Amends the School Code and the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Educational Opportunity Grant Act. In provisions concerning the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents scholarship and the Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Educational Opportunity Grant program, provides that the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall determine, by rule, the eligibility of the persons who apply for the scholarship or grant (rather than the Department shall determine the eligibility of the persons who apply For the scholarship or grant).
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates the Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Fund checkoff. Provides that, through the checkoff, taxpayers may contribute to the Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Fund. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Scholarship Fund. Provides that moneys in the Fund shall be used by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for the purpose of awarding iGROW Tech scholarships. Effective immediately.
Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that on the effective date of the amendatory Act,any recipient of a scholarship, grant, or waiver that has been or may be converted to a student loan under a State program for which the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is responsible for collections shall be released from the remaining financial repayment obligations under that program. In provisions concerning the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program, the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program, special education teacher scholarships, the Optometric Education Scholarship Program, Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License scholarships, and the iGROW Tech Scholarship Program and in the Nursing Education Scholarship Law, removes provisions concerning repaying funds received due to the specified failure of a recipient to fulfill the recipient's obligations. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.
Amends the School Code. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education shall establish a program of paid internships for students enrolled in educator preparation programs in the school support personnel endorsement areas of school social worker, school psychologist, school counselor, school nurse, and speech-language pathologist. Sets forth provisions concerning the program. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education shall establish and maintain a mentorship and recruitment program to develop and maintain interest in the school support personnel endorsement areas of school social worker, school psychologist, school counselor, school nurse, and speech-language pathologist. Sets forth provisions concerning the program. Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that subject to appropriation, beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall establish a school support personnel educator preparation scholarship program to annually award up to 250 scholarships for school psychology, school counseling, school nursing, and school speech-language pathology. Sets forth provisions concerning the scholarship program. Provides that, to encourage Illinois students to enter the fields of school psychology, school counseling, school nursing, and school speech-language pathology and to continue to work in those fields in public schools in this State, the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider applications for loan repayment assistance under a School Support Personnel Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program. Sets forth provisions concerning the Program. Effective immediately.
Amends the Board of Higher Education Act and the Public Community College Act. Provides that a student member who serves on the Board of Higher Education or the Illinois Community College Board shall receive a scholarship award of $500 for each semester in which the student member is enrolled and serving.
Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Creates the Developmental Promise Program to remove barriers to enrollment, academic persistence, and certificate or degree completion for students who need to complete developmental coursework. Provides that, beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year, each institution of higher education in the State shall provide financial assistance to a qualifying student for the remaining balance of the student's total cost of attendance in excess of the amount of any private, State, or federal financial assistance received by the qualifying student during the first 132 semester credit hours or 198 quarter credit hours that the qualifying student is enrolled in the Developmental Assistance Program. Sets forth requirements for qualified students to receive the remaining balance of financial assistance. Requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and institutions of higher learning to adopt rules and policies for the administration of the Program.
Amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. Creates an income tax deduction for any amounts paid by the taxpayer's employer on behalf of the taxpayer as part of an educational assistance program. Creates an income tax deduction for any amounts paid by the taxpayer on behalf of an employee of the taxpayer as part of an educational assistance program. Provides that the deductions are limited to the first $5,250 of such assistance so furnished to any individual. Effective immediately.
Appropriates $250,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for the payment of scholarships to students who qualify for the Journalism Student Scholarship Program.
Amends the University of Illinois Act. In provisions concerning scholarships for the children of veterans, provides that an honorary scholarship may also be given to the children of persons who served at any time during the invasion of Panama between December 20, 1989 and January 31, 1990.
Creates the Mental Health Professional Career Scholarship Act. Requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to create the Mental Health Professional Career Scholarship Program to award scholarships to Illinois students pursuing a mental health professional career in order to increase diversity rates by recruiting individuals to work in mental health fields in the public sector or mental health jobs that have a high demand for new employees and retain those individuals. Sets forth provisions concerning the selection of recipients, the amount of assistance, applications for assistance, the payment of assistance, administering the scholarship program, and rulemaking.
