House Sponsors: WIRSING AND BERNS. Senate Sponsors: CRONIN-SHAW-LIGHTFORD Short description: HIGH ED-TEACHER SCHOLARSHIPS Synopsis of Bill as introduced: Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Makes changes to the provisions concerning the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program, including allowing a person enrolled at the freshman level or graduate level to qualify for a scholarship, allowing qualifying students to be enrolled on a half-time basis, and requiring a scholarship recipient to begin teaching within the one-year period following termination of the undergraduate program. Makes changes to the provisions concerning the David A. DeBolt Teacher Shortage Scholarship Program, including changing the name to the ITEACH Teacher Shortage Scholarship Program, allowing a person enrolled at the freshman level to qualify for a scholarship, requiring a scholarship recipient to begin teaching within the one-year period following termination of the academic program, and, for not fulfilling the teaching obligation, changing the interest rate for repayment to 5%. Makes changes to the provisions concerning special education teacher scholarships, including requiring a person to begin teaching within one year after graduation from or termination of enrollment in the teacher education program and not requiring a recipient to repay the amount of scholarship received while enrolled at the freshman level for not fulfilling the teaching requirement. Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code to allow money in the Illinois Future Teacher Corps Scholarship Fund to be appropriated for ITEACH Teacher Shortage Scholarships. Effective July 1, 2003. HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 1. In the provisions concerning Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarships and ITEACH teacher shortage scholarships, restores current law concerning the annual maximum scholarship amount but provides that the scholarship amount for a recipient enrolled at the freshman level may not exceed $5,000. In the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship provisions, allows students to pursue teaching careers at the preschool level and provides that a recipient who withdraws from a teacher education program (instead of the scholarship program) but remains enrolled in school is not required to commence repayment at that time. In the special education teacher scholarship provisions, provides that for a high school student who has not yet graduated, his or her scholastic rank must be in the upper one-half of the class at the end of the sixth (instead of seventh) semester and provides that the scholarship amount for a recipient enrolled at the freshman level may not exceed $5,000. Changes the effective date from July 1, 2003 to January 1, 2003. SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1. Deletes language providing that the Commission may not require a recipient to repay certain scholarship amounts received while enrolled as a freshman. Last action on Bill: PUBLIC ACT.............................. 92-0845 Last action date: AUG-23-2002 Location: House Amendments to Bill: AMENDMENTS ADOPTED: HOUSE - 1 SENATE - 1 END OF INQUIRY Full Text Bill Status