Section 2749.10  Definitions

 

"Academic year" means the period of time from September 1 of one year through August 31 of the next year or as otherwise defined by the academic institution.  (Section 3(6) of the Law)

 

"Accepted for admission" means a student has completed the requirements for entry into an associate degree in nursing program, associate degree in applied sciences in nursing program, hospital-based diploma in nursing program, baccalaureate degree in nursing program, graduate degree in nursing program, or certificate in practical nursing program at an approved institution, as documented by the institution.  (Section 3(10) of the Law)

 

"Advanced practice registered nurse" or "APRN" means a person who has met the qualifications for a certified nurse midwife (CNM), certified nurse practitioner (CNP); certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA); or clinical nurse specialist (CNS) and has been licensed by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.  (Section 50-10 of the Nurse Practice Act [225 ILCS 65])

 

"Approved institution" means a public community college, private junior college, hospital-based diploma in nursing program, or public or private college or university, or online institution, with a pre-licensure nursing education program that is physically located in this State that has approval by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation for an associate degree in nursing program, associate degree in applied sciences in nursing program, hospital-based diploma in nursing program, baccalaureate degree in nursing program, graduate degree in nursing program, or certificate in a practical nursing program or a post-licensure nursing education program approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education or any successor agency with similar authority.  (Section 3(3) of the Law)

 

"Associate degree in nursing program" or "hospital-based diploma in nursing program" means a program offered by an approved institution and leading to an associate degree in nursing, associate degree in applied sciences in nursing, or hospital-based diploma in nursing.   (Section 3(7) of the Law)

 

"Baccalaureate degree in nursing program" means a program offered by an approved institution and leading to a bachelor of science degree in nursing.  (Section 3(4) of the Law)

 

"Business day" means any day, including Monday through Friday.  It does not include a federal or State government declared holiday, Saturday or Sunday.

 

"Calendar day" means all days in a month or prescribed time frame.  It includes weekends and federal or State government declared holidays.

 

"Certificate of Naturalization" means a document issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that demonstrates the person named in the certificate has obtained U.S. citizenship through naturalization.

 

"Class rank" is the measure of how a student's performance compares to other students in the same class.

 

"Continuous attendance" means enrollment in an approved institution's nursing program (as a full-time or part-time student), for an entire academic year and for the total duration of time it takes the student to complete the nursing degree or certificate up to the maximum number of years the recipient is eligible to receive the scholarship.  Continuous attendance need not be maintained for the summer term.  Continuous attendance shall be deemed to have been broken if the student goes more than one semester, quarter or trimester without successfully completing a nursing-related course.

 

"Default" means failure to meet the legal obligations or conditions of the scholarship.  Default occurs when the recipient: 

 

voluntarily withdraws from school;

 

is dismissed from school due to academic failure (as defined by the school);

 

does not maintain the Continuous Attendance requirement (see Sections 597.10, 597.235, or 597.240);

 

fails to become licensed in Illinois as a Practical Nurse, Registered Professional Nurse, or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (as applicable); or

 

fails to fulfill the nursing employment obligation or nurse educator employment obligation.

 

"Deferment" means the temporary delay or postponement of a recipient's continuous attendance requirement, nursing employment obligation, or nurse educator employment obligation.

 

"Department" means the Illinois Department of Public Health.  (Section 3(2) of the Law)

 

"Direct patient care" means care of a patient provided by an advanced practice registered nurse, a registered nurse, or a licensed practical nurse.  Direct patient care may involve any aspect of the health care of a patient, including treatment, counseling, in-service for self-care, education, and administration of medication.

