State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

   [ Search ]   [ PDF text ]   [ Legislation ]   
[ Home ]   [ Back ]   [ Bottom ]



92_SB1842

 
                                              LRB9214150NTpkB

 1        AN ACT concerning higher education student assistance.

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

 4        Section 5.  The Higher Education Student  Assistance  Act
 5    is amended by changing Sections 50, 52, and 65.15 as follows:

 6        (110 ILCS 947/50)
 7        Sec.   50.  Minority  Teachers  of  Illinois  scholarship
 8    program.
 9        (a)  As used in this Section:
10             "Eligible applicant" means a  minority  student  who
11        has  graduated from high school or has received a General
12        Educational Development Certification and has  maintained
13        a  cumulative  grade  point  average at the postsecondary
14        level of no less than 2.5 on a  4.0  scale,  and  who  by
15        reason  thereof  is entitled to apply for scholarships to
16        be awarded under this Section.
17             "Minority student" means a student who is either (i)
18        Black (a person having origins in any of the black racial
19        groups in Africa); (ii) Hispanic (a person of Spanish  or
20        Portuguese  culture  with  origins  in  Mexico,  South or
21        Central America, or the Caribbean islands, regardless  of
22        race); (iii) Asian American (a person with origins in any
23        of  the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia,
24        the Indian  subcontinent,  including  Pakistan,  and  the
25        Pacific   Islands,   including,   among  others,  Hawaii,
26        Melanesia, Micronesia  and  Polynesia);  or  (iv)  Native
27        American  (a  person  who  is  a member of a federally or
28        state  recognized  Indian  tribe,  or  whose  parents  or
29        grandparents have such membership)  and  to  include  the
30        native people of Alaska.
31             "Qualified  student"  means  a  person  (i) who is a
 
                            -2-               LRB9214150NTpkB
 1        resident  of  this  State  and  a  citizen  or  permanent
 2        resident of the United States; (ii)  who  is  a  minority
 3        student,  as  defined  in  this Section; (iii) who, as an
 4        eligible applicant, has made a timely application  for  a
 5        minority  teaching  scholarship  under this Section; (iv)
 6        who is enrolled on at least a half-time full  time  basis
 7        at  the  sophomore  level  or above until his or her last
 8        semester at a qualified Illinois  institution  of  higher
 9        learning as an undergraduate student and has not received
10        a baccalaureate degree, except that last semester seniors
11        must enroll only for a minimum of 6 credit hours in order
12        to  retain  minority  scholarship  eligibility under this
13        Section; (v) who is enrolled in a course of study leading
14        to teacher certification, including  alternative  teacher
15        certification;  (vi)  who maintains a grade point average
16        of no less than 2.5 on a 4.0 scale while enrolled at  the
17        postsecondary  level;  and (vii) who continues to advance
18        satisfactorily toward the attainment of a degree.
19        (b)  In order to encourage academically talented Illinois
20    minority  students  to  pursue  teaching   careers   at   the
21    elementary  or secondary school level, each qualified student
22    shall be  awarded  a  minority  teacher  scholarship  to  any
23    qualified  Illinois  institution of higher learning. However,
24    preference may be given to qualified applicants  enrolled  at
25    or above the junior level.
26        (c)  Each minority teacher scholarship awarded under this
27    Section  shall  be in an amount sufficient to pay the tuition
28    and fees and room and board costs of the  qualified  Illinois
29    institution  of  higher  learning  at  which the recipient is
30    enrolled, up to a an  annual  maximum  of  $5,000  per  grade
31    level;  except  that  in the case of a recipient who does not
32    reside on-campus at the institution at which  he  or  she  is
33    enrolled,  the  amount of the scholarship shall be sufficient
34    to pay tuition and fee expenses and a commuter allowance,  up
 
