ISAC State Legislative Update
Katharine Gricevich
Director of Government Relations
February 27, 2024
Note: Bill statuses are accurate as of the date of this report. For updates, please check the Illinois General Assembly website, www.ilga.gov.
The second spring session of the two-year 103rd General Assembly is underway, and legislators have introduced nearly three thousand new bills and many resolutions to start the new year. Still, many statehouse observers expect a relaxed legislative pace through the state's March 19th primary elections, after which committee hearings and budget negotiations are expected to pick up in earnest.
This month's major milestone was Governor JB Pritzker's February 21st delivery of his budget recommendations for the upcoming state fiscal year 2025, which starts July 1, 2024.
The Governor's proposal projects FY25 state general funds revenue of $52.993 billion and recommends spending $52.697 billion. While income tax rates would not change under the plan, the proposal calls for increasing (rather than eliminating as scheduled) a cap on corporate deductions for operating losses, increasing the tax rate paid by sports wagering entities, and reducing a credit claimed by retailers for collecting sales tax.
In his address, the Governor laid out priorities both immediate and longer-term—from requesting additional state funds to respond to the recent arrivals of asylum-seekers in the Chicago area, and leveraging $10 million in state funds to eliminate $1 billion worth of Illinoisans' medical debt, to achieving universal preschool access by 2027 and 100% pension funding by 2048. He proposed investments in maternal health, homelessness prevention, and a new tax credit for families of children under three. Announcing a centerpiece of his legislative plans for the coming months, the Governor declared his willingness to "spend serious political capital" to achieve insurance reforms including a ban on so-called "junk plans" and limits on step therapy and preauthorization requirements, particularly in the case of mental health crises.
The budget book containing Governor Pritzker's full FY25 recommendations, a summary presentation, and other supporting information are available at budget.illinois.gov.
Under the Governor's FY25 proposal, about $2.55 billion in general funds would go towards higher education. This is about 4.8% of the overall $52.697 billion spending proposal for general funds.
This proposed funding builds on recent improvements for Illinois higher education, including a FY24 budget that the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) has described as the largest investment and the largest increase in higher education in two decades.
Highlights related to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission include the following:
- For MAP, a $10 million increase would raise program funding to approximately $711.6 million. For comparison, in FY19, the program's appropriation stood at about $401.3 million. If the Governor's FY25 request is approved, program funding will have increased by about 77% since he first took office.
- The Governor is recommending $5 million from state General Funds to continue the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship. Federal funding allowed the state to kickstart this program in FY22 with scholarships that could cover as much as the student's total cost of attendance. These scholarships have given a significant boost to about 4,000 members of the early childhood education and care workforce. With federal dollars unavailable after the current 2023-24 academic year, the program's future structure will need to be reconfigured. ISAC will continue working with the IBHE and Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), with input from other stakeholders, to determine how to target the available state funds most effectively.
- A new appropriation of $250,000 would allow the launch of the Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program, which has not previously been funded.
- Two new scholarship initiatives would be funded by special purpose lottery scratch-off tickets: Up to $2.5 million each, depending on ticket sales, could be passed through to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) Illinois and the Illinois DREAM Fund Commission. Each organization will use the funds to bolster their scholarship initiatives for Illinois students. (The UNCF scholarships will be available to Illinois students choosing colleges that work with UNCF, whether inside or outside Illinois.)
- Other scholarship, grant, and loan repayment programs would continue to be funded at their FY24 levels under this proposal. This includes AIM HIGH; Minority Teachers of Illinois; Golden Apple Scholars; Golden Apple Accelerators; Police, Fire, and Correctional Officer Dependents Grants; the iGROW Tech Scholarship; grant and loan repayment programs for school and municipal social workers; the Nursing Education Scholarship; the Illinois Teachers Loan Repayment Program; the Nurse Educator Loan Repayment Program; the Community Behavioral Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program, and programs funded from special state funds.
