academic ability to pursue a graduate or professional degree, as evidenced by the following:

(1) a minimum grade point average of a C+ (2.75 on a grade scale of 4.00 = A) in the last 60 hours of undergraduate work; and

(2) admission to a post-baccalaureate degree program at a qualified institution of higher education; and

(f) that That the individual meets other qualifications, which shall be established by the Program Board; .

(g) that the individual was a federal Pell Grant recipient at any point while earning a baccalaureate degree;

(h) that the individual is admitted as a full-time student, as defined by the institution of higher education, for at least 9 months of the year pursuing a doctoral, master's, or post-baccalaureate professional degree program at a qualified institution of higher education;

(i) that the individual has signed an agreement to meet this Act's employment conditions if a DFI award is accepted; and

(j) in order to maintain eligibility in the DFI and in order to be considered for subsequent DFI grants, that the individual meets the scholastic requirements and eligibility for financial assistance required by the institution of higher education in which he or she is enrolled as a DFI participant.

Grant funds shall be awarded only to those persons pursuing a graduate or professional degree program at a qualified institution of higher education.

The Board shall by rule promulgate, pursuant to the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, precise standards to be used by the Program Board to determine whether a program applicant has above average academic ability to pursue a graduate or professional degree.

(Source: P.A. 102-1030, eff. 5-27-22.)

(110 ILCS 930/7.5 new)

Sec. 7.5. Institution and institutional representative responsibilities.

(a) A DFI institution shall:

(1) be a qualified institution of higher education;

(2) commit to providing leadership, information, and placement opportunities for DFI fellows;

(3) designate an institutional representative; and

(4) recover funds provided to a student who does not meet the conditions of an award under Section 10 of this Act and return the funds to the Board.

(b) A DFI representative shall:

(1) actively recruit students who will be eligible for DFI awards and verify to the Program Board that applicants for DFI financial assistance meet all eligibility requirements;

(2) maintain records for award recipients, including DFI application materials, contracts, and records of award payments;

(3) provide award recipients with academic and support services, such as mentoring, counseling, and other activities that would enhance the chances for degree completion and success in achieving the goals of the DFI;

(4) supervise the payment of awards from funds awarded by the Program Board;

(5) collect, process, and forward to the Program Board, by the announced deadline each spring, all new applications and renewal forms from eligible students; and

(6) assist award recipients who complete their program of study in seeking a full-time teaching or administrative position at an Illinois institution of higher education or a full-time position as an employee of this State in an educational-related capacity; such positions may include, without limitation, administrative positions in State elementary, secondary, or higher education agencies.

(110 ILCS 930/8) (from Ch. 144, par. 2308)

Sec. 8. Application. The Program Board shall design the application for the DFI award and determine the timetable for submission of the application. A student shall apply directly to the qualified institution of higher education that he or she plans to attend. All new applications and renewal forms shall be submitted by the institution of higher education on behalf of the student to the Program Board, with the institution's verification and endorsement.

(Source: P.A. 93-862, eff. 8-4-04.)

(110 ILCS 930/8.5 new)

Sec. 8.5. Determining and administering awards. In determining the recipients of awards, the Program Board shall favor recipients who received awards in previous years and who maintain conditions of eligibility as set forth in Section 7 and have made satisfactory academic progress toward a degree, as determined by each institution of higher education, as long as no student receives assistance for more than 4 years. In administering awards, the Program Board shall:

(1) determine the award amount annually;

(2) direct the Board to deliver the awards to the institution of higher education to disburse to the recipients, conditioned upon the recipients' satisfactory academic progress; and

(3) attempt to achieve distribution of the awards among qualified institutions of higher education so that the awards are distributed equitably within fields of study.

Grant funds shall be distributed by an institution of higher education to grantees during the period of DFI enrollment, not to exceed 12 months per award.

(110 ILCS 930/10) (from Ch. 144, par. 2310)

Sec. 10. Conditions of award.

(a) As used in this Section, "good faith effort" includes actively seeking employment and maintaining contact with the institutional representative and Program Board.

(b) Conditions for acceptance of a DFI award are that the recipient shall agree to do the following:

(1) accept a teaching or nonteaching full-time appointment at an Illinois institution of higher education; or

(2) accept a position as an employee of this State in an administrative, educational-related position, as determined by the Program Board, for the period equal to the number of years that he or she was a participant in the DFI; such positions shall include, without limitation, administrative positions in State elementary, secondary, or higher education agencies; or .

(3) make a good faith effort to secure such a position for a time period of no less than 5 years.

