Bill Text: IL HB0612 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Amends the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4)

Status: (Failed) 2013-01-08 - Session Sine Die [HB0612 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2011-HB0612-Amended.html

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Rep. Maria Antonia Berrios

Filed: 3/15/2011

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AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 612
AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 612 by replacing
everything after the enacting clause with the following:
"Section 5. The Board of Higher Education Act is amended by
changing Section 9.16 as follows:
(110 ILCS 205/9.16) (from Ch. 144, par. 189.16)
Sec. 9.16. Underrepresentation of certain groups in higher
education. To require public institutions of higher education
to develop and implement methods and strategies to increase the
participation of minorities, women and handicapped individuals
who are traditionally underrepresented in education programs
and activities. For the purpose of this Section, minorities
shall mean persons who are citizens of the United States or
lawful permanent resident aliens of the United States and who
are any of the following:
(1) American Indian or Alaska Native.

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(2) Asian.
(3) Black or African American.
(4) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
(5) Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin (may be of
any race). (a) Black (a person having origins in any of the
black racial groups in Africa); (b) Hispanic (a person of
Spanish or Portuguese culture with origins in Mexico, South
or Central America, or the Caribbean, regardless of race);
(c) Asian American (a person having origins in any of the
original people of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian
Subcontinent or the Pacific Islands); or (d) American
Indian or Alaskan Native (a person having origins in any of
the original people of North America).
The Board shall adopt any rules necessary to administer
this Section. The Board shall also do the following:
a) require all public institutions of higher education to
develop and submit plans for the implementation of this
Section;
b) conduct periodic review of public institutions of higher
education to determine compliance with this Section; and if the
Board finds that a public institution of higher education is
not in compliance with this Section, it shall notify the
institution of steps to take to attain compliance;
c) provide advice and counsel pursuant to this Section;
d) conduct studies of the effectiveness of methods and
strategies designed to increase participation of students in

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education programs and activities in which minorities, women
and handicapped individuals are traditionally
underrepresented, and monitor the success of students in such
education programs and activities;
e) encourage minority student recruitment and retention in
colleges and universities. In implementing this paragraph, the
Board shall undertake but need not be limited to the following:
the establishment of guidelines and plans for public
institutions of higher education for minority student
recruitment and retention, the review and monitoring of
minority student programs implemented at public institutions
of higher education to determine their compliance with any
guidelines and plans so established, the determination of the
effectiveness and funding requirements of minority student
programs at public institutions of higher education, the
dissemination of successful programs as models, and the
encouragement of cooperative partnerships between community
colleges and local school attendance centers which are
experiencing difficulties in enrolling minority students in
four-year colleges and universities;
f) mandate all public institutions of higher education to
submit data and information essential to determine compliance
with this Section. The Board shall prescribe the format and the
date for submission of this data and any other education equity
data; and
g) report to the General Assembly and the Governor annually

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with a description of the plans submitted by each public
institution of higher education for implementation of this
Section, including financial data relating to the most recent
fiscal year expenditures for specific minority programs, the
effectiveness of such plans and programs and the effectiveness
of the methods and strategies developed by the Board in meeting
the purposes of this Section, the degree of compliance with
this Section by each public institution of higher education as
determined by the Board pursuant to its periodic review
responsibilities, and the findings made by the Board in
conducting its studies and monitoring student success as
required by paragraph d) of this Section. With respect to each
public institution of higher education such report also shall
include, but need not be limited to, information with respect
to each institution's minority program budget allocations;
minority student admission, retention and graduation
statistics; number of financial assistance awards to
undergraduate and graduate minority students; and minority
faculty representation. This paragraph shall not be construed
to prohibit the Board from making, preparing or issuing
additional surveys or studies with respect to minority
education in Illinois.
(Source: P.A. 90-730, eff. 8-10-98.)
Section 10. The Dental Student Grant Act is amended by
changing Section 3.07 as follows:

