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92_HB0582eng HB0582 Engrossed LRB9201012NTsbA 1 AN ACT to amend the Higher Education Student Assistance 2 Act by adding Section 65.27. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act 6 is amended by adding Section 65.27 as follows: 7 (110 ILCS 947/65.27 new) 8 Sec. 65.27. Teach Illinois Scholarship Program. 9 (a) For the purposes of this Section: 10 "Area of identified staff shortage" means a school 11 district in which the number of teachers is insufficient to 12 meet student or school district demand, as determined by the 13 State Board of Education. 14 "Qualified institution of higher learning" means one of 15 the universities listed in Section 65.40 of this Act. 16 (b) The Commission shall implement and administer a 17 teacher scholarship program, to be known as the Teach 18 Illinois Scholarship Program. The Commission shall annually 19 award scholarships to persons preparing to teach in areas of 20 identified staff shortages. These scholarships shall be 21 issued to individuals who make application to the Commission 22 and who agree to take courses at qualified institutions of 23 higher learning that will prepare them to teach in areas of 24 identified staff shortages. 25 (c) Scholarships awarded under this Section shall be 26 issued pursuant to rules promulgated by the Commission. 27 (d) Each scholarship shall be utilized by its holder for 28 the payment of tuition and non-revenue bond fees at any 29 qualified institution of higher learning. Such tuition and 30 fees shall be available only for courses that will enable the 31 individual to be certified to teach in areas of identified HB0582 Engrossed -2- LRB9201012NTsbA 1 staff shortages. The Commission shall determine which 2 courses are eligible for tuition payments under this Section. 3 (e) The Commission may make tuition payments directly to 4 the qualified institution of higher learning that the 5 individual attends for the courses prescribed or may make 6 payments to the individual. Any individual who received 7 payments and who fails to enroll in the courses prescribed 8 shall refund the payments to the Commission. 9 (f) Following the completion of the program of study, 10 the individual must accept employment to teach in an 11 elementary or secondary school in Illinois in an area of 12 identified staff shortage for a period of at least 5 years. 13 Individuals who fail to comply with this provision shall 14 refund all of the awarded scholarships to the Commission, 15 whether payments were made directly to the institutions of 16 higher learning or to the individuals, and this condition 17 shall be agreed to in writing by all scholarship recipients 18 at the time the scholarship is awarded. No individual shall 19 be required to refund tuition payments if his or her failure 20 to obtain employment as a teacher in a school is the result 21 of financial conditions within school districts. The rules 22 promulgated as provided in this Section shall contain 23 provisions regarding the waiving and deferral of such 24 payments. 25 (g) The Commission, with the cooperation of the State 26 Board of Education, shall assist individuals who have 27 participated in the scholarship program established by this 28 Section in finding employment in areas of identified staff 29 shortages. 30 (h) Appropriations for the scholarships outlined in this 31 Section shall be made to the Commission by the General 32 Assembly.