(Source: P.A. 93-862, eff. 8-4-04.)

(110 ILCS 930/11) (from Ch. 144, par. 2311)

Sec. 11. Penalty for failure to fulfill the conditions of a DFI award. If the obligation of the award is not met, repayment of the funds awarded shall may be required according to procedures developed by the Program Board.

(Source: P.A. 93-862, eff. 8-4-04.)

(110 ILCS 930/11.10 new)

Sec. 11.10. Relation to Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act. All grants under this Act are subject to the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act.

(110 ILCS 930/11.15 new)

Sec. 11.15. Applicability. The changes made to this Act by this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly shall first apply beginning with awards made for the 2025-2026 academic year.

(110 ILCS 930/11.5 rep.)

Section 15. The Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Act is amended by repealing Section 11.5.

Section 20. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is amended by changing Section 50 as follows:

(110 ILCS 947/50)

Sec. 50. Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program.

(a) As used in this Section:

"Eligible applicant" means a minority student who has graduated from high school or has received a State of Illinois High School Diploma and has maintained a cumulative grade point average of no less than 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, and who by reason thereof is entitled to apply for scholarships to be awarded under this Section.

"Minority student" means a student who is any of the following:

(1) American Indian or Alaska Native (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America, including Central America, and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment).

(2) Asian (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, but not limited to, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam).

(3) Black or African American (a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa).

(4) Hispanic or Latino (a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race).

(5) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands).

"Qualified bilingual minority applicant" means a qualified student who demonstrates proficiency in a language other than English by (i) receiving a State Seal of Biliteracy from the State Board of Education or (ii) receiving a passing score on an educator licensure target language proficiency test.

"Qualified student" means a student who: person

(i) was enrolled in a public school district in this State, at any point in kindergarten through grade 12, that had an average of least 70% of students who were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch during the most recent 3 school years for which data is available from the State Board of Education;

(ii) was either:

(A) enrolled in a public school district in this State, at any point in kindergarten through grade 12, that had a 3-year average teacher vacancy rate at or above the 3-year statewide average teacher vacancy rate, excluding public school districts that had zero vacancies, in any school year among the most recent 3 school years for which data is available from the State Board of Education; or

(B) enrolled in a public school district in this State, at any point in kindergarten through grade 12, in which the number of teacher vacancies in the district was at or above the statewide average number of teacher vacancies, excluding public school districts that had zero vacancies, in any school year among the most recent 3 school years for which data is available from the State Board of Education;

(iii) has graduated from high school or has received a State of Illinois High School Diploma;

(iv) who is an Illinois a resident of this State and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States; (ii) who is a minority student, as defined in this Section; (iii) who, as an eligible applicant,

(v) has made a timely application for a teacher minority teaching scholarship under this Section;

(vi) (iv) who is enrolled on at least a half-time basis at a qualified Illinois institution of higher learning;

(vii) (v) who is enrolled in a course of study leading to teacher licensure, including alternative teacher licensure, to be a preschool, elementary, or secondary school teacher, or, if the student is already licensed to teach, in a course of study leading to an additional teaching endorsement or a master's degree in an academic field in which he or she is teaching or plans to teach or who has received one or more College and Career Pathway Endorsements pursuant to Section 80 of the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act and commits to enrolling in a course of study leading to teacher licensure, including alternative teacher licensure, to be a preschool, elementary, or secondary school teacher;

(viii) (vi) who maintains a grade point average of no less than 2.5 on a 4.0 scale; and

(ix) (vii) who continues to advance satisfactorily toward the attainment of a degree.

(b) The Commission shall determine, at its discretion, how to verify whether an applicant is a qualified student. The Commission shall award teacher scholarships under this Section to qualified students who demonstrate to the Commission that they satisfy the requirements and purpose of this Section. All qualified students may apply. In order to encourage academically talented Illinois minority students to pursue teaching careers at the preschool or elementary or secondary school level and to address and alleviate the teacher shortage crisis in this State described under the provisions of the Transitions in Education Act, each qualified student shall be awarded a minority teacher scholarship to any qualified Illinois institution of higher learning. However, preference may be given to qualified applicants enrolled at or above the junior level.