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(110 ILCS 925/3.07) (from Ch. 144, par. 1503.07)
Sec. 3.07. "Racial minority" means a person who is any of
the following:
(1) American Indian or Alaska Native.
(2) Asian.
(3) Black or African American.
(4) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
(5) Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin (may be of
any race). (a) Black (a person having origins in any of the
black racial groups in Africa);
(b) Hispanic (a person of Spanish or Portuguese culture
with origins in Mexico, South or Central America, or the
Caribbean Islands, regardless of race);
(c) Asian American (a person having origins in any of the
original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian
Subcontinent or the Pacific Islands); or
(d) American Indian or Alaskan Native (a person having
origins in any of the original peoples of North America).
(Source: P.A. 87-665.)
Section 15. The Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in
Illinois Act is amended by changing Section 2 as follows:
(110 ILCS 930/2) (from Ch. 144, par. 2302)
Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the

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context otherwise requires:
"Board" means the Board of Higher Education.
"DFI" means the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in
Illinois Program of financial assistance to minorities who are
traditionally underrepresented as participants in
postsecondary education. The program shall assist them in
pursuing a graduate or professional degree and shall also
assist program graduates to find employment at an Illinois
institution of higher education, including a community
college, in a faculty or staff position.
"Program Board" means the entity created to administer the
grant program authorized by this Act.
"Qualified institution of higher education" means a
qualifying publicly or privately operated educational
institution located within Illinois (i) that offers
instruction leading toward or prerequisite to an academic or
professional degree beyond the baccalaureate degree, excluding
theological schools, and (ii) that is authorized to operate in
the State of Illinois.
"Racial minority" means a person who is a citizen of the
United States or a lawful permanent resident alien of the
United States and who is any of the following:
(1) American Indian or Alaska Native.
(2) Asian.
(3) Black or African American.
(4) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.

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(5) Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin (may be of
any race). (1) Black (a person having origins in any of the
black racial groups in Africa);
(2) Hispanic (a person of Spanish or Portuguese culture
with origins in Mexico, South or Central America, or the
Caribbean Islands, regardless of race);
(3) Asian American (a person having origins in any of
the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the
Indian Subcontinent or the Pacific Islands); or
(4) American Indian or Alaskan Native (a person having
origins in any of the original peoples of North America).
(Source: P.A. 93-862, eff. 8-4-04.)
Section 20. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is
amended by changing Sections 50 and 65.30 as follows:
(110 ILCS 947/50)
Sec. 50. Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship
program.
(a) As used in this Section:
"Eligible applicant" means a minority student who has
graduated from high school or has received a General
Educational Development Certification and has maintained a
cumulative grade point average of no less than 2.5 on a 4.0
scale, and who by reason thereof is entitled to apply for
scholarships to be awarded under this Section.

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"Minority student" means a student who is any of the
following:
(1) American Indian or Alaska Native.
(2) Asian.
(3) Black or African American.
(4) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
(5) Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin (may be
of any race). either (i) Black (a person having origins
in any of the black racial groups in Africa); (ii)
Hispanic (a person of Spanish or Portuguese culture
with origins in Mexico, South or Central America, or
the Caribbean islands, regardless of race); (iii)
Asian American (a person with origins in any of the
original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the
Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan, and the
Pacific Islands, including, among others, Hawaii,
Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia); or (iv) Native
American (a person who is a member of a federally or
state recognized Indian tribe, or whose parents or
grandparents have such membership) and to include the
native people of Alaska.
"Qualified student" means a person (i) who is a
resident of this State and a citizen or permanent resident
of the United States; (ii) who is a minority student, as
defined in this Section; (iii) who, as an eligible
applicant, has made a timely application for a minority

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teaching scholarship under this Section; (iv) who is
enrolled on at least a half-time basis at a qualified
Illinois institution of higher learning; (v) who is
enrolled in a course of study leading to teacher
certification, including alternative teacher
certification; (vi) who maintains a grade point average of
no less than 2.5 on a 4.0 scale; and (vii) who continues to
advance satisfactorily toward the attainment of a degree.
(b) In order to encourage academically talented Illinois
minority students to pursue teaching careers at the preschool
or elementary or secondary school level, each qualified student
shall be awarded a minority teacher scholarship to any
qualified Illinois institution of higher learning. However,
preference may be given to qualified applicants enrolled at or
above the junior level.
(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
enrolled, up to an annual maximum of $5,000; except that in the
case of a recipient who does not reside on-campus at the
institution at which he or she is enrolled, the amount of the
scholarship shall be sufficient to pay tuition and fee expenses
and a commuter allowance, up to an annual maximum of $5,000.
(d) The total amount of minority teacher scholarship
assistance awarded by the Commission under this Section to an

