093_HB0020eng

HB0020 Engrossed                     LRB093 02341 NHT 02349 b

 1        AN ACT to amend the Higher Education  Student  Assistance
 2    Act by adding Section 65.27.

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

 5        Section 5.  The Higher Education Student  Assistance  Act
 6    is amended by adding Section 65.27 as follows:

 7        (110 ILCS 947/65.27 new)
 8        Sec. 65.27.  Teach Illinois Scholarship Program.
 9        (a)  For the purposes of this Section:
10        "Area  of  identified  staff  shortage"  means  a  school
11    district  in  which the number of teachers is insufficient to
12    meet student or school district demand, as determined by  the
13    State Board of Education.
14        "Qualified  institution  of higher learning" means one of
15    the universities listed in Section 65.40 of this Act.
16        (b)  The Commission  shall  implement  and  administer  a
17    teacher  scholarship  program,  to  be  known  as  the  Teach
18    Illinois  Scholarship Program.  The Commission shall annually
19    award scholarships to persons preparing to teach in areas  of
20    identified  staff  shortages.   These  scholarships  shall be
21    issued to individuals who make application to the  Commission
22    and  who  agree  to take courses at qualified institutions of
23    higher learning that will prepare them to teach in  areas  of
24    identified staff shortages.
25        (c)  Scholarships  awarded  under  this  Section shall be
26    issued pursuant to rules promulgated by the Commission.
27        (d)  Each scholarship shall be utilized by its holder for
28    the payment of tuition  and  non-revenue  bond  fees  at  any
29    qualified  institution  of higher learning.  Such tuition and
30    fees shall be available only for courses that will enable the
31    individual to be certified to teach in  areas  of  identified
 
HB0020 Engrossed            -2-      LRB093 02341 NHT 02349 b
 1    staff   shortages.   The  Commission  shall  determine  which
 2    courses are eligible for tuition payments under this Section.
 3        (e)  The Commission may make tuition payments directly to
 4    the  qualified  institution  of  higher  learning  that   the
 5    individual attends for the courses prescribed.
 6        (f)  Following  the  completion  of the program of study,
 7    the  individual  must  accept  employment  to  teach  in   an
 8    elementary  or  secondary  school  in  Illinois in an area of
 9    identified staff shortage for a period of at least  5  years.
10    Individuals  who  fail  to  comply  with this provision shall
11    refund all of the awarded  scholarships  to  the  Commission,
12    whether  payments  were  made directly to the institutions of
13    higher learning or to the  individuals,  and  this  condition
14    shall  be  agreed to in writing by all scholarship recipients
15    at the time the scholarship is awarded.  No individual  shall
16    be  required to refund tuition payments if his or her failure
17    to obtain employment as a teacher in a school is  the  result
18    of  financial  conditions within school districts.  The rules
19    promulgated  as  provided  in  this  Section  shall   contain
20    provisions   regarding  the  waiving  and  deferral  of  such
21    payments.
22        (g)  The Commission, with the cooperation  of  the  State
23    Board   of  Education,  shall  assist  individuals  who  have
24    participated in the scholarship program established  by  this
25    Section  in  finding  employment in areas of identified staff
26    shortages.
27        (h)  Appropriations for the scholarships outlined in this
28    Section shall be  made  to  the  Commission  by  the  General
29    Assembly.