SB0661 EnrolledLRB102 13543 CMG 18890 b

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, beginning with awards for
10the 2022-2023 academic year, the Commission shall award
11annually up to 250 Post-Master of Social Work School Social
12Work Professional Educator License scholarships to a person
13who:
14        (1) holds a valid Illinois-licensed clinical social
15    work license or social work license;
16        (2) has obtained a master's degree in social work from
17    an approved program;
18        (3) is a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen;
19    and
20        (4) submits an application to the Commission for such
21    scholarship and agrees to take courses to obtain an
22    Illinois Professional Educator License with an endorsement
23    in School Social Work.

 

 

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1    (b) If an appropriation for this Section for a given
2fiscal year is insufficient to provide scholarships to all
3qualified applicants, the Commission shall allocate the
4appropriation in accordance with this subsection (b). If funds
5are insufficient to provide all qualified applicants with a
6scholarship as authorized by this Section, the Commission
7shall allocate the available scholarship funds for that fiscal
8year to qualified applicants who submit a complete application
9on or before a date specified by the Commission, based on the
10following order of priority:
11        (1) firstly, to students who received a scholarship
12    under this Section in the prior academic year and who
13    remain eligible for a scholarship under this Section;
14        (2) secondly, to new, qualified applicants who are
15    members of a racial minority, as defined in subsection
16    (c); and
17        (3) finally, to other new, qualified applicants in
18    accordance with this Section.
19    (c) Scholarships awarded under this Section shall be
20issued pursuant to rules adopted by the Commission. In
21awarding scholarships, the Commission shall give priority to
22those applicants who are members of a racial minority. Racial
23minorities are underrepresented as school social workers in
24elementary and secondary schools in this State, and the
25General Assembly finds that it is in the interest of this State
26to provide them with priority consideration for programs that

 

 

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1encourage their participation in this field and thereby foster
2a profession that is more reflective of the diversity of
3Illinois students and the parents they will serve. A more
4reflective workforce in school social work allows improved
5outcomes for students and a better utilization of services.
6Therefore, the Commission shall give priority to those
7applicants who are members of a racial minority. In this
8subsection (c), "racial minority" means a person who is a
9citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident
10alien of the United States and who is:
11        (1) Black (a person having origins in any of the black
12    racial groups in Africa);
13        (2) Hispanic (a person of Spanish or Portuguese
14    culture with origins in Mexico, South or Central America,
15    or the Caribbean Islands, regardless of race);
16        (3) Asian American (a person having origins in any of
17    the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the
18    Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands); or
19        (4) American Indian or Alaskan Native (a person having
20    origins in any of the original peoples of North America).
21    (d) Each scholarship shall be applied to the payment of
22tuition and mandatory fees at the University of Illinois,
23Southern Illinois University, Chicago State University,
24Eastern Illinois University, Governors State University,
25Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois University,
26Northern Illinois University, and Western Illinois University.

 

 

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1Each scholarship may be applied to pay tuition and mandatory
2fees required to obtain an Illinois Professional Educator
3License with an endorsement in School Social Work.
4    (e) The Commission shall make tuition and fee payments
5directly to the qualified institution of higher learning that
6the applicant attends.
7    (f) Any person who has accepted a scholarship under this
8Section must, within one year after graduation or termination
9of enrollment in a Post-Master of Social Work Professional
10Education License with an endorsement in School Social Work
11program, begin working as a school social worker at a public or
12nonpublic not-for-profit preschool, elementary school, or
13secondary school located in this State for at least 2 of the 5
14years immediately following that graduation or termination,
15excluding, however, from the computation of that 5-year
16period: (i) any time up to 3 years spent in the military
17service, whether such service occurs before or after the
18person graduates; (ii) the time that person is a person with a
19temporary total disability for a period of time not to exceed 3
20years, as established by the sworn affidavit of a qualified
21physician; and (iii) the time that person is seeking and
22unable to find full-time employment as a school social worker
23at a State public or nonpublic not-for-profit preschool,
24elementary school, or secondary school.
25    (g) If a recipient of a scholarship under this Section
26fails to fulfill the work obligation set forth in subsection

 

 

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1(f), the Commission shall require the recipient to repay the
2amount of the scholarships received, prorated according to the
3fraction of the obligation not completed, at a rate of
4interest equal to 5%, and, if applicable, reasonable
5collection fees. The Commission is authorized to establish
6rules relating to its collection activities for repayment of
7scholarships under this Section. All repayments collected
8under this Section shall be forwarded to the State Comptroller
9for deposit into this State's General Revenue Fund.
10    A recipient of a scholarship under this Section is not
11considered to be in violation of the failure to fulfill the
12work obligation under subsection (f) if the recipient (i)
13enrolls on a full-time basis as a graduate student in a course
14of study related to the field of social work at a qualified
15Illinois institution of higher learning; (ii) is serving, not
16in excess of 3 years, as a member of the armed services of the
17United States; (iii) is a person with a temporary total
18disability for a period of time not to exceed 3 years, as
19established by the sworn affidavit of a qualified physician;
20(iv) is seeking and unable to find full-time employment as a
21school social worker at an Illinois public or nonpublic
22not-for-profit preschool, elementary school, or secondary
23school that satisfies the criteria set forth in subsection (f)
24and is able to provide evidence of that fact; or (v) becomes a
25person with a permanent total disability, as established by
26the sworn affidavit of a qualified physician.
 

 

 

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1    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
21, 2022.