                            -3-               LRB9214150NTpkB
 1    to a an annual maximum of $5,000 per grade level.
 2        (d)  The  total  amount  of  minority teacher scholarship
 3    assistance awarded by the Commission under this Section to an
 4    individual in any given fiscal  year,  when  added  to  other
 5    financial  assistance  awarded  to  that  individual for that
 6    year,  shall  not  exceed  the  cost  of  attendance  at  the
 7    institution at which the student is enrolled.  If the  amount
 8    of  minority teacher scholarship to be awarded to a qualified
 9    student as provided in subsection (c) of this Section exceeds
10    the cost of  attendance  at  the  institution  at  which  the
11    student  is  enrolled, the minority teacher scholarship shall
12    be reduced by an amount equal to  the  amount  by  which  the
13    combined   financial  assistance  available  to  the  student
14    exceeds the cost of attendance.
15        (e)  The maximum number of academic  terms  for  which  a
16    qualified  student  can  receive minority teacher scholarship
17    assistance  shall  be  8  semesters   or   12   quarters   of
18    undergraduate study.
19        (f)  In any academic year for which an eligible applicant
20    under  this  Section accepts financial assistance through the
21    Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program,  as  authorized  by
22    Section  551 et seq. of the Higher Education Act of 1965, the
23    applicant shall not be eligible  for  scholarship  assistance
24    awarded under this Section.
25        (g)  All  applications  for minority teacher scholarships
26    to be awarded  under  this  Section  shall  be  made  to  the
27    Commission  on  forms  which the Commission shall provide for
28    eligible  applicants.   The  form  of  applications  and  the
29    information  required  to  be  set  forth  therein  shall  be
30    determined  by  the  Commission,  and  the  Commission  shall
31    require eligible applicants to submit with their applications
32    such  supporting  documents   or   recommendations   as   the
33    Commission deems necessary.
34        (h)  Subject   to   a  separate  appropriation  for  such
 
                            -4-               LRB9214150NTpkB
 1    purposes, payment of any minority teacher scholarship awarded
 2    under this Section shall be  determined  by  the  Commission.
 3    All  scholarship  funds  distributed  in accordance with this
 4    subsection shall be paid to the institution and used only for
 5    payment of the tuition and fee and room  and  board  expenses
 6    incurred  by  the  student  in  connection  with  his  or her
 7    attendance  as  an  undergraduate  student  at  a   qualified
 8    Illinois   institution  of  higher  learning.   Any  minority
 9    teacher scholarship  awarded  under  this  Section  shall  be
10    applicable  to 2 semesters or 3 quarters of enrollment.  If a
11    qualified  student  withdraws  from   enrollment   prior   to
12    completion  of  the  first  semester or quarter for which the
13    minority teacher scholarship is applicable, the school  shall
14    refund  to  the  Commission  the  full amount of the minority
15    teacher scholarship.
16        (i)  The Commission shall administer the minority teacher
17    scholarship aid program established by this Section and shall
18    make all necessary and proper  rules  not  inconsistent  with
19    this Section for its effective implementation.
20        (j)  When  an appropriation to the Commission for a given
21    fiscal year is insufficient to provide  scholarships  to  all
22    qualified   students,   the  Commission  shall  allocate  the
23    appropriation in accordance with this subsection.   If  funds
24    are  insufficient  to  provide  all qualified students with a
25    scholarship as authorized by  this  Section,  the  Commission
26    shall  allocate  the  available  scholarship  funds  for that
27    fiscal year on the basis of the date the Commission  receives
28    a complete application form.
29        (k)  Notwithstanding  the provisions of subsection (j) or
30    any other provision of this Section,  at  least  30%  of  the
31    funds   appropriated  for  scholarships  awarded  under  this
32    Section in each fiscal year shall be reserved  for  qualified
33    male minority applicants.  If the Commission does not receive
34    enough  applications  from  qualified  male  minorities on or
 