- The proposal does not include funding for the Prepare for Illinois' Future Program. Established through the FY24 budget implementation bill (BIMP), the Prepare for Illinois' Future Program is intended to provide Illinois college students access to free test preparation services for graduate and professional school entrance exams and professional licensing exams. Note that although this funding isn’t part of the Governor’s opening proposal for FY25, legislators can still include it in the final appropriations bill if they choose.
Elsewhere in higher education, the proposal includes a $30.6 million, or 2%, general funds increase for public universities' ($24.6 million) and community colleges' ($6 million) operating costs. The proposed budget for ICCB also includes level funding of nearly $4.3 million to reimburse community colleges for waiving tuition and fees under the Illinois Veteran Grant and Illinois National Guard Grant. A $450,000 increase would allow expansion of the Common App program to community college students transferring to Illinois public universities, and another $450,000 would support an IBHE=ICCB data dashboard to track institutions' progress toward closing student equity gaps.
The Governor's proposal is an early step in the budget process. Appropriations committees will begin to meet soon, and budget negotiations are expected to continue through the General Assembly's scheduled adjournment May 24th, if not beyond. The Senate President and House Speaker have instructed their chambers to keep their schedules clear through May 31st.
Other legislation related to ISAC or the agency's mission are summarized below. Bill status updates are current as of February 23, 2024. For updates and the full text, please visit the Illinois General Assembly website, www.ilga.gov.
Appointment Messages
Appointment Message (AM) 1030416 (Murphy) re-nominates current Commissioner Darryl Arrington to serve another term as a member of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Executive Appointments Committee
New-to-ISAC Programs
SB 102 (Fowler) would create a workforce industry shortage scholarship, administered by ISAC. The program would provide scholarships of up to $5,000 to qualified students who, in order to meet regional or statewide workforce needs, are pursuing a professional certificate, credential, diploma, or degree from a public institution of higher learning. ISAC would annually identify, and could prioritize scholarships for, industry sectors with significant regional or statewide workforce needs. The program would require annual review and updates of programs approved for the scholarship, which could affect students' aid eligibility mid-program. Effective immediately.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Higher Education Committee
SB 3703 (Faraci) would direct ISAC, subject to appropriation, to establish a nursing student stipend program beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year. The program would reimburse eligible applicants for the pre-licensure nursing program cost incurred during the previous academic year from a baccalaureate degree nursing program. Effective July 1, 2025.
- Status: Senate Assignments Committee (not yet assigned)
SB 3714 (L. Collins) would create the Community Hospice and Palliative Care Professional Loan Repayment Program Act. It would require ISAC, by January 1, 2025, to create program to provide loan repayment assistance, subject to appropriation, to eligible hospice and palliative professionals practicing in a hospice program that provides services in the State. The Act would sunset after 10 years.
- Status: Senate Assignments Committee (not yet assigned)
SB 3560 (Villa) would direct ISAC to establish a Manufacturing Promise Scholarship Program to award scholarships, subject to appropriation, to State residents in a public community college program with a major in manufacturing or a skilled trade or in an apprenticeship or union program. Each fiscal year, ISAC would be required to reserve 20% of the amount appropriated for students who are from underrepresented areas (which are not defined by the bill). Provides that the Commission shall make scholarships available to traditional college-aged students, adults, and non-traditional students. Recipients would not be required to return scholarship funds.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Appropriations – Education Committee
SB 3592 (Stadelman) would create the Journalism Student Scholarship Program, administered by ISAC to award scholarships to students who will work at a local news organization in the State for a period of not less than 2 years. The scholarship would be one piece of a larger initiative intended to shore up locally owned and operated news sources in Illinois. Among the other efforts would be a provision in a new Strengthening Community Media Act that would require all State agencies to direct at least 50% of total spending on advertising to local news organization publications.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Executive Committee