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individual in any given fiscal year, when added to other
financial assistance awarded to that individual for that year,
shall not exceed the cost of attendance at the institution at
which the student is enrolled. 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 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.
(e) The maximum number of academic terms for which a
qualified student can receive minority teacher scholarship
assistance shall be 8 semesters or 12 quarters.
(f) In any academic year for which an eligible applicant
under this Section accepts financial assistance through the
Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship Program, as authorized by
Section 551 et seq. of the Higher Education Act of 1965, the
applicant shall not be eligible for scholarship assistance
awarded under this Section.
(g) All applications for minority teacher scholarships to
be awarded under this Section shall be made to the Commission
on forms which the Commission shall provide for eligible
applicants. The form of applications and the information
required to be set forth therein shall be determined by the
Commission, and the Commission shall require eligible
applicants to submit with their applications such supporting

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documents or recommendations as the Commission deems
necessary.
(h) Subject to a separate appropriation for such purposes,
payment of any minority teacher scholarship awarded under this
Section shall be determined by the Commission. All scholarship
funds distributed in accordance with this subsection shall be
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 as an
undergraduate student at a qualified Illinois institution of
higher learning. Any minority teacher scholarship awarded
under this Section shall be applicable to 2 semesters or 3
quarters of enrollment. If a qualified student withdraws from
enrollment prior to completion of the first semester or quarter
for which the minority teacher scholarship is applicable, the
school shall refund to the Commission the full amount of the
minority teacher scholarship.
(i) The Commission shall administer the minority teacher
scholarship aid program established by this Section and shall
make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with this
Section for its effective implementation.
(j) When an appropriation to the Commission for a given
fiscal year is insufficient to provide scholarships to all
qualified students, the Commission shall allocate the
appropriation in accordance with this subsection. If funds are
insufficient to provide all qualified students with a

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scholarship as authorized by this Section, the Commission shall
allocate the available scholarship funds for that fiscal year
on the basis of the date the Commission receives a complete
application form.
(k) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (j) or any
other provision of this Section, at least 30% of the funds
appropriated for scholarships awarded under this Section in
each fiscal year shall be reserved for qualified male minority
applicants. If the Commission does not receive enough
applications from qualified male minorities on or before
January 1 of each fiscal year to award 30% of the funds
appropriated for these scholarships to qualified male minority
applicants, then the Commission may award a portion of the
reserved funds to qualified female minority applicants.
(l) Prior to receiving scholarship assistance for any
academic year, each recipient of a minority teacher scholarship
awarded under this Section shall be required by the Commission
to sign an agreement under which the recipient pledges that,
within the one-year period following the termination of the
program for which the recipient was awarded a minority teacher
scholarship, the recipient (i) shall begin teaching for a
period of not less than one year for each year of scholarship
assistance he or she was awarded under this Section; and (ii)
shall fulfill this teaching obligation at a nonprofit Illinois
public, private, or parochial preschool, elementary school, or
secondary school at which no less than 30% of the enrolled

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students are minority students in the year during which the
recipient begins teaching at the school; and (iii) shall, upon
request by the Commission, provide the Commission with evidence
that he or she is fulfilling or has fulfilled the terms of the
teaching agreement provided for in this subsection.
(m) If a recipient of a minority teacher scholarship
awarded under this Section fails to fulfill the teaching
obligation set forth in subsection (l) 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, at a rate of interest
equal to 5%, and, if applicable, reasonable collection fees.
The Commission is authorized to establish rules relating to its
collection activities for repayment of scholarships under this
Section. All repayments collected under this Section shall be
forwarded to the State Comptroller for deposit into the State's
General Revenue Fund.
(n) A recipient of minority teacher scholarship shall not
be considered in violation of the agreement entered into
pursuant to subsection (l) if the recipient (i) enrolls on a
full time basis as a graduate student in a course of study
related to the field of teaching at a qualified Illinois
institution of higher learning; (ii) is serving, not in excess
of 3 years, as a member of the armed services of the United
States; (iii) is temporarily totally disabled for a period of
time not to exceed 3 years as established by sworn affidavit of