(c) The annual teacher scholarship amount shall be computed by the institution. Each minority teacher scholarship awarded under this Section shall be in an amount sufficient to pay the total cost of attendance tuition and fees and room and board costs of the qualified Illinois institution of higher learning at which the recipient is enrolled, up to an annual maximum of $5,000; except that in the case of a recipient who does not reside on-campus at the institution at which he or she is enrolled, the amount of the scholarship shall be sufficient to pay tuition and fee expenses and a commuter allowance, up to an annual maximum of $5,000. However, if at least $2,850,000 is appropriated in a given fiscal year for the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program, then, in each fiscal year thereafter, each scholarship awarded under this Section shall be in an amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees and room and board costs of the qualified Illinois institution of higher learning at which the recipient is enrolled, up to an annual maximum of $7,500; except that in the case of a recipient who does not reside on-campus at the institution at which he or she is enrolled, the amount of the scholarship shall be sufficient to pay tuition and fee expenses and a commuter allowance, up to an annual maximum of $7,500.

(d) The total amount of minority teacher scholarship assistance awarded by the Commission under this Section to an individual in any given fiscal year, when added to other financial assistance awarded to that individual for that year, shall not exceed the total cost of attendance at the institution at which the student is enrolled. If the amount of a minority teacher scholarship to be awarded to a scholarship recipient qualified student as provided in subsection (c) of this Section exceeds the total cost of attendance at the institution at which the student is enrolled, the minority teacher scholarship shall be reduced by an amount equal to the amount by which the combined financial assistance available to the recipient student exceeds the total cost of attendance.

(e) The maximum number of academic terms for which a recipient qualified student can receive minority teacher scholarship assistance shall be 8 semesters or 12 quarters.

(f) In any academic year for which an eligible applicant under this Section accepts financial assistance through the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program, the Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver Program, or the Teach Illinois Scholarship Program, Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program, as authorized by Section 551 et seq. of the Higher Education Act of 1965, the applicant shall not be eligible for scholarship assistance awarded under this Section.

(g) All applications for minority teacher scholarships to be awarded under this Section shall be made to the Commission on forms which the Commission shall provide for eligible applicants. Applicants must submit an application annually. Applicants must also complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. 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. If an application is incomplete, the Commission shall notify the applicant. The applicant shall then have an opportunity to furnish the missing information; however, the application shall be considered for processing only as of the date when the application is complete and received by the Commission. Applicants may be required to furnish the institution at which they are enrolled with a copy of their high school transcripts, any other documentation verifying high school graduation, or a copy of their State of Illinois High School Diploma.

(h) Subject to a separate appropriation for such purposes, payment of any minority teacher 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 institution and used only for payment of the tuition and fee and room and board expenses incurred by the student in connection with his or her attendance at a qualified Illinois institution of higher learning. Any minority teacher scholarship awarded under this Section shall be applicable to 2 semesters or 3 quarters of enrollment within a regular academic year. If a recipient qualified student withdraws from enrollment prior to completion of the first semester or quarter for which the minority teacher scholarship is applicable, the school shall refund to the Commission the full amount of the minority teacher scholarship.

(i) The Commission shall administer the minority teacher scholarship aid program established by this Section and shall make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with this Section for its effective implementation. The Commission shall make information available on its website regarding school districts that meet the criteria set forth in the definition of a qualified student under subsection (a).

(j) When an appropriation to the Commission for a given fiscal year is insufficient to provide scholarships to all qualified students, the Commission shall allocate the appropriation in accordance with this subsection. If funds are insufficient to provide all qualified students with a scholarship as authorized by this Section, the Commission shall allocate the available scholarship funds for that fiscal year to qualified students who submit a timely complete application form on or before a date specified by the Commission based on the following order of priority:

(1) To students who received a scholarship under this Section in the prior academic year and who remain eligible for a minority teacher scholarship under this Section.

(2) To Except as otherwise provided in subsection (k), to students who demonstrate the most financial need, as determined by the Commission.

(3) To students with the earliest date of received completed applications.

(4) To students enrolled at or above the junior level.

(k) Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of subsection (j), at least 35% of the funds appropriated for scholarships awarded under this Section in each fiscal year shall be reserved for qualified male minority applicants, with priority being given to qualified Black male applicants beginning with fiscal year 2023. If the Commission does not receive enough applications from qualified male minorities on or before January 1 of each fiscal year to award 35% of the funds appropriated for these scholarships to qualified male minority applicants, then the Commission may award a portion of the reserved funds to qualified female minority applicants in accordance with subsection (j).

