Section 3035.370  Conditions of Scholarship Program Grants

a)         The applicants must submit proof of acceptance but not be enrolled in the graduate library program at a school specified in Section 3035.330 by May 1 of each calendar year.  No grant award may be utilized to defray or otherwise reimburse previous study and applicants may not be enrolled in the graduate program at the time of submission of the application.

b)         The grant recipient must notify the State Library in writing of his or her proposed date of graduation from the master of library and information science program at least four months before the date of graduation.

c)         The grant recipient must immediately notify in writing the State Library of other grants or loans being accepted by the applicant.

d)         The grant recipient must commence the master of library and information science program at the beginning of the next fall academic term (unless the grantee has requested to begin studies with summer enrollment), and must continue on a full or a part-time basis with no interruptions or leaves of absence, except upon the written approval of the Director of the State Library after consideration of the recipient's written request, based on unforeseen hardship, such as personal emergency, illness or disability.

e)         The recipient must forward an original or photocopy of the college's or university's official notification of grades of graduate library school courses for each semester of study to the Illinois State Library Scholarship Program Grants Committee within 30 days following the semester's conclusion.

f)         A Library Scholarship Program Grant is subject to cancellation if a C average for each semester of graduate library courses is not maintained.

g)         If, for any reason, the grant recipient is unable to complete the required course program and receive the master's degree in library and information science, the recipient must refund the total amount of money received.  The grant must also be repaid if the recipient fails to fulfill the personal services agreement for two years of full-time work in a qualifying Illinois library.  In the event of other extenuating circumstances (i.e., unplanned, unforeseen crisis, emergencies, or situations beyond the recipient's control), the responsibility of the recipient will be reviewed and determined by the Director of the Illinois State Library.

h)         The recipient must satisfy the requirements of the personal services agreement with the Illinois State Library within the first three years following graduation from graduate library school.  The recipient must submit to the Illinois State Library proof of employment by an ILLINET library, Illinois library system or the Illinois State Library and proof of continued employment in such a library until the two year work agreement has been fulfilled.

i)          The successful applicant must sign a written agreement evidencing all of these terms and conditions at the time of acceptance of the grant.

j)          The failure, either by neglect or willful misconduct, of the recipient to strictly adhere to this Section shall result in the forfeiture of the grant, and the grant shall be paid back to the State Library.  If the two year work agreement is not fulfilled, the recipient shall repay the amount of the grant, or repay a pro-rated amount if only a fraction of the time is worked in a public library.  The Director shall send a written payback order to the applicant.  If the recipient wishes to contest the payback order, he or she shall be entitled to request a personal hearing before the Director.  The request for a hearing must be made within 30 days after the date of the payback order.  The hearing date, time and location will be stated in a letter to the recipient, which will be sent within 15 days after the receipt of the hearing request.  The decision after the hearing by the Director is final.

1)         The grant shall be paid back within a three-year period, commencing within 90 days after the grant recipient leaving the master's program without successful completion, or completion of the library service agreement.

2)         No interest on the unpaid balance shall be charged.

3)         The State Library shall use the offset procedure with the Illinois Comptroller (74 Ill. Adm. Code 285) and the Illinois State Collection Act of 1986 [30 ILCS 210] to collect any unpaid monies due to the State Library by any grant recipient.

(Source:  Amended at 36 Ill. Reg. 12385, effective July 18, 2012)