                            -5-               LRB9214150NTpkB
 1    before January 1 of each fiscal year  to  award  30%  of  the
 2    funds  appropriated  for these scholarships to qualified male
 3    minority applicants, then the Commission may award a  portion
 4    of   the   reserved   funds   to  qualified  female  minority
 5    applicants.
 6        (l)  Prior to receiving scholarship  assistance  for  any
 7    academic   year,   each   recipient  of  a  minority  teacher
 8    scholarship awarded under this Section shall be  required  by
 9    the Commission to sign an agreement under which the recipient
10    pledges that, within the one-year 5 year period following the
11    termination  of  the  undergraduate  program  for  which  the
12    recipient  was  awarded  a  minority teacher scholarship, the
13    recipient (i) shall begin teaching teach for a period of  not
14    less than one year for each year of scholarship assistance he
15    or she was awarded under this Section; and (ii) shall fulfill
16    this  teaching  obligation  at  a  nonprofit Illinois public,
17    private,  or  parochial  preschool,  elementary  school,   or
18    secondary  school  at  which no less than 30% of the enrolled
19    students are minority students in the year during  which  the
20    recipient  begins  teaching  at  the school; and (iii) shall,
21    upon request by the Commission, provide the  Commission  with
22    evidence  that  he  or she is fulfilling or has fulfilled the
23    terms  of  the  teaching  agreement  provided  for  in   this
24    subsection.
25        (m)  If  a  recipient  of  a minority teacher scholarship
26    awarded under this Section  fails  to  fulfill  the  teaching
27    obligation  set  forth in subsection (l) of this Section, the
28    Commission shall require the recipient to repay the amount of
29    the scholarships received, prorated according to the fraction
30    of the teaching  obligation  not  completed,  at  a  rate  of
31    interest   equal   to  5%,  and,  if  applicable,  reasonable
32    collection fees. The Commission may not, however,  require  a
33    recipient  to  repay the amount of scholarship received while
34    the  recipient  was  enrolled  at  the  freshman  level.  The
 
                            -6-               LRB9214150NTpkB
 1    Commission is authorized to establish rules relating  to  its
 2    collection  activities  for  repayment  of scholarships under
 3    this Section.  All repayments collected  under  this  Section
 4    shall  be forwarded to the State Comptroller for deposit into
 5    the State's General Revenue Fund.
 6        (n)  A recipient of minority  teacher  scholarship  shall
 7    not  be considered in violation of the agreement entered into
 8    pursuant to subsection (l) if the recipient (i) enrolls on  a
 9    full  time  basis  as a graduate student in a course of study
10    related to the field of  teaching  at  a  qualified  Illinois
11    institution  of  higher  learning;  (ii)  is  serving, not in
12    excess of 3 years, as a member of the armed services  of  the
13    United  States;  (iii)  is temporarily totally disabled for a
14    period of time not to exceed 3 years as established by  sworn
15    affidavit  of  a  qualified  physician;  (iv)  is seeking and
16    unable to find full  time  employment  as  a  teacher  at  an
17    Illinois   public,   private,   or   parochial  preschool  or
18    elementary or secondary school that  satisfies  the  criteria
19    set  forth  in  subsection (l) of this Section and is able to
20    provide evidence of that fact; or,  (v)  becomes  permanently
21    totally  disabled  as  established  by  sworn  affidavit of a
22    qualified physician.
23        (o)  Scholarship  recipients  under  this   Section   who
24    withdraw  from  the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship
25    program but remain  enrolled  in  school  to  continue  their
26    postsecondary  studies  in  another academic discipline shall
27    not be required  to  commence  repayment  of  their  Minority
28    Teachers  of  Illinois  scholarship  so  long  as they remain
29    enrolled in school on  a  full-time  basis  or  if  they  can
30    document   for  the  Commission  special  circumstances  that
31    warrant extension of repayment.
32    (Source: P.A. 91-670, eff. 12-22-99.)

