HB4205 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB099 12015 NHT 34580 b

99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HB4205

Introduced , by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

110 ILCS 947/65.47 new

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to award grants to applicants who are teachers licensed under the School Code and are employed by a school district within an area designated as a poverty area by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to obtain additional course credit or an additional degree at a public university located in this State. Provides that the amount of the grant shall equal 50% of the tuition and other necessary fees required of the teacher by the public university at which the teacher enrolls. Requires grant recipients to contract with the Commission to teach for an additional 2 years in the school district in which they were employed at the time of application for the grant. Sets forth provisions concerning this commitment.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

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 65.47 as follows:

(110 ILCS 947/65.47 new)

Sec. 65.47. Grants to teachers to further their education.

(a) In this Section, "tuition and other necessary fees" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Section 35 of this Act.

(b) The Commission shall award grants to applicants who are teachers licensed under Article 21B of the School Code and are employed by a school district within an area designated as a poverty area by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to obtain additional course credit or an additional degree at a public university located in this State. The amount of the grant shall equal 50% of the tuition and other necessary fees required of the teacher by the public university at which the teacher enrolls.

(c) Grant recipients under this Section are required to contract with the Commission to teach for an additional 2 years in the school district in which they were employed at the time of application for the grant. Such commitment shall begin upon the completion of the additional course credit or degree for which he or she was awarded a grant and must be completed within 3 years, unless extended by the Commission. A grant recipient must also sign a note, payable to the Commission, for the full amount of benefits awarded to him or her under this Section, with interest as provided in this subsection (c), subject to cancellation as provided in this Section. Completion of one year of the commitment shall operate to cancel 50% of the amount of benefits provided to the grant recipient. The failure of a grant recipient to complete all or part of the commitment shall obligate him or her to proportionately repay the amount of benefits provided, plus 5% interest on that amount.

(d) If a grant recipient under this Section fails to cancel his or her commitment as provided in this Section, the Commission shall cause an appropriate action to be commenced on the note signed by the teacher, unless the failure to cancel the commitment was occasioned by the death or total and permanent disability of the grant recipient.

(e) The Commission may adopt any rules necessary to implement this Section.