HB 5024 (Mason) would amend the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity Act and the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. It would establish the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity Scholarship Program (which has so far been funded from federal dollars) in state law, administered by ISAC. Subject to appropriation, the ECACE Scholarship would support early childhood education students enrolled in institutions of higher education participating in the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity, with preference given to members of the incumbent workforce. To ensure alignment with Consortium goals and changing workforce needs, ISAC would consult with the Board of Higher Education and Illinois Community College Board in establishing and, as needed, updating the Program's parameters. An amendment to the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act would specifically allow ISAC to pursue emergency rulemaking for the Program. The bill would also adjust reporting requirements, remove provisions requiring geographic regional hubs for Consortium members, remove references to the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development, provide for certain appointments to be made by the Department of Human Services, make changes to term lengths of advisory committee members, and reduce the number of mandated advisory committee meetings from four to two times per year. Effective immediately.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 5453 (Ammons) would make the Public University Uniform Admission Pilot Program permanent. Beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year, IBHE, in collaboration with ICCB, ISAC, and ISBE, would be required to establish a direct admission program to automatically offer admission to a public university to qualified high school seniors in this State and public community college students in this State who qualify to transfer to a public university. Provides that under the direct admission program, a public university is required to offer admission to any high school senior who meets the public university's coursework standards for admission and to any public community college transfer student who meets specified criteria.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 5475 (Lilly) would create a nursing in correctional facilities scholarship, administered by ISAC. In addition to the scholarship, recipients would receive a stipend of up to $10,000 to cover other costs of attendance. Recipients would be required to commit to working as a nurse in a correctional facility. Effective July 1, 2025.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 5492 (Mussman) would create programs run by ISAC and ISBE to address the need for school support personnel, including school social workers, school psychologists, school counselors, school nurses, and speech-language pathologists. Subject to appropriation, beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, ISAC would be required to establish a school support personnel educator preparation scholarship program to annually award up to 250 scholarships for school psychology, school counseling, school nursing, and school speech-language pathology. ISAC would also implement a School Support Personnel Work Shortage Loan Repayment Program for employees in the same fields. (Notably, ISAC already administers both a grant program and a loan repayment program for school social workers.) Subject to appropriation, ISBE would also be tasked with establishing two programs: a program of paid internships for students enrolled in educator preparation programs in the school support personnel endorsement areas named above, as well as a mentorship and recruitment program to develop and maintain interest in these school support personnel endorsement areas.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
Bills Making Changes to Existing ISAC-Administered Programs
SB 93 (Tracy) adds two additional metrics that for-profit institutions would need to meet to participate in MAP: They would need to (i) not exceed a 15% 3-year student loan cohort default rate (beginning in 2023-24) and (ii) maintain an 80% "student success rate" (beginning in 2024-25), where "student success rate" means the percentage of students who complete their program of study OR subsequently enroll within 4 and one-half years after entering the qualified for-profit institution. For-profit institutions that did not meet those eligibility requirements would be subject to a probationary academic year during which they would be required to notify all MAP-eligible current and prospective students that the student could lose that eligibility. If the institution fails to meet the for-profit institution eligibility requirements for 2 consecutive academic years, an applicant enrolled at the institution must lose Monetary Award Program grant eligibility. For students to regain MAP grant eligibility at that institution, the institution must meet the for-profit institution eligibility requirements for at least 2 consecutive academic years.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Higher Education Committee
SB 284 (Rezin) would allow students in educator preparation programs one year of additional MAP eligibility in exchange for three years teaching in Illinois (or repaying the grant). Currently, an eligible student may receive a need-based MAP grant for up to 135 MAP-paid credit hours, and a student who has already attained a bachelor's degree cannot receive MAP. This MAP Teacher Extension, beginning with the 2024-25 academic year and lasting through 2028-29, would allow an additional year of MAP eligibility for a student who has used 135 credit hours or already holds a bachelor's degree if that student is in a teacher preparation program. In exchange for one additional academic year of MAP eligibility, the bill would require the student to teach in Illinois for three years within the five years following receipt of the Professional Educator License. If the recipient did not complete that teaching requirement, the additional MAP funds received would have to be repaid (i.e., ISAC would have to track all recipients for compliance and attempt to collect these dollars). The proposal would thereby add a "clawback" provision to the state's flagship need-based grant program, establish different front-end and back-end requirements for different students within MAP, and set a precedent for MAP to be carved into separate programs for different majors/professions.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Higher Education Committee