33        (110 ILCS 947/52)
 
                            -7-               LRB9214150NTpkB
 1        Sec.  52.  ITEACH  David  A.  DeBolt   Teacher   Shortage
 2    Scholarship Program.
 3        (a)  In order to encourage academically talented Illinois
 4    students,  especially  minority  students, to pursue teaching
 5    careers  in  teacher  shortage  disciplines,  the  Commission
 6    shall, each  year,  receive  and  consider  applications  for
 7    scholarship  assistance  under this Section.  An applicant is
 8    eligible for  a  scholarship  under  this  Section  when  the
 9    Commission finds that the applicant is:
10             (1)  a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen;
11             (2)  a resident of Illinois;
12             (3)  a  high  school  graduate  or  a person who has
13        received a General Educational Development Certificate;
14             (4)  enrolled or  accepted  for  enrollment,  on  at
15        least  a half-time basis at the sophomore level or above,
16        at an Illinois institution of higher learning; and
17             (5)  pursuing  a  postsecondary  course   of   study
18        leading  to  initial  certification in a teacher shortage
19        discipline or pursuing additional course work  needed  to
20        gain   State   Board  of  Education  approval  to  teach,
21        including  alternative  teacher  certification,   in   an
22        approved  specialized  area  in  which a teacher shortage
23        exists.
24        (b)  Recipients shall be selected from  among  applicants
25    qualified  pursuant  to subsection (a) based on a combination
26    of the following criteria as set forth by the Commission: (1)
27    academic excellence; (2) status  as  a  minority  student  as
28    defined  in  Section  50; and (3) financial need.  Preference
29    may be given to previous recipients of assistance under  this
30    Section,  provided  they continue to maintain eligibility and
31    maintain satisfactory academic progress as determined by  the
32    institution   of   higher  learning  at  which  they  enroll.
33    Preference may also be given to qualified applicants enrolled
34    at or above the junior level.
 
                            -8-               LRB9214150NTpkB
 1        (c)  Each scholarship awarded under this Section shall be
 2    in an amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees and  room
 3    and  board  costs  of  the  Illinois  institution  of  higher
 4    learning  at  which  the  recipient  is  enrolled, up to a an
 5    annual maximum of $5,000 per grade level; except that in  the
 6    case  of  a  recipient  who  does not reside on-campus at the
 7    institution  of  higher  learning  at  which  he  or  she  is
 8    enrolled, the amount of the scholarship shall  be  sufficient
 9    to  pay tuition and fee expenses and a commuter allowance, up
10    to a an annual maximum of $5,000 per grade level.
11        (d)  The total amount of scholarship  assistance  awarded
12    by  the Commission under this Section to an individual in any
13    given fiscal year, when added to other  financial  assistance
14    awarded  to  that  individual for that year, shall not exceed
15    the cost of attendance at the institution of higher  learning
16    at which the student is enrolled.
17        (e)  A  recipient  may  receive  up  to 8 semesters or 12
18    quarters of scholarship assistance under this Section.
19        (f)  All applications for scholarship  assistance  to  be
20    awarded under this Section shall be made to the Commission in
21    a  form  as  set  forth  by  the  Commission.   The  form  of
22    application  and  the  information  required  to be set forth
23    therein shall  be  determined  by  the  Commission,  and  the
24    Commission  shall  require eligible applicants to submit with
25    their  applications  such   supporting   documents   as   the
26    Commission deems necessary.
27        (g)  Subject  to  a  separate appropriation made for such
28    purposes, payment  of  any  scholarship  awarded  under  this
29    Section   shall   be  determined  by  the  Commission.    All
30    scholarship funds distributed in accordance with this Section
31    shall be paid to the institution on behalf of the recipients.
32    Scholarship funds are applicable  toward  2  semesters  or  3
33    quarters of enrollment within an academic year.
34        (h)  The  Commission shall administer the ITEACH David A.
 
