HB 3498 — HIGHR ED-SCHOLARSHIP REPAYMENT

HB3498 EngrossedEnrolled LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b AN ACT concerning education.

(2) Asian (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or HB3498 EngrossedEnrolled - 2 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b the Indian subcontinent, including, but not limited to, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam).

(v) who is HB3498 EngrossedEnrolled - 3 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b enrolled in a course of study leading to teacher licensure, including alternative teacher licensure, or, if the student is already licensed to teach, in a course of study leading to an additional teaching endorsement or a master's degree in an academic field in which he or she is teaching or plans to teach or who has received one or more College and Career Pathway Endorsements pursuant to Section 80 of the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act and commits to enrolling in a course of study leading to teacher licensure, including alternative teacher licensure;

(c) Each minority teacher scholarship awarded under this Section shall be in an amount sufficient to pay the tuition and fees and room and board costs of the qualified Illinois institution of higher learning at which the recipient is HB3498 EngrossedEnrolled - 4 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b enrolled, up to an annual maximum of $5,000;

If the amount of minority teacher scholarship to be awarded to a qualified student as provided in subsection (c) of this Section exceeds the cost of attendance at the institution at which the student is HB3498 EngrossedEnrolled - 5 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b enrolled, the minority teacher scholarship shall be reduced by an amount equal to the amount by which the combined financial assistance available to the student exceeds the cost of attendance.

All scholarship funds distributed in accordance with this subsection shall be HB3498 EngrossedEnrolled - 6 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b paid to the institution and used only for payment of the tuition and fee and room and board expenses incurred by the student in connection with his or her attendance at a qualified Illinois institution of higher learning.

(1) To students who received a scholarship under this HB3498 EngrossedEnrolled - 7 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b Section in the prior academic year and who remain eligible for a minority teacher scholarship under this Section.

Beginning with fiscal year 2023, if at least $4,200,000 is appropriated HB3498 EngrossedEnrolled - 8 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b in a given fiscal year for the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program, then at least 30% of the funds appropriated shall be reserved for qualified bilingual minority applicants, with priority being given to qualified bilingual minority applicants who are enrolled in an educator preparation program with a concentration in bilingual, bicultural education.

(ii) shall fulfill this teaching obligation at a nonprofit Illinois public, private, or parochial preschool, HB3498 EngrossedEnrolled - 9 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b elementary school, or secondary school at which no less than 30% of the enrolled students are minority students in the year during which the recipient begins teaching at the school or may instead, if the recipient received a scholarship as a qualified bilingual minority applicant, fulfill this teaching obligation in a program in transitional bilingual education pursuant to Article 14C of the School Code or in a school in which 20 or more English learner students in the same language classification are enrolled;

If a recipient who enters into repayment under this subsection (m) subsequentlysubsequently, teacheswithin 5 years of entering repayment, begins to teach at a school meeting the description under subsection (l) of this Section, the Commission may reduce the amount owed by the recipient in proportion to the amount of the teaching obligation completed.

The Commission is authorized to establish rules relating to its collection activities for repayment of scholarships under HB3498 EngrossedEnrolled - 10 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b its collection activities for repayment of scholarships under this Section.

(o) Scholarship recipients under this Section who withdraw HB3498 EngrossedEnrolled - 11 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b (o) Scholarship recipients under this Section who withdraw from a program of teacher education but remain enrolled in school to continue their postsecondary studies in another academic discipline shall not be required to commence repayment of their Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship so long as they remain enrolled in school on a full-time basis or if they can document for the Commission special circumstances that warrant extension of repayment.

(q) Each qualified Illinois institution of higher learning that receives funds from the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program shall host an annual information session atHB3498 theEnrolled institution- about12 the- programLRB103 for29879 teacherRJT candidates56289 ofb HB3498at Engrossedthe -institution 12about -the LRB103program 29879for RJTteacher 56289candidates bof color in accordance with rules adopted by the Commission.

(a-2) In order to encourage academically talented Illinois students, especially minority students, to pursue teaching careers, especially in teacher shortage disciplines (which shall be defined to include early childhood education) or at hard-to-staff schools (as defined by the Commission in consultation with the State Board of Education), to provide those students with the crucial mentoring, guidance, and in-service support that will significantly increase the HB3498 EngrossedEnrolled - 13 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b in-service support that will significantly increase the likelihood that they will complete their full teaching commitments and elect to continue teaching in targeted disciplines and hard-to-staff schools, and to ensure that students in this State will continue to have access to a pool of highly-qualified teachers, each qualified student shall be awarded a Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program scholarship to any Illinois institution of higher learning.

and (5)HB3498 isEnrolled a- participant14 in- programsLRB103 managed29879 byRJT and56289 isb HB3498(5) Engrossedis -a 14participant -in LRB103programs 29879managed RJTby 56289and bis approved to receive a scholarship from the Foundation.

If the estimate of the amount of scholarship assistance described in the Foundation's application is less than the actual amount required for the award of scholarship assistance to qualified students, the Foundation shall be responsible for using HB3498 EngrossedEnrolled - 15 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b students, the Foundation shall be responsible for using awarded grant funds to ensure all qualified students receive scholarship assistance under this Section.

