Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB2127

LRB104 04091 LNS 14115 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB2127

Introduced 2/7/2025, by Sen. Sally J. Turner

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

110 ILCS 947/65.27

Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that scholarships awarded under the Teach Illinois Scholarship Program may be granted to individuals employed as teachers who agree to pursue a master's degree at a qualified institution of higher learning in order to teach dual credit courses at a secondary school. Provides that for any individual receiving a scholarship to teach dual credit courses, following the completion of the program of study, the individual must teach at least one dual credit course per school year in a secondary school in this State for a period of at least 5 years. Provides that individuals who fail to comply shall refund all of the awarded scholarships to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, whether payments were made directly to the institutions of higher learning or to the individuals, and this condition shall be agreed to in writing by the scholarship recipients at the time the scholarship is awarded. Provides that no individual may be required to refund tuition payments if his or her failure to teach a dual credit course in a secondary school is the result of financial conditions within school districts. Makes conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2026.

A BILL FOR

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 changing Section 65.27 as follows:

(110 ILCS 947/65.27)

Sec. 65.27. Teach Illinois Scholarship Program.

(a) For the purposes of this Section:

"Area of identified staff shortage" means a school district in which the number of teachers is insufficient to meet student or school district demand or a subject area for which the number of teachers who are qualified to teach that subject area is insufficient to meet student or school district demand, as determined by the State Board of Education.

"Dual credit course" means a college course taken by a high school student for credit at both the college and high school level.

"Qualified institution of higher learning" means one of the universities listed in Section 65.40 of this Act.

(b) The Commission shall implement and administer a teacher scholarship program, to be known as the Teach Illinois Scholarship Program. The Commission shall annually award scholarships to persons preparing to teach in areas of identified staff shortages or to persons employed as teachers who are preparing to teach dual credit courses within a secondary school. These scholarships shall be awarded to individuals who make application to the Commission and who agree to take courses at qualified institutions of higher learning that will prepare them to teach in areas of identified staff shortages or to individuals employed as teachers who make application to the Commission and who agree to pursue a master's degree at a qualified institution of higher learning in order to teach dual credit courses within a secondary school.

(c) Scholarships awarded under this Section shall be issued pursuant to rules promulgated by the Commission.

(d) Each scholarship shall be utilized by its holder for the payment of tuition and non-revenue bond fees at any qualified institution of higher learning. Such tuition and fees shall be available only for courses that will enable the individual to be licensed certified to teach in areas of identified staff shortages or to be able to teach dual credit courses. The Commission shall determine which courses are eligible for tuition payments under this Section.

(e) The Commission shall make tuition payments directly to the qualified institution of higher learning that the individual attends for the courses prescribed.

(f) For any individual receiving a scholarship under this Section to teach in an area of identified staff shortage, following Following the completion of the program of study, the individual must accept employment to teach in an elementary or secondary school in Illinois in an area of identified staff shortage for a period of at least 5 years. Individuals who fail to comply with this subsection (f) provision shall refund all of the awarded scholarships to the Commission, whether payments were made directly to the institutions of higher learning or to the individuals, and this condition shall be agreed to in writing by such all scholarship recipients at the time the scholarship is awarded. No individual shall be required to refund tuition payments if his or her failure to obtain employment as a teacher in a school is the result of financial conditions within school districts. The rules promulgated as provided in this Section shall contain provisions regarding the waiving and deferral of such payments.

(f-5) For any individual receiving a scholarship under this Section to teach dual credit courses, following the completion of the program of study, the individual must teach at least one dual credit course per school year in a secondary school in this State for a period of at least 5 years. Individuals who fail to comply with this subsection (f-5) shall refund all of the awarded scholarships to the Commission, whether payments were made directly to the institutions of higher learning or to the individuals, and this condition shall be agreed to in writing by such scholarship recipients at the time the scholarship is awarded. No individual may be required to refund tuition payments if his or her failure to teach a dual credit course in a secondary school is the result of financial conditions within school districts. The rules promulgated as provided in this Section shall contain provisions regarding the waiving and deferral of such payments.

(g) The Commission, with the cooperation of the State Board of Education, shall assist individuals who have participated in the scholarship program established by this Section in finding employment in areas of identified staff shortages or in finding dual credit courses in secondary schools to teach.

(h) The scholarships under this Section are subject to appropriations to the Commission by the General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 94-205, eff. 1-1-06.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026.