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. LRB104 04091 LNS 14115 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB2127 Introduced 2/7/2025, by Sen. Sally J. Turner SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 110 ILCS 947/65.27 110 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. LRB104 04091 LNS 14115 b LRB104 04091 LNS 14115 b A BILL FOR
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB2127 Introduced 2/7/2025, by Sen. Sally J. Turner SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
110 ILCS 947/65.27 110 ILCS 947/65.27
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.
LRB104 04091 LNS 14115 b LRB104 04091 LNS 14115 b
LRB104 04091 LNS 14115 b
A BILL FOR
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SB2127 LRB104 04091 LNS 14115 b
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 65.27 as follows:
6 (110 ILCS 947/65.27)
7 Sec. 65.27. Teach Illinois Scholarship Program.
8 (a) For the purposes of this Section:
9 "Area of identified staff shortage" means a school
10 district in which the number of teachers is insufficient to
11 meet student or school district demand or a subject area for
12 which the number of teachers who are qualified to teach that
13 subject area is insufficient to meet student or school
14 district demand, as determined by the State Board of
15 Education.
16 "Dual credit course" means a college course taken by a
17 high school student for credit at both the college and high
18 school level.
19 "Qualified institution of higher learning" means one of
20 the universities listed in Section 65.40 of this Act.
21 (b) The Commission shall implement and administer a
22 teacher scholarship program, to be known as the Teach Illinois
23 Scholarship Program. The Commission shall annually award
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB2127 Introduced 2/7/2025, by Sen. Sally J. Turner SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
110 ILCS 947/65.27 110 ILCS 947/65.27
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.
LRB104 04091 LNS 14115 b LRB104 04091 LNS 14115 b
LRB104 04091 LNS 14115 b
A BILL FOR
110 ILCS 947/65.27
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1 scholarships to persons preparing to teach in areas of
2 identified staff shortages or to persons employed as teachers
3 who are preparing to teach dual credit courses within a
4 secondary school. These scholarships shall be awarded to
5 individuals who make application to the Commission and who
6 agree to take courses at qualified institutions of higher
7 learning that will prepare them to teach in areas of
8 identified staff shortages or to individuals employed as
9 teachers who make application to the Commission and who agree
10 to pursue a master's degree at a qualified institution of
11 higher learning in order to teach dual credit courses within a
12 secondary school.
13 (c) Scholarships awarded under this Section shall be
14 issued pursuant to rules promulgated by the Commission.
15 (d) Each scholarship shall be utilized by its holder for
16 the payment of tuition and non-revenue bond fees at any
17 qualified institution of higher learning. Such tuition and
18 fees shall be available only for courses that will enable the
19 individual to be licensed certified to teach in areas of
20 identified staff shortages or to be able to teach dual credit
21 courses. The Commission shall determine which courses are
22 eligible for tuition payments under this Section.
23 (e) The Commission shall make tuition payments directly to
24 the qualified institution of higher learning that the
25 individual attends for the courses prescribed.
26 (f) For any individual receiving a scholarship under this
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1 Section to teach in an area of identified staff shortage,
2 following Following the completion of the program of study,
3 the individual must accept employment to teach in an
4 elementary or secondary school in Illinois in an area of
5 identified staff shortage for a period of at least 5 years.
6 Individuals who fail to comply with this subsection (f)
7 provision shall refund all of the awarded scholarships to the
8 Commission, whether payments were made directly to the
9 institutions of higher learning or to the individuals, and
10 this condition shall be agreed to in writing by such all
11 scholarship recipients at the time the scholarship is awarded.
12 No individual shall be required to refund tuition payments if
13 his or her failure to obtain employment as a teacher in a
14 school is the result of financial conditions within school
15 districts. The rules promulgated as provided in this Section
16 shall contain provisions regarding the waiving and deferral of
17 such payments.
18 (f-5) For any individual receiving a scholarship under
19 this Section to teach dual credit courses, following the
20 completion of the program of study, the individual must teach
21 at least one dual credit course per school year in a secondary
22 school in this State for a period of at least 5 years.
23 Individuals who fail to comply with this subsection (f-5)
24 shall refund all of the awarded scholarships to the
25 Commission, whether payments were made directly to the
26 institutions of higher learning or to the individuals, and
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1 this condition shall be agreed to in writing by such
2 scholarship recipients at the time the scholarship is awarded.
3 No individual may be required to refund tuition payments if
4 his or her failure to teach a dual credit course in a secondary
5 school is the result of financial conditions within school
6 districts. The rules promulgated as provided in this Section
7 shall contain provisions regarding the waiving and deferral of
8 such payments.
9 (g) The Commission, with the cooperation of the State
10 Board of Education, shall assist individuals who have
11 participated in the scholarship program established by this
12 Section in finding employment in areas of identified staff
13 shortages or in finding dual credit courses in secondary
14 schools to teach.
15 (h) The scholarships under this Section are subject to
16 appropriations to the Commission by the General Assembly.
17 (Source: P.A. 94-205, eff. 1-1-06.)
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