Public Act 102-0621
 
SB0661 EnrolledLRB102 13543 CMG 18890 b


  
    AN ACT concerning education.
  
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:
  






 
 
    Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is 
amended  by adding Section 65.110 as follows:
 
    (110 ILCS 947/65.110 new)
    Sec. 65.110. Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work 
Professional Educator License scholarship.
    (a)   Subject to appropriation, beginning with awards for 
the 2022-2023 academic year, the Commission shall award 
annually up to 250 Post-Master of Social Work School Social 
Work Professional Educator License scholarships to a person 
who:
        (1)   holds a valid Illinois-licensed clinical social 
    work license or social work license;
        (2)   has obtained a master's degree in social work from 
    an approved program;
        (3)   is a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen; 
    and
        (4)   submits an application to the Commission for such 
    scholarship and agrees to take courses to obtain an 
    Illinois Professional Educator License with an endorsement 
    in School Social Work.
    (b)     If an appropriation for this Section for a given 
fiscal year is insufficient to provide scholarships to all 
qualified applicants, the Commission shall allocate the 
appropriation in accordance with this subsection (b). If funds 
are insufficient to provide all qualified applicants with a 
scholarship as authorized by this Section, the Commission 
shall allocate the available scholarship funds for that fiscal 
year to qualified applicants who submit a complete application 
on or before a date specified by the Commission, based on the 
following order of priority:
        (1)   firstly, to students who received a scholarship 
    under this Section in the prior academic year and who 
    remain eligible for a scholarship under this Section;
        (2)   secondly, to new, qualified applicants who are 
    members of a racial minority, as defined in subsection 
    (c); and
        (3)   finally, to other new, qualified applicants in 
    accordance with this Section. 
    (c)   Scholarships awarded under this Section shall be 
issued pursuant to rules adopted by the Commission. In 
awarding scholarships, the Commission shall give priority to 
those applicants who are members of a racial minority. Racial 
minorities are underrepresented as school social workers in 
elementary and secondary schools in this State,  and the 
General Assembly finds that it is in the interest of this State 
to provide them with priority consideration for programs that 
encourage their participation in this field and thereby foster 
a profession that is more reflective of the diversity of 
Illinois students and the parents they will serve.  A more 
reflective workforce in school social work allows improved 
outcomes for students and a better utilization of services. 
Therefore, the Commission shall give priority to those 
applicants who are members of a racial minority. In this 
subsection (c), "racial minority" means a person who is a 
citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident 
alien of the United States and who is:
        (1) Black (a person having origins in any of the black 
    racial groups in Africa);
        (2) Hispanic (a person of Spanish or Portuguese 
    culture with origins in Mexico, South or Central America, 
    or the Caribbean Islands, regardless of race);
        (3) Asian American (a person having origins in any of 
    the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the 
    Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands); or
        (4) American Indian or Alaskan Native (a person having 
    origins in any of the original peoples of North America). 
    (d)   Each scholarship shall be applied to the payment of 
tuition and mandatory fees at the University of Illinois, 
Southern Illinois University, Chicago State University, 
Eastern Illinois University, Governors State University, 
Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois University, 
Northern Illinois University, and Western Illinois University. 
Each scholarship may be applied to pay tuition and mandatory 
fees required to obtain an Illinois Professional Educator 
License with an endorsement in School Social Work.
    (e)   The Commission shall make tuition and fee payments 
directly to the qualified institution of higher learning that 
the applicant attends.
    (f)   Any person who has accepted a scholarship under this 
Section must, within one year after graduation or termination 
of enrollment in a Post-Master of Social Work Professional 
Education License with an endorsement in School Social Work 
program, begin working as a school social worker at a public or 
nonpublic not-for-profit preschool, elementary school, or 
secondary school located in this State for at least 2 of the 5 
years immediately following that graduation or termination, 
excluding, however, from the computation of that 5-year 
period: (i) any time up to 3 years spent in the military 
service, whether such service occurs before or after the 
person graduates; (ii) the time that person is a person with a 
temporary total disability for a period of time not to exceed 3 
years, as established by the sworn affidavit of a qualified 
physician; and (iii) the time that person is seeking and 
unable to find full-time employment as a school social worker 
at a State public or nonpublic not-for-profit preschool, 
elementary school, or secondary school.
    (g)     If a recipient of a scholarship under this Section 
fails to fulfill the work obligation set forth in subsection 
(f), the Commission shall require the recipient to repay the 
amount of the scholarships received, prorated according to the 
fraction of the 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 this State's General Revenue Fund.
    A recipient of a scholarship under this Section is not 
considered to be in violation of the failure to fulfill the 
work obligation under subsection (f) if the recipient (i) 
enrolls on a full-time basis as a graduate student in a course 
of study related to the field of social work at a qualified 
Illinois institution of higher learning; (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 the sworn affidavit of a qualified physician; 
(iv) is seeking and unable to find full-time employment as a 
school social worker at an Illinois public or nonpublic 
not-for-profit preschool, elementary school, or secondary 
school that satisfies the criteria set forth in subsection (f) 
and is able to provide evidence of that fact; or (v) becomes a 
person with a permanent total disability, as established by 
the sworn affidavit of a qualified physician.
 
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 
1, 2022.