                            -9-               LRB9214150NTpkB
 1    DeBolt Teacher Shortage Scholarship  Program  established  by
 2    this  Section  and  shall make all necessary and proper rules
 3    not  inconsistent  with  this  Section  for   its   effective
 4    implementation.
 5        (i)  Prior  to  receiving  scholarship assistance for any
 6    academic year, each recipient of a scholarship awarded  under
 7    this  Section  shall be required by the Commission to sign an
 8    agreement under which the recipient pledges that, within  the
 9    one-year  5  year  period  following  the  termination of the
10    academic program  for  which  the  recipient  was  awarded  a
11    scholarship, the recipient: (i) shall begin teaching teach in
12    a  teacher  shortage discipline for a period of not less than
13    one year for each  year  of  scholarship  assistance  awarded
14    under   this   Section,  (ii)  shall  fulfill  this  teaching
15    obligation at a nonprofit an  Illinois  public,  private,  or
16    parochial  preschool  or  elementary or secondary school, and
17    (iii) shall, upon request  of  the  Commission,  provide  the
18    Commission  with evidence that he or she is fulfilling or has
19    fulfilled the terms of the teaching agreement provided for in
20    this subsection.
21        (j)  If a recipient of a scholarship awarded  under  this
22    Section fails to fulfill the teaching obligation set forth in
23    subsection  (i) of this Section, the Commission shall require
24    the  recipient  to  repay  the  amount  of  the  scholarships
25    received, prorated according to the fraction of the  teaching
26    obligation  not  completed,  plus interest at a rate of 5% no
27    greater than the  highest  rate  applicable  for  educational
28    loans  made  pursuant  to  Title  IV,  Part  B  of the Higher
29    Education  Act  of  1965,  as  amended,  and  if  applicable,
30    reasonable collection fees. The Commission may not,  however,
31    require  a  recipient  to  repay  the  amount  of scholarship
32    received while the recipient was  enrolled  at  the  freshman
33    level.    The  Commission  is  authorized  to establish rules
34    relating  to  its  collection  activities  for  repayment  of
 
                            -10-              LRB9214150NTpkB
 1    scholarships under this Section.
 2        (k)  A  recipient  of  a  scholarship  awarded   by   the
 3    Commission  under  this  Section shall not be in violation of
 4    the agreement entered into pursuant to subsection (i) if  the
 5    recipient  (i)  enrolls  on  a  full-time basis as a graduate
 6    student in a course of study related to the field of teaching
 7    at an institution of higher learning; (ii) is  serving  as  a
 8    member  of the armed services of the United States;  (iii) is
 9    temporarily  totally  disabled,  as  established   by   sworn
10    affidavit  of  a  qualified physician; or (iv) is seeking and
11    unable to find full-time employment as a teacher at a  school
12    that  satisfies  the criteria set forth in subsection (i) and
13    is able to provide evidence of that fact.  Any such extension
14    of the period during which the teaching requirement  must  be
15    fulfilled  shall  be  subject  to  limitations of duration as
16    established by the Commission.
17    (Source: P.A. 90-201, eff. 7-24-97; 91-670, eff. 12-22-99.)

18        (110 ILCS 947/65.15)
19        Sec. 65.15. Special education teacher scholarships.
20        (a)  There shall be awarded annually 250 scholarships  to
21    persons  qualifying  as  members  of  either of the following
22    groups:
23             (1)  Students who are otherwise qualified to receive
24        a scholarship as provided in subsections (b) and  (c)  of
25        this  Section  and who make application to the Commission
26        for such scholarship and agree to take courses that  will
27        prepare   the   student  for  the  teaching  of  children
28        described in Section 14-1 of the School Code.
29             (2)  Persons  holding  a  valid  certificate  issued
30        under the laws relating to the certification of  teachers
31        and  who  make  application  to  the  Commission for such
32        scholarship and agree to take courses that  will  prepare
33        them  for  the  teaching of children described in Section
 
