Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall establish, implement, and administer a STEM Opportunity Scholarship Program, using funds appropriated from the STEM Opportunity Scholarship Program Fund, for the purpose of offering scholarships to young women pursuing degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics at public universities in this State. Sets forth provisions concerning eligibility, preference and priority, the assistance awarded, funding, and rulemaking. Creates the STEM Opportunity Scholarship Program Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Makes a corresponding change in the State Finance Act.
Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that, notwithstanding any other law, a student who otherwise qualifies for any grant or scholarship offered under this Act, by any other State law, or by a unit of local government shall not be denied the award of the grant or scholarship based solely on the student's status as a noncitizen. Effective immediately.
Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall develop and administer a medical education grant program. Provides that the goal of the program shall be to attract capable and promising students to the medical profession, increase the employment and retention of individuals who are receiving additional clinical training in medicine, and reduce any financial barriers in the medical profession. Provides that under the program, grants shall be awarded to eligible medical students and eligible resident or fellow physicians and be used to cover the nontuition costs of attending a medical or osteopathic college or school or receiving specialty or residency training, including, but not limited to, living expenses. Effective July 1, 2025.
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.
Amends the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, each high school must designate at least one member of its staff as a contact for matters related to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), annually provide the individual's name and contact information to the State Board of Education and Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and inform high school seniors that this individual is available to answer questions about FAFSA or to refer them to an appropriate resource. Provides that the contact shall serve as a designated point of contact for information from the State Board of Education and Illinois Student Assistance Commission related to FAFSA, and shall be required to participate in annual training for which the individual shall be eligible to receive continuing professional development units. Effective immediately.
Appropriates $1,000,000 from the Education Assistance Fund to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for grants to eligible nurse educators to use for payment of their educational loans pursuant to Public Act 94-1020. Appropriates $1,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Board of Higher Education for nurse educator fellowships to supplement nurse faculty salaries. Appropriates $1,500,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Board of Higher Education for competitive grants for nursing schools to increase the number of graduating nurses. Appropriates $6,000,000 from the Nursing Dedicated and Professional Fund to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for expenses related to the Nursing Education Scholarship Law. Effective July 1, 2025.
Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Creates a legislative scholarship task force to receive and consider applications for scholarship assistance. Requires the task force to receive and consider nominations for scholarship assistance, with a total of 8 scholarships per representative district to be awarded each year. Provides that a nominee is eligible for a scholarship if the task force finds that the nominee meets certain qualifications, including that he or she is a resident of the representative district for which a scholarship is to be awarded and that he or she is enrolled or accepted for enrollment at a public university in this State. Provides that legislative scholarships are good for a period of not more than one year while enrolled for residence credit, are applicable toward 2 semesters of enrollment within an academic year, and exempt the holder from the payment of tuition and fees. Sets forth provisions concerning application for a scholarship and renewals.
Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Repeals provisions regarding the State scholar program, the Merit Recognition Scholarship program, the Silas Purnell Illinois Incentive for Access grant program, the student to student grant program, the Teach Illinois Scholarship Program, grants for persons raised by a grandparent, the Southern Illinois University's Achieve Program, medical assistant grants, the police training academy job training scholarship program, and the adult vocational community college scholarship. Repeals the Public Interest Attorney Assistance Act, the Child Welfare Student Loan Forgiveness Act, and the Community College Transfer Grant Program Act.
Amends the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the required support regarding the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) shall include providing time during the school day, not requiring a student to be excused from regularly scheduled class time, to complete or receive help with completion of a financial aid application. Effective immediately.
Creates the Scholarship Accessibility Act. Establishes the Illinois Scholarship Database, to be developed, implemented, and administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, as a utility to improve Illinois students' access to higher education scholarships, as well as to improve their knowledge of scholarships. Provides that to inform students and their parents on what scholarships are and how they are attained and maintained: (1) beginning in the 7th grade, a public school shall inform students of the Database and shall require them to create an account with the Database; (2) the account shall be created jointly by the student and the parent; and (3) both the student and the parent shall have access to the account and the ability to manage activity on the account. Provides that the Database shall allow the student to have and the student is required to complete a profile that: (1) presents a portfolio of the student and who the student is and the student's current year of enrollment; and (2) lists any criminal charge that requires the student to be a part of a registry for a crime the student has committed, unless the student is legally protected under law or court order or another exigent circumstance. Requires the Database to include and display a comprehensive list of scholarships. Allows students 18 or older to be able to create an account with and have access to the Database.
