Public Act 103-0519
 
HB1378 EnrolledLRB103 04756 RJT 49765 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. This Act may be referred to as the Illinois
Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Law.
 
    Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
Section 5.990 as follows:
 
    (30 ILCS 105/5.990 new)
    Sec. 5.990. The Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce
(iGROW) Tech Scholarship Fund.
 
    Section 10. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
amended by adding Section 65.120 as follows:
 
    (110 ILCS 947/65.120 new)
    Sec. 65.120. IGROW Tech Scholarship Program.
    (a) As used in this Section:
    "Eligible applicant" means a student who has graduated
from high school or has received a State of Illinois High
School Diploma, who has maintained a cumulative grade point
average of no less than 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, who is pursuing or
intends to pursue a qualifying degree in a qualified
institution, and who is entitled to apply for assistance under
this Section.
    "Full-time" means the number of credit hours the
Commission determines is full-time enrollment for a student
for purposes of the program created under this Section.
    "Minority student" has the same meaning as the term is
defined under Section 50 of the Higher Education Student
Assistance Act (110 ILCS 947).
    "Program" means the iGROW Tech Scholarship Program created
under this Section.
    "Qualifying degree" means an associate or a bachelor's
degree granted by a qualified institution in the field of
computer information sciences; information technology;
information science; computer science; computer systems
networking and telecommunications; computer and information
systems security or information assurance, including
cybersecurity; or management information systems.
    "Qualifying job" means a job with an employer in this
State performing work that is directly related to the field of
study that qualified the candidate for assistance under this
Section.
    "Qualified student" means a person (i) who is a resident
of this State; (ii) who, as an eligible applicant, has made a
timely application for an iGROW tech scholarship under this
Section; (iii) who is enrolled on at least a half-time basis at
a qualified institution; (iv) who is enrolled in a course of
study in the field of computer and information sciences;
information technology; information science; computer science;
computer systems networking and telecommunications; computer
and information systems security or information assurance,
including cybersecurity; or management information systems;
(v) who maintains a grade point average of no less than a 2.5
on a 4.0 scale; and (vi) who continues to advance
satisfactorily toward the attainment of a degree.
    "Recipient" means an Illinois resident enrolled in a
qualified institution who receives an award under this
Section.
    (b) Subject to appropriation, and no sooner than the
2024-2025 academic year, there is established the Illinois
Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship
Program to recruit and train individuals to work in technology
jobs that have a high demand for new employees and offer high
wages by awarding scholarships.
    (c) Each iGROW tech scholarship awarded under this Section
shall be determined by the Commission in an amount up to and
including the full costs of tuition and fees and room and board
of the qualified institution at which the recipient is
enrolled if the institution is public, or an equivalent rate
established by the Commission for private institutions. The
total amount of iGROW tech scholarship assistance awarded by
the Commission under this Section to an eligible applicant 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 at which the
student is enrolled. If the amount of financial assistance to
be awarded to a qualified student exceeds the cost of
attendance at the institution at which the student is
enrolled, the iGROW tech scholarship shall be reduced by an
amount equal to the amount by which the combined financial
assistance available to the student exceeds the cost of
attendance.
    (d) The maximum number of academic terms for which a
qualified student can receive iGROW tech scholarship
assistance shall be 8 semesters or 12 quarters.
    (e) All applications for scholarships awarded under this
Section shall be made to the Commission on forms which the
Commission shall provide for eligible applicants. The form of
applications 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 or
recommendations as the Commission deems necessary.
    (f) Subject to appropriation for such purposes, payment of
any iGROW tech scholarship awarded under this Section shall be
determined by the Commission. All scholarship funds
distributed in accordance with this subsection shall be paid
to the qualified institution and used only for payment of the
tuition and fees assessed by the institution and the standard
housing and food allowance used for all undergraduate students
by the qualified student in connection with his or her
attendance at a qualified institution.
    Any iGROW tech scholarship awarded under this Section
shall be applicable to 2 semesters or 3 quarters of enrollment
annually. The qualified institution can only request payment
for tuition and fees up to the amount of actual tuition and fee
expenses incurred.
    If a student withdraws after the expiration of the tuition
refund or withdrawal adjustment period, the student may
receive payment for tuition and fees incurred up to the term
award. The housing and food allowance shall be prorated based
on the qualified institution's return of funds policy.
    (g) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any
academic year, each recipient of an iGROW tech scholarship
awarded under this Section shall be required by the Commission
to sign an agreement under which the recipient pledges that
the recipient (i) shall work in the State in a qualified job
for a period of not less than one year for each year of
scholarship assistance he or she was awarded under this
Section; however, in no event shall he or she agree to work in
the State in a qualified job for a period of less than 2 years;
and (ii) shall, upon request by the Commission, provide the
Commission with evidence that he or she is fulfilling or has
fulfilled the terms of the agreement provided for in this
subsection.
    If a recipient of an iGROW tech scholarship awarded under
this Section fails to fulfill the obligations set forth in
this subsection, the Commission shall require the recipient to
repay the amount of the scholarships received, prorated
according to the fraction of the employment obligation not
completed, at a rate of interest equal to 5%, 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.
All repayments collected under this Section shall be forwarded
to the State Comptroller for deposit into the State's General
Revenue Fund.
    A recipient of an iGROW tech scholarship shall not be
considered in violation of the agreement entered into pursuant
to this subsection if the recipient (I) enrolls on a full-time
basis as a graduate student in a course of study related to the
technology degree for which he or she qualified for the iGROW
tech scholarship at a qualified institution; (II) is serving,
not in excess of 3 years, as a member of the armed services of
the United States; (III) is a person with a temporary total
disability for a period of time not to exceed 3 years as
established by sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; (IV)
is seeking and unable to find full-time employment with a
State employer that satisfies the criteria set forth in this
subsection and is able to provide evidence of that fact; (V)
becomes a person with a permanent total disability as
established by sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; or
(VI) meets any other criteria that the Commission may deem
necessary.
    (h) Scholarship recipients under this Section who withdraw
from a program of computer science or other related major area
of study provided under this Section but remain enrolled in
school to continue their postsecondary studies in another
academic discipline shall not be required to commence
repayment of their iGROW tech scholarship so long as they
remain enrolled in school on a full-time basis or if they can
document for the Commission special circumstances that warrant
extension of repayment.
    (i) If the Program does not expend at least 90% of the
amount appropriated for the Program in a given fiscal year for
3 consecutive fiscal years on or before January 1 in each of
those fiscal years, then up to 3% of amount appropriated for
the Program for each of next 3 fiscal years shall be allocated
to increasing awareness of the program.
    (j) The Commission shall administer the Program and shall
make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with this
Section for its effective implementation.
    (k) The Commission shall establish a methodology for
prioritizing applications from applicants who demonstrate a
financial need or hardship, applications from minority
students, and applications from applicants demonstrating
academic excellence. After the first academic year that the
Program operates, the Commission shall prioritize the
applications of those applicants who received a scholarship
under this Section during the prior academic year and who
remain eligible for a scholarship under this Section.
    (l) Each fiscal year, the Commission may use up to 5% of
money appropriated for the Program for administration.
    (m) Scholarships may be made under this Section through
the 2029-30 academic year.
    (n) The Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW)
Tech Scholarship Fund is created as a special fund in the State
treasury. Moneys in the fund may come from both public
entities and institutional, organizational, or other private
entities. All money in the Fund shall be used, subject to
appropriation, by the Commission to implement and administer
the Program pursuant to this Section.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
1, 2024.

Effective Date: 1/1/2024