                            -11-              LRB9214150NTpkB
 1        14-1 of the School Code.
 2        Scholarships awarded under this Section shall  be  issued
 3    pursuant   to  regulations  promulgated  by  the  Commission;
 4    provided that no rule or regulation promulgated by the  State
 5    Board  of  Education  prior  to  the  effective  date of this
 6    amendatory Act of 1993 pursuant to the exercise of any right,
 7    power, duty, responsibility or  matter  of  pending  business
 8    transferred   from  the  State  Board  of  Education  to  the
 9    Commission under this Section shall be affected thereby,  and
10    all  such  rules  and  regulations shall become the rules and
11    regulations of the Commission until modified  or  changed  by
12    the Commission in accordance with law.
13        For  the  purposes  of  this Section scholarships awarded
14    each school year shall be deemed to be issued on  July  1  of
15    the  year prior to the start of the postsecondary school term
16    and all calculations for use  of  the  scholarship  shall  be
17    based  on  such  date.   Each  scholarship  shall entitle its
18    holder to exemption from fees as provided in  subsection  (a)
19    of  Section  65.40  while  enrolled  in  a  special education
20    program of teacher education, for a period of not more than 4
21    calendar years and shall be available for  use  at  any  time
22    during  such period of study except as provided in subsection
23    (b) of Section 65.40.
24        Scholarships issued to holders  of  a  valid  certificate
25    issued  under  the  laws  relating  to  the  certification of
26    teachers as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection  may
27    also  entitle  the  holder  thereof  to  a program of teacher
28    education that will prepare the student for the  teaching  of
29    children  described in Section 14-1 of the School Code at the
30    graduate level.
31        (b)   Each year, the principal, or his or  her  designee,
32    of  each recognized public, private and parochial high school
33    maintaining the twelfth grade shall certify to the Commission
34    the names and addresses of students  who  are  completing  an
 
                            -12-              LRB9214150NTpkB
 1    application  with  the  intent  to  prepare  to  teach in any
 2    recognized public, private, or parochial school  of  Illinois
 3    and  ranked  scholastically  in  the  upper one-half of their
 4    graduating class or,  for  those  not  yet  graduated,  whose
 5    scholastic  rank in the 4-year high school course of study at
 6    the end of the seventh semester is in the upper  one-half  of
 7    their class.
 8        (c)  Each  holder  of a scholarship must furnish proof to
 9    the Commission, in such form and at  such  intervals  as  the
10    Commission  prescribes,  of the holder's continued enrollment
11    in a teacher education program qualifying the holder for  the
12    scholarship.   Any  holder  of  a  scholarship  who  fails to
13    register in a special education program of teacher  education
14    at  the  university  within 10 days after the commencement of
15    the term,  quarter  or  semester  immediately  following  the
16    receipt   of  the  scholarship  or  who,  having  registered,
17    withdraws from the university or  transfers  out  of  teacher
18    education, shall thereupon forfeit the right to use it and it
19    may  be granted to the person having the next highest rank as
20    shown on the list held by  the  Commission.   If  the  person
21    having   the   next   highest  rank,  within  10  days  after
22    notification thereof by the Commission, fails to register  at
23    any such university in a special education program of teacher
24    education,  or  who,  having  registered,  withdraws from the
25    university  or  transfers  out  of  teacher  education,   the
26    scholarship  may  then  be granted to the person shown on the
27    list as having the rank next below such person.
28        (d)  Any person who has accepted a scholarship under  the
29    preceding  subsections  of this Section must, within one year
30    after graduation from  or  termination  of  enrollment  in  a
31    teacher  education  program,  begin  teaching  at a nonprofit
32    Illinois  teach  in  any  recognized  public,   private,   or
33    parochial preschool or elementary or secondary school in this
34    State  for  a period of at least 2 of the 5 years immediately
 
