Bill Text: IL HB5463 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Engrossed
Bill Title: Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Changes the name of the School and Municipal Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program to the Social Worker and School Counselor Shortage Loan Repayment Program. Allows a school counselor to apply for the Program. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall award a grant of up to $8,000 (rather than $6,500) per year for a maximum of 4 years to each qualified applicant. Provides that a grant shall be used for repayment of the recipient's educational loan instead of the Commission encouraging the recipient to use the grant to repay the recipient's educational loan. Makes other and conforming changes. Effective July 1, 2026.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2026-04-20 - Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol Ammons [HB5463 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2025-HB5463-Engrossed.html
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| 1 | AN ACT concerning education. | ||||||
| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||||
| 3 | represented in the General Assembly: | ||||||
| 4 | Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is | ||||||
| 5 | amended by changing Section 65.115 as follows: | ||||||
| 6 | (110 ILCS 947/65.115) | ||||||
| 7 | Sec. 65.115. School and Municipal Social Worker and School | ||||||
| 8 | Counselor Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program. | ||||||
| 9 | (a) To encourage Illinois students to work, and to | ||||||
| 10 | continue to work, as a school social worker or school | ||||||
| 11 | counselor for a in public school district districts in this | ||||||
| 12 | State or to work as a social worker for a municipality in this | ||||||
| 13 | in State municipalities, the Commission shall, each year, | ||||||
| 14 | receive and consider applications for loan repayment | ||||||
| 15 | assistance under this Section. This program shall be known as | ||||||
| 16 | the School and Municipal Social Worker and School Counselor | ||||||
| 17 | Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program. The Commission shall | ||||||
| 18 | administer the program and shall adopt all necessary and | ||||||
| 19 | proper rules to effectively implement the program. | ||||||
| 20 | (b) Subject Beginning July 1, 2022, subject to a separate | ||||||
| 21 | appropriation made for such purposes, the Commission shall | ||||||
| 22 | award a grant, up to a maximum of $8,000 per year for a maximum | ||||||
| 23 | of 4 years $6,500, to each qualified applicant. A The | ||||||
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| 1 | Commission may encourage the recipient of a grant awarded | ||||||
| 2 | under this Section shall be used to use the grant award for | ||||||
| 3 | repayment of the recipient's educational loan. If funds are | ||||||
| 4 | insufficient to provide all qualified applicants with a grant | ||||||
| 5 | as authorized by this Section, the Commission shall allocate | ||||||
| 6 | the available grant funds for the fiscal year to qualified | ||||||
| 7 | applicants who submit a complete application on or before a | ||||||
| 8 | date specified by the Commission, based on the following order | ||||||
| 9 | of priority: | ||||||
| 10 | (1) first, to students who received a grant under this | ||||||
| 11 | Section in the prior fiscal year and who remain eligible | ||||||
| 12 | for a grant under this Section; and | ||||||
| 13 | (2) then, to new, qualified applicants in accordance | ||||||
| 14 | with this Section. | ||||||
| 15 | (c) A person is a qualified applicant under this Section | ||||||
| 16 | if he or she meets all of the following qualifications: | ||||||
| 17 | (1) The person is a United States citizen or eligible | ||||||
| 18 | noncitizen. | ||||||
| 19 | (2) The person is a resident of this State. | ||||||
| 20 | (3) The person is a borrower with an outstanding | ||||||
| 21 | balance due on an educational loan related to obtaining a | ||||||
| 22 | degree in social work or obtaining the appropriate | ||||||
| 23 | education and training to work as a school counselor. | ||||||
| 24 | (4) The person, at the time of application, has been | ||||||
| 25 | employed for at least 12 consecutive months as a school | ||||||
| 26 | social worker or school counselor by a public elementary | ||||||
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| 1 | school or secondary school in this State for at least 12 | ||||||
| 2 | consecutive months or as a social worker for an Illinois | ||||||
| 3 | municipality who did not report directly to a police | ||||||
| 4 | department. | ||||||
| 5 | (5) The person, at the time of application, is | ||||||
| 6 | currently employed as a school social worker or school | ||||||
| 7 | counselor by a public elementary school or secondary | ||||||
| 8 | school in this State or as a social worker for an Illinois | ||||||
| 9 | municipality who does not report directly to a police | ||||||
| 10 | department. | ||||||
| 11 | (d) An applicant shall submit an application, in a form | ||||||
| 12 | determined by the Commission, for grant assistance under this | ||||||
| 13 | Section to the Commission. An applicant is required to submit, | ||||||
| 14 | with the application, supporting documentation as the | ||||||
| 15 | Commission may deem necessary. | ||||||
| 16 | (e) (Blank). | ||||||
| 17 | (Source: P.A. 104-437, eff. 11-21-25.) | ||||||
| 18 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | ||||||
| 19 | 2026. | ||||||