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a qualified physician; (iv) is seeking and unable to find full
time employment as a teacher at an Illinois public, private, or
parochial preschool or elementary or secondary school that
satisfies the criteria set forth in subsection (l) of this
Section and is able to provide evidence of that fact; (v)
becomes permanently totally disabled as established by sworn
affidavit of a qualified physician; (vi) is taking additional
courses, on at least a half-time basis, needed to obtain
certification as a teacher in Illinois; or (vii) is fulfilling
teaching requirements associated with other programs
administered by the Commission and cannot concurrently fulfill
them under this Section in a period of time equal to the length
of the teaching obligation.
(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.
(Source: P.A. 94-133, eff. 7-7-05.)
(110 ILCS 947/65.30)
Sec. 65.30. Equal opportunity scholarships.
(a) The Commission may annually award a number of

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scholarships to students who are interested in pursuing studies
in educational administration. Such scholarships shall be
issued to students who make application to the Commission and
who agree to take courses at qualified institutions of higher
learning that will allow them to complete a degree in
educational administration.
(b) Scholarships awarded under this Section shall be issued
pursuant to regulations promulgated by the Commission;
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,
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.
(c) Such scholarships shall be utilized for the payment of
tuition and non-revenue bond fees at any qualified institution
of higher learning. Such tuition and fees shall only be
available for courses that will enable the student to complete
training in educational administration. The Commission shall
determine which courses are eligible for tuition payments under
this Section.
(d) The Commission may make tuition payments directly to
the qualified institution of higher learning which the student

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attends for the courses prescribed or may make payments to the
student. Any student who receives payments and who fails to
enroll in the courses prescribed shall refund the payments to
the Commission.
(e) The Commission, with the cooperation of the State Board
of Education, shall assist students who have participated in
the scholarship program established by this Section in finding
employment in positions relating to educational
administration.
(f) Appropriations for the scholarships outlined in this
Section shall be made to the Commission from funds appropriated
by the General Assembly.
(g) This Section is substantially the same as Section 30-4d
of the School Code, which Section is repealed by this
amendatory Act of 1993, and shall be construed as a
continuation of the equal opportunity scholarship program
established under that prior law, and not as a new or different
equal opportunity scholarship program. The State Board of
Education shall transfer to the Commission, as the successor to
the State Board of Education for all purposes of administering
and implementing the provisions of this Section, all books,
accounts, records, papers, documents, contracts, agreements,
and pending business in any way relating to the equal
opportunity scholarship program continued under this Section;
and all scholarships at any time awarded under that program by,
and all applications for any such scholarship at any time made

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to, the State Board of Education shall be unaffected by the
transfer to the Commission of all responsibility for the
administration and implementation of the equal opportunity
scholarship program continued under this Section. The State
Board of Education shall furnish to the Commission such other
information as the Commission may request to assist it in
administering this Section.
(h) For purposes of this Section:
(1) "Qualified institution of higher learning" means
the University of Illinois; Southern Illinois University;
Chicago State University; Eastern Illinois University;
Governors State University; Illinois State University;
Northeastern Illinois University; Northern Illinois
University; Western Illinois University; the public
community colleges of the State; any other public
universities, colleges and community colleges now or
hereafter established or authorized by the General
Assembly; and any Illinois privately operated, not for
profit institution located in this State which provides at
least an organized 2-year program of collegiate grade in
liberal arts or sciences, or both, directly applicable
toward the attainment of a baccalaureate or graduate
degree.
(2) "Racial minority" means a person who is any of the
following:
(A) American Indian or Alaska Native.

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(B) Asian.
(C) Black or African American.
(D) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
(E) Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin (may be
of any race). (i) Black (a person having origins in any
of the black racial groups in Africa);
(ii) Hispanic (a person of Spanish or Portuguese
culture with origins in Mexico, South or Central
America, or the Caribbean Islands, regardless of
race);
(iii) Asian American (a person having origins in
any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast
Asia, the Indian Subcontinent or the Pacific Islands);
or
(iv) American Indian or Alaskan Native (a person
having origins in any of the original peoples of North
America).
(3) "Student" means a woman or racial minority.
(Source: P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)".