                            -13-              LRB9214150NTpkB
 1    following that graduation or termination, excluding, however,
 2    from the computation of that 5 year period (i) any time up to
 3    3 years spent in the military service, whether  such  service
 4    occurs  before  or  after the person graduates; (ii) any time
 5    that person is enrolled  full-time  in  an  academic  program
 6    related  to  the  field  of teaching leading to a graduate or
 7    postgraduate  degree;  (iii)  the   time   that   person   is
 8    temporarily  totally  disabled  for  a  period of time not to
 9    exceed 3 years, as established by the sworn  affidavit  of  a
10    qualified physician; (iv) the time that person is seeking and
11    unable  to  find  full  time  employment  as  a teacher at an
12    Illinois public, private, or parochial  school;  or  (v)  the
13    time  that person is taking additional courses, on at least a
14    half-time basis, needed to obtain certification as a  teacher
15    in Illinois.
16        A  person  who  has  accepted  a  scholarship  under  the
17    preceding subsections of this Section and who has been unable
18    to  fulfill  the  teaching  requirements  of this Section may
19    receive a deferment from the obligation  of  repayment  under
20    this  subsection  (d)  under  guidelines  established  by the
21    Commission; provided that no guideline  established  for  any
22    such  purpose  by  the  State Board of Education prior to the
23    effective date of  this  amendatory  Act  of  1993  shall  be
24    affected   by   the   transfer   to  the  Commission  of  the
25    responsibility  for  administering   and   implementing   the
26    provisions of this Section, and all guidelines so established
27    shall  become the guidelines of the Commission until modified
28    or changed by the Commission.
29        Any such  person  who  fails  to  fulfill  this  teaching
30    requirement shall pay to the Commission the amount of tuition
31    waived by virtue of his or her acceptance of the scholarship,
32    together  with  interest  at  5%  per  year  on  that amount.
33    However, (i) this obligation to repay the amount  of  tuition
34    waived  plus  interest  does  not  apply  when the failure to
 
                            -14-              LRB9214150NTpkB
 1    fulfill the teaching requirement results from  the  death  or
 2    adjudication as a person under legal disability of the person
 3    holding  the  scholarship,  and no claim for repayment may be
 4    filed against the estate of such a decedent or  person  under
 5    legal  disability,  and (ii) the Commission may not require a
 6    recipient to repay the amount of scholarship  received  while
 7    the  recipient  was enrolled at the freshman level.  Payments
 8    received by the Commission under this subsection (d) shall be
 9    remitted to the State Treasurer for deposit  in  the  general
10    revenue  fund.   Each person receiving a scholarship shall be
11    provided  with  a  description  of  the  provisions  of  this
12    subsection (d) at the  time  he  or  she  qualifies  for  the
13    benefits of such a scholarship.
14        (e)  This Section is basically the same as Sections 30-1,
15    30-2,  30-3, and 30-4a of the School Code, which are repealed
16    by this amendatory Act of 1993, and shall be construed  as  a
17    continuation  of  the teacher scholarship program established
18    by that prior law, and not as  a  new  or  different  teacher
19    scholarship  program.   The  State  Board  of Education shall
20    transfer to the Commission, as the  successor  to  the  State
21    Board  of  Education  for  all  purposes of administering and
22    implementing the  provisions  of  this  Section,  all  books,
23    accounts,  records, papers, documents, contracts, agreements,
24    and pending business in  any  way  relating  to  the  teacher
25    scholarship  program  continued  under  this Section; and all
26    scholarships at any time awarded under that program  by,  and
27    all  applications  for any such scholarships at any time made
28    to, the State Board of Education shall be unaffected  by  the
29    transfer  to  the  Commission  of  all responsibility for the
30    administration and implementation of the teacher  scholarship
31    program  continued  under  this  Section.  The State Board of
32    Education  shall  furnish  to  the  Commission   such   other
33    information  as  the  Commission  may request to assist it in
34    administering this Section.
 