If Beginning with fiscal year 2023, if at least $2,850,000 but less than $4,200,000 is appropriated in a given fiscal year for scholarships awarded under this Section, then at least 10% of the funds appropriated shall be reserved for qualified bilingual minority applicants, with priority being given to qualified bilingual minority applicants who are enrolled in an educator preparation program with a concentration in bilingual, bicultural education. If Beginning with fiscal year 2023, if at least $4,200,000 is appropriated in a given fiscal year for the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program, then at least 30% of the funds appropriated shall be reserved for qualified bilingual minority applicants, with priority being given to qualified bilingual minority applicants who are enrolled in an educator preparation program with a concentration in bilingual, bicultural education. If Beginning with fiscal year 2023, if at least $2,850,000 is appropriated in a given fiscal year for scholarships awarded under this Section but the Commission does not receive enough applications from qualified bilingual minority applicants on or before January 1 of that fiscal year to award at least 10% of the funds appropriated to qualified bilingual minority applicants, then the Commission may, in its discretion, award a portion of the reserved funds to other qualified students in accordance with subsection (j).

(l) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any academic year, each recipient of a minority teacher scholarship awarded under this Section shall be required by the Commission to sign and submit a teaching agreement or promissory note to the Commission an agreement under which the recipient pledges that, within the one-year period following the termination of the program for which the recipient was awarded a minority teacher scholarship, the recipient (i) shall begin teaching for a period of not less than one year for each year of scholarship assistance he or she was awarded under this Section and shall teach on a continuous basis for the required period of time; (ii) shall fulfill this teaching obligation at a nonprofit Illinois public, private, or parochial preschool, elementary school, or secondary school district in this State that had a 3-year average teacher vacancy rate at or above the 3-year statewide average teacher vacancy rate, excluding public school districts that had zero vacancies, in any school year among the most recent 3 school years for which data is available from the State Board of Education or a public school district in this State in which the number of teacher vacancies in the district was at or above the statewide average number of teacher vacancies, excluding public school districts that had zero vacancies, in any school year among the most recent 3 school years for which data is available from the State Board of Education at which no less than 30% of the enrolled students are minority students in the year during which the recipient begins teaching at the school or may instead, if the recipient received a scholarship as a qualified bilingual minority applicant, fulfill this teaching obligation in a program in transitional bilingual education pursuant to Article 14C of the School Code or in a school in which 20 or more English learner students in the same language classification are enrolled; and (iii) shall, upon request by the Commission, provide the Commission with evidence that he or she is fulfilling or has fulfilled the terms of the teaching agreement provided for in this subsection. Recipients of a teacher scholarship under this Section are also required to provide the Commission with evidence of compliance with program requirements, including, but not limited to annual follow-up questionnaires. Recipients of a teacher scholarship under this Section must also promise to use the proceeds of the scholarship for educational expenses.

(l-5) If, prior to the 2025-2026 academic year, an individual received a scholarship under this Section and signed an agreement pledging to teach at a school meeting specified criteria and that individual receives a subsequent scholarship under this Section on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly, then that recipient may complete his or her entire teaching obligation at a school meeting the criteria described in subsection (l) of this Section and the Commission shall consider such employment to satisfy the terms of that recipient's agreement to teach signed before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly.

(m) If a recipient of a minority teacher scholarship awarded under this Section fails to fulfill the teaching obligation set forth in subsection (l) of this Section, the scholarship converts to a loan. The repayment period shall be completed within 10 years after the scholarship converts to a loan.

The 10-year period may be extended if the recipient (i) serves, for not more than 3 years, as a member of the United States Armed Forces; (ii) is temporarily disabled, for not more than 3 years, as established by the sworn affidavit of a licensed physician; (iii) is seeking and unable to find full-time employment, for one continuous period not to exceed 2 years, and is able to provide evidence of that fact; (iv) withdraws from a course of study leading to licensure as a teacher but is enrolled full time in another academic discipline; or (v) is pursuing a graduate course of study and is enrolled on a full-time basis for one continuous period of time not to exceed 3 years. During the time a recipient qualifies for any extensions, the recipient is not required to make payments and interest does not accrue.

The recipient shall enter repayment status on the earliest of the following: the first day of the first calendar month after the recipient has ceased to pursue a course of study leading to licensure as a teacher at the preschool, elementary, or secondary level, but not before 6 months have elapsed after the cessation of at least half-time enrollment in such a course of study; the date the recipient informs the Commission that the recipient does not plan to fulfill the teaching obligation; or the day after the latest date upon which the recipient must have begun teaching after completing the postsecondary education for which the scholarship was awarded.

