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.


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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 65.47 as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 947/65.47 new)
7    Sec. 65.47. Grants to teachers to further their education.
8    (a) In this Section, "tuition and other necessary fees" has
9the meaning ascribed to that term in Section 35 of this Act.
10    (b) The Commission shall award grants to applicants who are
11teachers licensed under Article 21B of the School Code and are
12employed by a school district within an area designated as a
13poverty area by the Department of Commerce and Economic
14Opportunity to obtain additional course credit or an additional
15degree at a public university located in this State. The amount
16of the grant shall equal 50% of the tuition and other necessary
17fees required of the teacher by the public university at which
18the teacher enrolls.
19    (c) Grant recipients under this Section are required to
20contract with the Commission to teach for an additional 2 years
21in the school district in which they were employed at the time
22of application for the grant. Such commitment shall begin upon
23the completion of the additional course credit or degree for

 

 

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1which he or she was awarded a grant and must be completed
2within 3 years, unless extended by the Commission. A grant
3recipient must also sign a note, payable to the Commission, for
4the full amount of benefits awarded to him or her under this
5Section, with interest as provided in this subsection (c),
6subject to cancellation as provided in this Section. Completion
7of one year of the commitment shall operate to cancel 50% of
8the amount of benefits provided to the grant recipient. The
9failure of a grant recipient to complete all or part of the
10commitment shall obligate him or her to proportionately repay
11the amount of benefits provided, plus 5% interest on that
12amount.
13    (d) If a grant recipient under this Section fails to cancel
14his or her commitment as provided in this Section, the
15Commission shall cause an appropriate action to be commenced on
16the note signed by the teacher, unless the failure to cancel
17the commitment was occasioned by the death or total and
18permanent disability of the grant recipient.
19    (e) The Commission may adopt any rules necessary to
20implement this Section.