093_SB0493

 
                                     LRB093 10640 NHT 10948 b

 1        AN ACT concerning higher education student assistance.

 2        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section  5.  The  Higher Education Student Assistance Act
 5    is amended by adding Section 65.27 as follows:

 6        (110 ILCS 947/65.27 new)
 7        Sec. 65.27.  Teach Illinois Scholarship Program.
 8        (a)  For the purposes of this Section:
 9        "Area  of  identified  staff  shortage"  means  a  school
10    district in which the number of teachers is  insufficient  to
11    meet  student or school district demand, as determined by the
12    State Board of Education.
13        "Qualified institution of higher learning" means  one  of
14    the universities listed in Section 65.40 of this Act.
15        (b)  The  Commission  shall  implement  and  administer a
16    teacher  scholarship  program,  to  be  known  as  the  Teach
17    Illinois Scholarship Program.  The Commission shall  annually
18    award  scholarships to persons preparing to teach in areas of
19    identified staff  shortages.   These  scholarships  shall  be
20    issued  to individuals who make application to the Commission
21    and who agree to take courses at  qualified  institutions  of
22    higher  learning  that will prepare them to teach in areas of
23    identified staff shortages.
24        (c)  Scholarships awarded under  this  Section  shall  be
25    issued pursuant to rules promulgated by the Commission.
26        (d)  Each scholarship shall be utilized by its holder for
27    the  payment  of  tuition  and  non-revenue  bond fees at any
28    qualified institution of higher learning.  Such  tuition  and
29    fees shall be available only for courses that will enable the
30    individual  to  be  certified to teach in areas of identified
31    staff  shortages.   The  Commission  shall  determine   which
 
                            -2-      LRB093 10640 NHT 10948 b
 1    courses are eligible for tuition payments under this Section.
 2        (e)  The Commission may make tuition payments directly to
 3    the   qualified  institution  of  higher  learning  that  the
 4    individual attends for the courses  prescribed  or  may  make
 5    payments  to  the  individual.   Any  individual who received
 6    payments and who fails to enroll in  the  courses  prescribed
 7    shall refund the payments to the Commission.
 8        (f)  Following  the  completion  of the program of study,
 9    the  individual  must  accept  employment  to  teach  in   an
10    elementary  or  secondary  school  in  Illinois in an area of
11    identified staff shortage for a period of at least  5  years.
12    Individuals  who  fail  to  comply  with this provision shall
13    refund all of the awarded  scholarships  to  the  Commission,
14    whether  payments  were  made directly to the institutions of
15    higher learning or to the  individuals,  and  this  condition
16    shall  be  agreed to in writing by all scholarship recipients
17    at the time the scholarship is awarded.  No individual  shall
18    be  required to refund tuition payments if his or her failure
19    to obtain employment as a teacher in a school is  the  result
20    of  financial  conditions within school districts.  The rules
21    promulgated  as  provided  in  this  Section  shall   contain
22    provisions   regarding  the  waiving  and  deferral  of  such
23    payments.
24        (g)  The Commission, with the cooperation  of  the  State
25    Board   of  Education,  shall  assist  individuals  who  have
26    participated in the scholarship program established  by  this
27    Section  in  finding  employment in areas of identified staff
28    shortages.
29        (h)  Appropriations for the scholarships outlined in this
30    Section shall be  made  to  the  Commission  by  the  General
31    Assembly.