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90_SB1929
110 ILCS 947/53 new
Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act.
Creates the Direct Service Professions Scholarship Program
under which scholarships based on academic excellence and
financial need may be awarded, from appropriations made for
that purpose, to part-time students at the sophomore level or
above who are pursuing a postsecondary course of study
leading to a degree that will qualify them for full-time
employment in a public service career. Provides that a
student may be enrolled at an Illinois institution of higher
learning on less than a half-time student basis and still
qualify as a part-time student. Provides for renewal of a
scholarship, which may not exceed for any year the lesser of
$2,000 or the recipient's tuition, fees, and commuting
expenses. Adds other related provisions, including a
requirement that the recipient agree that within 5 years
following termination of the recipient's academic program, he
or she will work in full-time public service employment for
at least one year for each year of scholarship assistance
awarded. Effective July 1, 1998.
LRB9011342THpk
LRB9011342THpk
1 AN ACT to amend the Higher Education Student Assistance
2 Act by adding Section 53.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act
6 is amended by adding Section 53 as follows:
7 (110 ILCS 947/53 new)
8 Sec. 53. Direct Service Professions Scholarship Program.
9 (a) In order to encourage academically talented Illinois
10 students, especially part-time students who exhibit financial
11 need but are inelgible for federal or other State financial
12 assistance because of their part-time student status, to
13 pursue careers in public service, the Commission shall, each
14 year, receive and consider applications for scholarship
15 assistance under this Section. An applicant is eligible for
16 a scholarship under this Section when the Commission finds
17 that the applicant is:
18 (1) a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen;
19 (2) a resident of Illinois;
20 (3) a high school graduate or a person who has
21 received a General Educational Development Certificate;
22 (4) enrolled or accepted for enrollment, as a
23 part-time student at the sophomore level or above, at an
24 Illinois institution of higher learning, provided that in
25 order to qualify as a part-time student within the
26 meaning of this Section, the applicant may be enrolled or
27 accepted for enrollment on less than a half-time student
28 basis; and
29 (5) pursuing a postsecondary course of study
30 leading to a degree that, in the judgment of the
31 Commission, will qualify the applicant for full-time
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1 employment in a public service career.
2 (b) Recipients shall be selected from among applicants
3 qualified pursuant to subsection (a) based on a combination
4 of the following criteria as set forth by the Commission:
5 (1) academic excellence; (2) status as a part-time student
6 within the meaning of this Section; and (3) financial need.
7 Preference may be given to previous recipients of assistance
8 under this Section, provided they continue to maintain
9 eligibility and maintain satisfactory academic progress as
10 determined by the institution of higher learning at which
11 they enroll.
12 (c) Each annual scholarship awarded under this Section
13 shall be in an amount sufficient to pay the lesser of (i) the
14 recipient's tuition and fees for attendance at and costs of
15 commuting to and from the Illinois institution of higher
16 learning at which the recipient is enrolled, or (ii) $2,000.
17 (d) All applications for scholarship assistance to be
18 awarded under this Section, including applications for
19 renewal of a scholarship, shall be made to the Commission in
20 a form as set forth by the Commission. The form of
21 application and the information required to be set forth
22 therein shall be determined by the Commission, and the
23 Commission shall require eligible applicants to submit with
24 their applications such supporting documents as the
25 Commission deems necessary.
26 (e) Subject to a separate appropriation made for such
27 purposes, payment of any scholarship awarded under this
28 Section shall be determined by the Commission. All
29 scholarship funds distributed in accordance with this Section
30 shall be paid to the institution on behalf of the recipients.
31 Scholarship funds are applicable toward 2 semesters or 3
32 quarters of enrollment within an academic year.
33 (f) The Commission shall administer the Direct Service
34 Professions Scholarship Program established by this Section
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1 and shall make all necessary and proper rules not
2 inconsistent with this Section for its effective
3 implementation.
4 (g) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any
5 academic year, each recipient of a scholarship awarded under
6 this Section shall be required by the Commission to sign an
7 agreement under which the recipient pledges that, within the
8 5 year period following the termination of the academic
9 program for which the recipient was awarded a scholarship,
10 the recipient: (i) will obtain and remain in full-time
11 public service employment, which meets the criteria that are
12 established by the Commission and made known to the
13 scholarship applicant at the time he or she accepts the
14 scholarship and enters into the written agreement, for a
15 period of not less than one year for each year of scholarship
16 assistance awarded; and (ii) will, upon request of the
17 Commission, provide the Commission with evidence that he or
18 she is fulfilling or has fulfilled the terms of the
19 scholarship agreement provided for in this subsection.
20 (h) If a recipient of a scholarship awarded under this
21 Section fails to fulfill the employment obligation set forth
22 in subsection (g) of this Section, the Commission shall
23 require the recipient to repay the amount of the scholarships
24 received, prorated according to the fraction of the
25 employment obligation not completed. The Commission is
26 authorized to establish rules relating to its collection
27 activities for repayment of scholarships under this Section.
28 (i) A recipient of scholarship awarded by the Commission
29 under this Section shall not be in violation of the agreement
30 entered into pursuant to subsection (g) if the recipient (i)
31 is serving as a member of the armed services of the Unites
32 States; (ii) is temporarily totally disabled, as established
33 by sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; or (iii) is
34 seeking and unable to find full-time public service
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1 employment that satisfies the criteria set forth in
2 subsection (g) and is able to provide evidence of that fact.
3 Any such extension of the period during which the employment
4 requirement must be fulfilled shall be subject to limitations
5 of duration as established by the Commission.
6 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July
7 1, 1998.