Public Act 094-0497
 		





HB1343 Enrolled
LRB094 06295 RAS 36368 b






    AN ACT concerning education. 

 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
represented in the General Assembly: 


 
    Section 1. Short title.  This Act may be cited as the Child 
Welfare Student Loan Forgiveness Act.



 
    Section 5. Purpose.  The purpose of this Act is to attract 
capable and promising students to the child welfare profession, 
increase employment and retention of individuals who are 
working towards or who have received either a bachelor's degree 
or a master's degree in social work or any human services 
subject area that qualifies the individual for employment as a 
family services worker, and provide opportunities for persons 
making mid-career decisions to enter the child welfare 
profession.


 
    Section 10. Definitions.  In this Act:


    "Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance 
Commission.
    "Contracting agency" means an agency that the Department of 
Children and Family Services contracts with for the provision 
of child protective services.
    "Forgivable loan" means a higher education student loan 
that a
person has incurred in attending a  social work program 
approved by the Council on Social Work Education or an 
accredited human services degree program.



 
    Section 15. Establishment of program. There is created the 
Child Welfare Student Loan Forgiveness Program to be 
administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. 
The program shall provide loan assistance, subject to 
appropriation, to eligible students for upper-division 
undergraduate and graduate study. The Commission shall adopt 
rules necessary to administer the program.


 
    Section 20. Maximum loan time period; maximum loan amount. 
    (a) Subject to appropriation, an undergraduate forgivable 
loan may be awarded for a maximum of 2 academic years. The 
amount of this loan shall not exceed $4,000 per year.
    (b) Subject to appropriation, a graduate forgivable loan 
may be awarded for a maximum of 2 academic years. The amount of 
this loan shall not exceed $8,000 per year.
 
    Section 25. Eligibility. 
    (a) To be eligible for assistance under the Child Welfare 
Student Loan Forgiveness Program, an applicant for an 
undergraduate forgivable loan must meet all of the following 
qualifications: 

        (1) Be a full-time student at the upper-division 
    undergraduate level in a social work program approved by 
    the Council on Social Work Education leading to a 
    bachelor's degree in social work or an accredited human 
    services degree program. 

        (2) Have declared an intent to work in child welfare at 
    the Department of Children and Family Services, its 
    successor, or a contracting agency for at least the number 
    of years for which a forgivable loan is received.

        (3) Have maintained a minimum cumulative grade point 
    average of at least a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for all 
    undergraduate work. If applying for renewal of an 
    undergraduate forgivable loan,  an applicant must have 
    maintained a minimum cumulative grade point average of at 
    least a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for all undergraduate work and 
    have earned at least 12 semester credits per term, or the 
    equivalent.

    (b) To be eligible for assistance under the Child Welfare 
Student Loan Forgiveness Program, an applicant for a graduate 
forgivable loan must meet all of the following qualifications:
        (1) Be a full-time student at the graduate level in a 
    social work program approved by the Council on Social Work 
    Education leading to a master's degree in social work or an 
    accredited human services degree program.
        (2) Have declared an intent to work in child welfare at 
    the Department of Children and Family Services,  its 
    successor, or a contracting agency for at least the number 
    of years for which a forgivable loan is received.
        (3) Hold a bachelor's degree from a school or 
    department of social work at any college or university 
    accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, or hold 
    a degree in a human services field from an accredited 
    college or university.
        (4) Have maintained an undergraduate cumulative grade 
    point average of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or have 
    attained a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score of at 
    least 1,000. If applying for renewal of a graduate 
    forgivable loan,  an applicant must have maintained a 
    minimum cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 on 
    a 4.0 scale for all graduate work and have earned at least 
    9 semester credits per term, or the equivalent.
        (5) Not have received an undergraduate forgivable loan 
    under the program.


 
    Section 30. Repayment schedule; credit; penalty for 
non-compliance. 
    (a) A forgivable loan must be repaid within 10 years after 
completion of the approved or accredited social work or human 
services program. The Commission shall adopt, by rule, 
repayment schedules and applicable interest rates.  
    (b) Credit for repayment of a forgivable loan shall be in 
an amount not to exceed $4,000 in loan principal plus 
applicable accrued interest for each full year of eligible 
service in the child welfare profession. Forgivable loan 
recipients may receive loan repayment credit for child welfare 
service rendered at any time during the scheduled repayment 
period. However, such repayment credit shall be applicable only 
to the current principal and accrued interest balance that 
remains at the time the repayment credit is earned. No loan 
recipient shall be reimbursed for previous cash payments of 
principal and interest.
    (c) Any forgivable loan recipient who fails to work at the 
Department of Children and Family Services, its successor, or a 
contracting agency, as required under the terms of the loan, is 
responsible for repaying the loan plus accrued interest at 8% 
annually.