                            -15-              LRB9214150NTpkB
 1    (Source: P.A. 91-496, eff. 8-13-99.)

 2        Section 10.  The Illinois  Vehicle  Code  is  amended  by
 3    changing Section 3-648 as follows:

 4        (625 ILCS 5/3-648)
 5        Sec. 3-648.  Education license plates.
 6        (a)  The  Secretary,  upon receipt of an application made
 7    in the form prescribed by the Secretary,  may  issue  special
 8    registration  plates  designated as Education license plates.
 9    The special plates issued under this Section shall be affixed
10    only to passenger vehicles of the first  division  and  motor
11    vehicles  of the second division weighing not more than 8,000
12    pounds.   Plates  issued  under  this  Section  shall  expire
13    according to the multi-year procedure established by  Section
14    3-414.1 of this Code.
15        (b)  The   design  and  color  of  the  plates  shall  be
16    determined by a contest that every elementary school pupil in
17    the State of Illinois  is  eligible  to  enter.  The  designs
18    submitted  for  the  contest shall be judged on September 30,
19    2002, and the winning design shall be selected by a committee
20    composed of the Secretary, the Director of  State  Police,  2
21    members  of the Senate, one member chosen by the President of
22    the Senate and one  member  chosen  by  the  Senate  Minority
23    Leader,  and  2  members of the House of Representatives, one
24    member chosen by the Speaker of  the  House  and  one  member
25    chosen  by the House Minority Leader. The Secretary may allow
26    the plates to be issued  as  vanity  or  personalized  plates
27    under  Section  3-405.1  of  the  Code.   The Secretary shall
28    prescribe stickers or decals as provided under Section  3-412
29    of this Code.
30        (c)  An  applicant for the special plate shall be charged
31    a  $40  fee  for  original  issuance,  in  addition  to   the
32    appropriate registration fee. Of this $40 additional original
 
                            -16-              LRB9214150NTpkB
 1    issuance  fee,  $15  shall be deposited into the Secretary of
 2    State Special License Plate Fund, to be used by the Secretary
 3    to help defray the administrative processing costs,  and  $25
 4    shall  be  deposited  into  the Illinois Future Teacher Corps
 5    Scholarship Fund.  For each registration  renewal  period,  a
 6    $40  fee,  in  addition  to the appropriate registration fee,
 7    shall be charged. Of this  $40  additional  renewal  fee,  $2
 8    shall  be  deposited  into  the  Secretary  of  State Special
 9    License Plate Fund  and  $38  shall  be  deposited  into  the
10    Illinois  Future Teacher Corps Scholarship Fund.  Each fiscal
11    year, once deposits from the additional original issuance and
12    renewal fees into the  Secretary  of  State  Special  License
13    Plate  Fund  have  reached $500,000, all the amounts received
14    for the additional fees for the balance of  the  fiscal  year
15    shall  be  deposited  into  the Illinois Future Teacher Corps
16    Scholarship Fund.
17        (d)  The Illinois Future Teacher Corps  Scholarship  Fund
18    is   created  as  a  special  fund  in  the  State  treasury.
19    Ninety-five percent of the  moneys  in  the  Illinois  Future
20    Teacher  Corps  Scholarship Fund shall be appropriated to the
21    Illinois Student Assistance Commission for scholarships under
22    Section  52  or  65.65  of  the  Higher   Education   Student
23    Assistance  Act,  and 5% of the moneys in the Illinois Future
24    Teacher Corps Scholarship Fund shall be appropriated  to  the
25    State  Board  of  Education  for  grants  to the Golden Apple
26    Foundation  for  Excellence   in   Teaching,   a   recognized
27    charitable  organization that meets the requirements of Title
28    26, Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Code.
29    (Source: P.A. 92-445, eff. 8-17-01.)

30        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act  takes  effect  on
31    July 1, 2003.

[ Top ]