(d) The total amount of scholarship assistance awarded by the Commission under this Section to an individual in any given fiscal year, when added to other financial assistance HB3498 Enrolled - 16 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b awarded to that individual for that year, shall not exceed the HB3498 Engrossed - 16 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b cost of attendance at the institution of higher learning at which the student is enrolled.

(i) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any HB3498 EngrossedEnrolled - 17 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b (i) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any academic year, each recipient of a scholarship awarded under this Section shall be required by the Foundation to sign an agreement under which the recipient pledges that, within the 2-year period following the termination of the academic program for which the recipient was awarded a scholarship, the recipient:

(j) If a recipient of a scholarship awarded under this Section fails to fulfill the teaching obligation set forth in subsection (i) of this Section, the Commission shall require the recipient to repay the amount of the scholarships received, prorated according to the fraction of the teaching obligation not completed, plus interest at a rate of 5% and, if HB3498 Enrolled - 18 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b applicable, reasonable collection fees.

If a recipient who HB3498enters Engrossedinto -repayment 18under -this LRB103subsection 29879(j) RJTsubsequently, 56289within b5 entersyears intoof repaymententering underrepayment, thisbegins subsectionto (j)teach subsequently teaches at a school meeting the description under subsection (i) of this Section, the Commission may reduce the amount owed by the recipient in proportion to the amount of the teaching obligation completed.

Reduction of the amount owed shall not be construed as reinstatement in the Golden Apple Scholars program.

Reinstatement in the program shall be solely at the discretion of the Golden Apple Foundation on terms determined by the Foundation.

(iii) is a person with a temporary total HB3498 Enrolled - 19 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b disability, as established by sworn affidavit of a qualified physician;

(v) is taking additional courses, on at least a half-time basis, needed to obtain certification as a HB3498 Engrossed - 19 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b teacher in Illinois;

HB3498 Enrolled - 20 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b (1) the Foundation's anticipated expenditures for the next fiscal year;

HB3498 Engrossed - 20 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b (3) the total monetary value of scholarship funds paid to each institution of higher learning at which a qualified student was enrolled during the previous fiscal year;

HB3498 Enrolled - 21 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b (10) the number of scholarship recipients who defaulted on their obligation to repay scholarship assistance during the previous fiscal year;

HB3498 Engrossed - 21 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b (12) the amount of collected funds to be remitted to the Comptroller in accordance with subsection (j) of this Section at the end of the previous fiscal year;

revised 12-13-22.) (110 ILCS 947/65.15) HB3498 Enrolled - 22 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b Sec.

(1) Students who are otherwise qualified to receive a scholarship as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this Section and who make application to the Commission for HB3498 Engrossed - 22 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b such scholarship and agree to take courses that will prepare the student for the teaching of children described in Section 14-1 of the School Code.

provided that no rule or regulation promulgated by the State Board of Education prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1993 pursuant to the exercise of any right, HB3498 Enrolled - 23 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b power, duty, responsibility or matter of pending business transferred from the State Board of Education to the Commission under this Section shall be affected thereby, and all such rules and regulations shall become the rules and regulations of the Commission until modified or changed by the Commission in accordance with law.

HB3498 Engrossed - 23 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b For the purposes of this Section scholarships awarded each school year shall be deemed to be issued on July 1 of the year prior to the start of the postsecondary school term and all calculations for use of the scholarship shall be based on such date.

(b) The principal, or his or her designee, of an approved high school shall certify to the Commission, for students who are Illinois residents and are completing an application, that HB3498 Enrolled - 24 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b the students ranked scholastically in the upper one-half of their graduating class at the end of the sixth semester.

(c) Each holder of a scholarship must furnish proof to the Commission, in such form and at such intervals as the Commission prescribes, of the holder's continued enrollment in a teacher education program qualifying the holder for the HB3498 Engrossed - 24 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b scholarship.

(d) Any person who has accepted a scholarship under the preceding subsections of this Section must, within one year after graduation from or termination of enrollment in a teacher education program, begin teaching at a nonprofit HB3498 Enrolled - 25 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b Illinois public, private, or parochial preschool or elementary or secondary school for a period of 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 HB3498 Engrossed - 25 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b graduates;

A person who has accepted a scholarship under the preceding subsections of this Section and who has been unable to fulfill the teaching requirements of this Section may receive a deferment from the obligation of repayment under this subsection (d) under guidelines established by the HB3498 Enrolled - 26 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b Commission;

provided that no guideline established for any such purpose by the State Board of Education prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1993 shall be affected by the transfer to the Commission of the responsibility for administering and implementing the provisions of this Section, and all guidelines so established HB3498 Engrossed - 26 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b shall become the guidelines of the Commission until modified or changed by the Commission.

If a recipient who enters into repayment under this paragraph subsequentlysubsequently, teacheswithin 5 years of entering repayment, begins to teach at a school meeting the description under this subsection (d), the Commission may reduce the amount owed by the recipient in proportion to the amount of the teaching obligation completed.

Each HB3498 Enrolled - 27 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b person receiving a scholarship shall be provided with a description of the provisions of this subsection (d) at the time he or she qualifies for the benefits of such a scholarship.

(e) This Section is basically the same as Sections 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, and 30-4a of the School Code, which are repealed by this amendatory Act of 1993, and shall be construed as a HB3498 Engrossed - 27 - LRB103 29879 RJT 56289 b continuation of the teacher scholarship program established by that prior law, and not as a new or different teacher scholarship program.