Public Act 90-0201 of the 90th General Assembly
Public Act 90-0201
SB660 Enrolled LRB9002433THcd
AN ACT to amend the Higher Education Student Assistance
Act by adding Section 52.
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 52 as follows:
(110 ILCS 947/52 new)
Sec. 52. David A. DeBolt Teacher Shortage Scholarship
Program.
(a) In order to encourage academically talented Illinois
students, especially minority students, to pursue teaching
careers in teacher shortage disciplines, the Commission
shall, each year, receive and consider applications for
scholarship assistance under this Section. An applicant is
eligible for a scholarship under this Section when the
Commission finds that the applicant is:
(1) a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen;
(2) a resident of Illinois;
(3) a high school graduate or a person who has
received a General Educational Development Certificate;
(4) enrolled or accepted for enrollment, on at
least a half-time basis at the sophomore level or above,
at an Illinois institution of higher learning; and
(5) pursuing a postsecondary course of study
leading to initial certification in a teacher shortage
discipline or pursuing additional course work needed to
gain State Board of Education approval to teach in an
approved specialized area in which a teacher shortage
exists.
(b) Recipients shall be selected from among applicants
qualified pursuant to subsection (a) based on a combination
of the following criteria as set forth by the Commission: (1)
academic excellence; (2) status as a minority student as
defined in Section 50; and (3) financial need. Preference
may be given to previous recipients of assistance under this
Section, provided they continue to maintain eligibility and
maintain satisfactory academic progress as determined by the
institution of higher learning at which they enroll.
(c) Each scholarship awarded under this Section shall be
in an amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees and room
and board costs of the Illinois institution of higher
learning at which the recipient is enrolled, up to an annual
maximum of $5,000; except that in the case of a recipient who
does not reside on-campus at the institution of higher
learning at which he or she is enrolled, the amount of the
scholarship shall be sufficient to pay tuition and fee
expenses and a commuter allowance, up to an annual maximum of
$5,000.
(d) The total amount of scholarship assistance awarded
by the Commission under this Section to an individual in any
given fiscal year, when added to other financial assistance
awarded to that individual for that year, shall not exceed
the cost of attendance at the institution of higher learning
at which the student is enrolled.
(e) A recipient may receive up to 8 semesters or 12
quarters of scholarship assistance under this Section.
(f) All applications for scholarship assistance to be
awarded under this Section shall be made to the Commission in
a form as set forth by the Commission. The form of
application and the information required to be set forth
therein shall be determined by the Commission, and the
Commission shall require eligible applicants to submit with
their applications such supporting documents as the
Commission deems necessary.
(g) Subject to a separate appropriation made for such
purposes, payment of any scholarship awarded under this
Section shall be determined by the Commission. All
scholarship funds distributed in accordance with this Section
shall be paid to the institution on behalf of the recipients.
Scholarship funds are applicable toward 2 semesters or 3
quarters of enrollment within an academic year.
(h) The Commission shall administer the David A. DeBolt
Teacher Shortage Scholarship Program established by this
Section and shall make all necessary and proper rules not
inconsistent with this Section for its effective
implementation.
(i) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any
academic year, each recipient of a scholarship awarded under
this Section shall be required by the Commission to sign an
agreement under which the recipient pledges that, within the
5 year period following the termination of the academic
program for which the recipient was awarded a scholarship,
the recipient: (i) shall teach in a teacher shortage
discipline for a period of not less than one year for each
year of scholarship assistance awarded under this Section,
(ii) shall fulfill this teaching obligation at an Illinois
public preschool or elementary or secondary school, and (iii)
shall, upon request of the Commission, provide the Commission
with evidence that he or she is fulfilling or has fulfilled
the terms of the teaching agreement provided for in this
subsection.
(j) If a recipient of a scholarship awarded under this
Section fails to fulfill the teaching obligation set forth in
subsection (i) of this Section, the Commission shall require
the recipient to repay the amount of the scholarships
received, prorated according to the fraction of the teaching
obligation not completed, plus interest at a rate no greater
than the highest rate applicable for educational loans made
pursuant to Title IV, Part B of the Higher Education Act of
1965, as amended, and if applicable, reasonable collection
fees. The Commission is authorized to establish rules
relating to its collection activities for repayment of
scholarships under this Section.
(k) A recipient of a scholarship awarded by the
Commission under this Section shall not be in violation of
the agreement entered into pursuant to subsection (i) if the
recipient (i) enrolls on a full-time basis as a graduate
student in a course of study related to the field of teaching
at an institution of higher learning; (ii) is serving as a
member of the armed services of the United States; (iii) is
temporarily totally disabled, as established by sworn
affidavit of a qualified physician; or (iv) is seeking and
unable to find full-time employment as a teacher at a school
that satisfies the criteria set forth in subsection (i) and
is able to provide evidence of that fact. Any such extension
of the period during which the teaching requirement must be
fulfilled shall be subject to limitations of duration as
established by the Commission.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.