102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB0661

 

Introduced 2/24/2021, by Sen. Ann Gillespie

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 947/65.110 new

    Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Allows the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to award Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License scholarships to an individual who has a valid Illinois-licensed clinical social work license or social work license and a Master of Social Work degree for the purpose of obtaining a Professional Educator License with an endorsement in social work. Sets forth various terms and conditions of the scholarship, including that a recipient of the scholarship must work at a public or nonpublic not-for-profit preschool, elementary school, or secondary school located in this State for at least 2 of the 5 years immediately following the recipient's graduation or termination of studies. Effective January 1, 2022.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
5amended by adding Section 65.110 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 947/65.110 new)
7    Sec. 65.110. Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work
8Professional Educator License scholarship.
9    (a) Subject to appropriation, the Commission shall award
10annually up to 250 Post-Master of Social Work School Social
11Work Professional Educator License scholarships to a person
12who:
13        (1) holds a valid Illinois-licensed clinical social
14    work license or social work license;
15        (2) has obtained a master's degree in social work from
16    an approved program;
17        (3) is a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen;
18    and
19        (4) submits an application to the Commission for such
20    scholarship and agrees to take courses to obtain an
21    Illinois Professional Educator License with an endorsement
22    in School Social Work.
23    (b) Scholarships awarded under this Section shall be

 

 

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1issued pursuant to rules adopted by the Commission, if no rule
2adopted by the State Board of Education prior to the effective
3date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly,
4pursuant to the exercise of any right, power, duty,
5responsibility, or matter of pending business transferred from
6the State Board of Education to the Commission under this
7Section, shall be affected thereby, and all such rules shall
8become the rules of the Commission until modified or changed
9by the Commission in accordance with law. In awarding the
10scholarship, the Commission shall give priority to those
11applicants who are members of underrepresented communities in
12the school social work field in Illinois.
13    (c) Each scholarship shall be applied to the payment of
14tuition at the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois
15University, Chicago State University, Eastern Illinois
16University, Governors State University, Illinois State
17University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northern
18Illinois University, and Western Illinois University. Tuition
19payments shall be applied only to courses that are required to
20obtain an Illinois Professional Educator License with an
21endorsement in School Social Work. The Commission, in
22consultation with the State Board of Education, shall
23determine the courses eligible for tuition payments under this
24Section.
25    (d) The Commission shall make tuition payments directly to
26the qualified institution of higher learning which the

 

 

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1applicant attends for the courses prescribed or may make
2payments to the applicant. Any applicant who receives payments
3and who fails to enroll in the courses prescribed shall refund
4the payments to the Commission.
5    (e) Any person who has accepted a scholarship under this
6Section must, within one year after graduation or termination
7of enrollment in a Post-Master of Social Work Professional
8Education License with an endorsement in School Social Work
9program, begin working at a public or nonpublic not-for-profit
10preschool, elementary school, or secondary school located in
11this State for at least 2 of the 5 years immediately following
12that graduation or termination, excluding, however, from the
13computation of that 5-year period: (i) any time up to 3 years
14spent in the military service, whether such service occurs
15before or after the person graduates; (ii) the time that
16person is a person with a temporary total disability for a
17period of time not to exceed 3 years, as established by the
18sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; and (iii) the time
19that person is seeking and unable to find full-time employment
20as a school social worker at a State public, private, or
21parochial school.
 
22    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
231, 2022.