Illinois § 65.115

§ 65.115.

School and Municipal Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program. (a) To encourage Illinois students to work, and to continue to work, as a school social worker in public school districts in this State or in State municipalities, the Commission shall, each year, receive and consider applications for loan repayment assistance under this Section. This program shall be known as the School and Municipal Social Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program. The Commission shall administer the program and shall adopt all necessary and proper rules to effectively implement the program. (b) Beginning July 1, 2022, subject to a separate appropriation made for such purposes, the Commission shall award a grant, up to a maximum of $6,500, to each qualified applicant. The Commission may encourage the recipient of a grant under this Section to use the grant award for repayment of the recipient's educational loan. If an appropriation for this program for a given fiscal year is insufficient to provide grants to all qualified applicants, the Commission shall allocate the appropriation in accordance with this subsection. If funds are insufficient to provide all qualified applicants with a grant as authorized by this Section, the Commission shall allocate the available grant funds for that fiscal year to qualified applicants who submit a complete application on or before a date specified by the Commission, based on the following order of priority: (1) first, to new, qualified applicants who are members of a racial minority as defined in subsection (e); and (2) second, to other new, qualified applicants in accordance with this Section. (c) A person is a qualified applicant under this Section if he or she meets all of the following qualifications: (1) The person is a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen. (2) The person is a resident of this State. (3) The person is a borrower with an outstanding balance due on an educational loan related to obtaining a degree in social work. (4) The person has been employed as a school social worker by a public elementary school or secondary school in this State for at least 12 consecutive months or as a social worker for an Illinois municipality who did not report directly to a police department. (5) The person is currently employed as a school social worker by a public elementary school or secondary school in this State or as a social worker for an Illinois municipality who does not report directly to a police department. (d) An applicant shall submit an application, in a form determined by the Commission, for grant assistance under this Section to the Commission. An applicant is required to submit, with the application, supporting documentation as the Commission may deem necessary. (e) Racial minorities are underrepresented as school social workers in elementary and secondary schools and in municipalities in Illinois, and the General Assembly finds that it is in the interest of this State to provide them priority consideration for programs that encourage their participation in this field and thereby foster a profession that is more reflective of the diversity of Illinois residents, students and parents they will serve. A more reflective workforce in social work allows improved outcomes for individuals and a better utilization of services. Therefore, the Commission shall give priority to those applicants who are members of a racial minority. In this subsection (e), "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: (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. 102-622, eff. 7-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 102-1022, eff. 1-1-23.)