 

"Director" means the Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.  (Section 3(9) of the Law)

 

"Educational loan" means any loan guaranteed by the State Scholarship Commission under the Higher Education Student Assistance Law, any education loan made by an institution of higher education from the proceeds of a loan to the institution by the Illinois Finance Authority under the Higher Education Loan Act, or any other loan from public funds made for the purpose of financing an individual's attendance at an institution of higher education. (Section 1(a) of the Educational Loan Default Act [5 ILCS 385])

 

"Enrollment" means the establishment and maintenance of an individual's status as a nursing student in an approved institution, regardless of the terms used at the institution to describe such status.  (Section 3(5) of the Law)

 

"Expected Family Contribution" or "EFC" is an estimate of the student's (for a dependent student, their parent's or guardian's) ability to pay the costs of a year of post-secondary education.  The EFC is also used to determine a student's eligibility for need-based federal student aid.  The EFC is included on the Student Aid Report and Institutional Student Information Record, which are sent after a student files a Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

 

"Fees" means those mandatory charges, in addition to tuition, that all students enrolled in a nursing program must pay, including required course or lab fees.  (Section 3(11) of the Law)

 

"Free Application for Federal Student Aid" or "FAFSA" means an application that helps students to determine eligibility for financial aid.  Information on FAFSA can be obtained at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

 

"Full-time nursing employment" means providing direct patient care of at least 24 hours per week for those persons working weekend shifts, or 35 hours or more per week for those working weekday shifts.

 

"Full-time nursing student" means a student who is enrolled in a nursing program for at least 12 credit hours per term or as otherwise determined as full-time by the academic institution. (Section 3(12) of the Law) 

 

"General Education Development" or "GED" means tests which, when passed, provide certification that an individual has U.S. high school-level academic skills.

 

"GED Passing Score" means an individual earned a score that demonstrated skills equivalent to high school graduates.  Individuals who earn a GED passing score are eligible to earn a high school equivalency credential.

 

"Grade point average" or "GPA" means a measure of a student's academic achievement, calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number of grade points attempted.

 

"Graduate degree in nursing program" means a program offered by an approved institution and leading to a master of science degree in nursing or a doctorate of philosophy in nursing, doctorate of nursing, doctorate of nursing practice, doctorate of nursing science, doctorate of nursing education, or doctorate of nurse anesthesia practice.  (Section 3(8) of the Law)

 

"Grant Agreement" means the written instrument defining a legal relationship entered into between the Department and a grantee.

 

"Grantee" means a person which may use scholarship funds from this program.

 

"Health care facility" means a facility in Illinois where a scholarship recipient fulfills the recipient's nursing employment obligation and includes, but is not limited to, a health care professional's office, hospital or local health department.

 

"Illinois Nursing Workforce Center Advisory Board" shall have the meaning ascribed in the Nurse Practice Act.  (Section 75-15 of the Nurse Practice Act) 

 

"Illinois resident" means a person who has been a resident of Illinois for at least one year prior to applying for a scholarship and is a citizen or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. (Section 5(1) of the Law)

 

"Law" means the Nursing Education Scholarship Law [110 ILCS 975].  (Section 3(13) of the Law)

 

"Lawful permanent resident alien" means a person who is not a citizen of the United States but who resides in the United States under legally recognized requirements and has lawfully recorded permanent residence as an immigrant.

 

"Licensed practical nurse" means a person who is currently licensed as a licensed practical nurse by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation under the Nurse Practice Act.  (Section 3(18) of the Law)

 

"Living expenses" means room and board, miscellaneous fees, books, transportation and commuting costs.  This amount is adjusted annually based upon the uniform living allowance reported in the weighted Monetary Award Program (MAP) from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. (Section 7 of the Law)

 

"Mean-Weighted Average Tuition and Fees" means the tuition and mandatory fees used for the Illinois public universities and community colleges by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for purposes of Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants.

 

"Monetary Award Program" or "MAP" means a grant awarded by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) that provides payment toward tuition and mandatory fees for Illinois residents to attend an Illinois college. 

 

"Naturalization" means the process in which a person not born in the United States voluntarily becomes a U.S. citizen.

 

"Null and void" means that a scholarship application submitted to the Department has no legal force and is invalid.

 

"Nurse educator" means a person who is currently licensed as a registered nurse by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation under the Nurse Practice Act, who has a graduate degree in nursing, and who is employed by an approved academic institution to educate registered nursing students, licensed practical nursing students, and registered nurses pursuing graduate degrees. (Section 3(23) of the Law)

 

"Nurse educator employment" means employment by an approved academic institution in Illinois to educate nursing students.