The the Commission shall require the recipient to repay the amount of the scholarships received, prorated according to the fraction of the teaching obligation not completed, at an annual a rate of interest equal to 5%, and, if applicable, reasonable collection fees. If a recipient who enters into repayment under this subsection (m) subsequently, within 5 years of entering repayment, begins to teach at a school meeting the description under subsection (l) of this Section, the Commission may reduce the amount owed by the recipient in proportion to the amount of the teaching obligation completed. 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 is not required to repay the amount of the scholarship received if the recipient becomes permanently totally disabled, as established by the sworn affidavit of a qualified physician, or if the recipient's representative provides the Commission with a death certificate or other evidence that the recipient has died.

(n) A recipient of a minority teacher scholarship shall not be considered in violation of the agreement entered into pursuant to subsection (l) if the recipient (i) enrolls on a full time basis as a graduate student in a course of study related to the field of teaching at a qualified Illinois institution of higher learning; (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 full-time employment for one continuous period not to exceed 2 years and is unable to find full time employment as a teacher at a an Illinois public, private, or parochial preschool or elementary or secondary school district in this State that satisfies the criteria set forth in subsection (l) of this Section and is able to provide evidence of that fact; (v) becomes a person with a permanent total disability as established by sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; (vi) is taking additional courses, on at least a half-time basis, needed to obtain licensure as a teacher in Illinois; or (vii) is fulfilling teaching requirements associated with other programs administered by the Commission and cannot concurrently fulfill them under this Section in a period of time equal to the length of the teaching obligation.

(o) Scholarship recipients under this Section who withdraw from a program of teacher education but remain enrolled in school to continue their postsecondary studies in another academic discipline shall not be required to commence repayment of their Minority Teachers of Illinois 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.

(o-5) The Commission may not require repayment of any Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship from any recipient who:

(1) received that scholarship during the 2024-2025 academic year;

(2) would have remained eligible for the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship if it remained in effect for the 2025-2026 academic year;

(3) does not meet the definition of a qualified student under the Teachers of Illinois scholarship program established by this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly; and

(4) does not complete the educator preparation program in which the recipient was enrolled when receiving the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship.

(p) The State Board of Education shall furnish all appropriate data referenced within the definition of a qualified student under subsection (a) on a timely basis to the Commission. If the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program does not expend at least 90% of the amount appropriated for the program in a given fiscal year for 3 consecutive fiscal years and the Commission does not receive enough applications from the groups identified in subsection (k) on or before January 1 in each of those fiscal years to meet the percentage reserved for those groups under subsection (k), 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 and for the recruitment of Black male applicants. The Commission shall make a recommendation to the General Assembly by January 1 of the year immediately following the end of that third fiscal year regarding whether the amount allocated to increasing awareness and recruitment should continue.

(q) Each qualified Illinois institution of higher learning that receives funds from the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program shall host an annual information session at the institution about the program for teacher candidates of color in accordance with rules adopted by the Commission. Additionally, the institution shall ensure that each scholarship recipient enrolled at the institution meets with an academic advisor at least once per academic year to facilitate on-time completion of the recipient's educator preparation program. Institutions shall also submit eligibility information for qualified students in sufficient time for the Commission to make award announcements.

Teacher scholarship awards under this Section shall be paid directly to the approved institution of record that certifies to the Commission that the applicant is an eligible recipient. The Commission shall annually establish priority claim dates for the submission of payment requests and inform institutions of the required priority dates. Late payment requests shall result in the delayed processing of payments. Payment requests shall be processed in the sequence of receipt by the Commission and as funds are available. Institutions may submit their payment requests beginning 10 days prior to the start of classes for the term for which payment is being requested.

The Commission shall disburse scholarship funds in 2 or 3 installments, depending on the number of terms financed by the scholarship, except that multiple disbursements are not required in cases in which the applicant's eligibility is not determined until the final term of the regular academic year for which the scholarship is being awarded or if a student is attending only one term and the maximum award does not exceed the student's cost of attendance.

Funds shall be remitted by the Commission to institutions on behalf of recipients. Upon receipt of scholarship funds, the institution shall verify the recipient's enrollment status for the term for which the award was intended. If enrolled, the institution may credit the scholarship funds to the recipient's account for expenses due and payable. The balance of the disbursement shall be released to the recipient. Upon receipt of the scholarship funds, if the recipient has withdrawn from enrollment for the terms for which the award was intended, the institution shall return the amount of the scholarship payment to the Commission.

(r) The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly shall first apply beginning with awards made for the 2025-2026 academic year. The changes made to this Section by Public Act 101-654 will first take effect with awards made for the 2022-2023 academic year.

(Source: P.A. 102-465, eff. 1-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 102-1100, eff. 1-1-23; 103-448, eff. 8-4-23; revised 7-19-24.)

Section 97. Severability. The provisions of this Act are severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.".