 

"Nurse educator employment obligation" means employment in this State as a nurse educator for at least two years for each year of scholarship assistance received under Section 6.5 of the Law.  (Section 3(24) of the Law)

 

"Nursing employment obligation" means employment in this State as a registered professional nurse, licensed practical nurse, or advanced practice nurse in direct patient care for at least one year for each year of scholarship assistance received through the Nursing Education Scholarship Program.  (Section 3(14) of the Law) 

 

"Official transcript" means transcripts that have been received directly from the institution (either through the mail or electronically) or have been issued to the applicant or recipient in a sealed envelope, which shall remain sealed until its arrival at the Department.  The transcript shall include the institution's official seal, the date transcript was issued and the registrar's signature.

 

"Part-time nursing employment" means providing direct patient care for between 17.5 hours and 34 hours per week.

 

"Part-time student" means a person who is enrolled for at least one-third of the number of hours required per term by a school for its full-time students.  (Section 3(15) of the Law)

 

"Permanent resident card" or "Green card" means the holder of this card has been granted authorization from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis.

 

"Practical Nursing Program" means a program offered by an approved institution and leading to a certificate in practical nursing.  (Section 3(16) of the Law)

 

"Prerequisite course" means a course requirement (determined by the approved institution) that a student must meet to demonstrate readiness for enrollment in nursing education.

 

"Quarter" means a term within an academic year that marks the beginning and end of classes.  Quarters are eight to ten weeks in duration and there are four quarters in an academic year.

 

"Registered professional nurse" means a person who is currently licensed as a registered professional nurse by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation under the Nurse Practice Act. (Section 3(17) of the Law)

 

"Renewal" or "Scholarship renewal" means a continuation of a past scholarship in reference to the same degree or certificate sought.  Renewal does not apply to a prior scholarship recipient who wishes to pursue a higher nursing degree after receiving assistance on a previous nursing degree or certificate.

 

"School term" means an academic term, such as a semester, quarter, or trimester, or number of clock hours, as defined by an approved institution.  (Section 3(19) of the Law)

 

"Semester" means a term within an academic year that marks the beginning and end of classes.  Semesters are 15 to 16 weeks in duration and there are two semesters in an academic year.

 

"Student Aid Report" or "SAR" is a summary of the student's FAFSA responses and includes the student's Expected Family Contribution.

 

"Student in good standing" means a student enrolled in a nursing program is maintaining a cumulative grade point average equivalent to at least an academic grade of "C". (Section 3(20) of the Law)

 

"Submission of application" means a nursing education scholarship application has been received by the Department by the established deadline set forth in Section 597.110(b).  Submission does not mean that the application is postmarked by the established submission deadline but arrives at the Department on a later date.

 

"Summer term" means a term within an academic year that marks the beginning and end of classes.  The term is approximately four to nine weeks in duration and is typically offered during June, July and August of an academic year.

 

"Toll" or "Tolling" means to postpone or suspend the running of a specific time period.

 

"Total and permanent disability" means a physical or mental impairment, disease, or loss of a permanent nature that prevents nursing employment with or without reasonable accommodation.  Proof of disability shall be a declaration from the social security administration, Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission, Department of Defense, or an insurer authorized to transact business in Illinois who is providing disability insurance coverage to a contractor. (Section 3(21) of the Law) 

 

"Trimester" means a term within an academic year that marks the beginning and end of classes.  Trimesters are 12 to 15 weeks in duration and there are three trimesters in an academic year.

 

"Tuition" means the established charges of an institution of higher learning for instruction at that institution. (Section 3(22) of the Law)

 

"United States citizen" means an individual born in the United States; Puerto Rico (on or after April 11, 1899); the Canal Zone or the Republic of Panama (on or after February 26, 1904); the Virgin Islands (on or after January 17, 1917); Guam (after April 11, 1899); or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (on or after November 4, 1986); foreign-born children, under age 18, residing in the U.S. with their birth or adoptive parents, at least one of whom is a U.S. citizen by birth or naturalization; and individuals granted citizenship status by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Immigration Service. (See https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-12-part-a-chapter-2#footnote-6)

 

"Waiver" means to permanently relieve a recipient's continuous attendance requirement, nursing employment obligation, or nurse educator employment obligation.

 

(Source:  Recodified from 77 Ill. Adm. Code 597.10 (Department of Public Health) pursuant to P.A. 102-699, at 47 Ill. Reg. 7031)