SB 2040 (Toro) would establish a higher limit for the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship during a term when the recipient is student teaching. Repayment amounts would still be capped at the current MTI maximum of $7,500. This is one of multiple bills this spring to provide financial support for student teachers and other professionals whose training includes a clinical/experiential requirement.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Appropriations – Education Committee
SB 2404 (Villivalam) would change the standards that would entitle students to in-state tuition. Legislators several years ago established that students meeting certain criteria would be entitled to in-state tuition rates at Illinois public postsecondary institutions, regardless of immigration status. Among the criteria, the student must have lived with parents while attending high school in Illinois for at least three years. Under this bill, there would no longer be a requirement that the student lived with a parent while attending school in Illinois, and other types of school attendance in Illinois could qualify a student for in-state tuition. Notably, a student who attended a community college in Illinois and attained an associate degree or completed the minimum requirements for transfer into an Illinois public university would now be entitled to in-state tuition. Of interest to ISAC, these changes will also result in revised screening questions for a student to use the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (created after passage of the RISE Act), and they will allow additional students to apply for ISAC programs and other state-funded financial aid. However, as is the case with the RISE Act today, the student would still need to meet other program requirements to actually be awarded aid, including programs’ own residency requirements. The expansion in these bills would lead to an increase in the number of students who could apply for Illinois financial aid programs, but because ISAC programs are generally subject to appropriation, this would not necessarily increase their costs.
The House version, HB 2823 (Ortiz) passed the House Higher Ed Committee last year. Rep. Ortiz has filed a new version, HB 5568.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Appropriations – Education Committee
SB 2677 (Hastings) creates a sliding eligibility scale for the Illinois Veteran Grant Program based on the veteran's length of service, and it allows recipients to pass benefits along to a dependent. Veterans would need to have served at least three years to qualify for a full 120 credits. The sliding scale would be implemented July 1, 2024, while the provision allowing transfer of benefits to a qualified dependent would begin with the 2025-2026 academic year. The bill would also prohibit a student from receiving a Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents scholarship and IVG simultaneously. Effective July 1, 2024.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Appropriations – Education Committee
SB 2686 (Halpin) Appropriates $26,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to reimburse public universities and community colleges for costs associated with the Illinois Veteran Grant Program and the Illinois National Guard and Naval Militia grant program. Effective July 1, 2024.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Appropriations – Education Committee
SB 2776 (Toro) requires ISAC to administer a student teaching stipend program as part of the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Program. Subject to a separate appropriation, beginning with the 2025-26 academic year ISAC would award additional funds to recipients of scholarships who apply for stipends, are student teaching, and have financial need. The amount subject to repayment for that year would still be capped at $7,500, which is the maximum scholarship amount available under current law.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Appropriations – Education Committee
SB 2838 (S. Turner) would allow scholarships awarded under the Teach Illinois Scholarship Program to 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. Anoyone receiving a scholarship to teach dual credit courses, following the completion of the program of study, would be required to 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. Those who failed to comply would be required to refund all of the awarded scholarships to ISAC. Effective July 1, 2025. NOTE: The Teach Illinois Scholarship program has never been funded or implemented.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Appropriations – Education Committee
SB 3082 (Fine) would appropriate $15,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for costs associated with the Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program Act. Effective July 1, 2024.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Appropriations – Education Committee
SB 3397 (Villanueva) removes for-profit educational organizations from the definition of "institution of higher learning", "qualified institution", and "institution" that applies throughout the Higher Education Student Assistance Act, and it specifically makes students at for-profit institutions ineligible for MAP. Effective July 1, 2025.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Appropriations – Education Committee
HB 4337 (Schmidt) would provide veterans additional time to return to Illinois after discharge to qualify for the Illinois Veteran Grant Program (IVG). Today, a veteran must return to Illinois within six months of leaving federal active duty service, or, if married to a person in continued military service, within 6 months of the time the spouse is discharged stationed in Illinois. The bill would extend those periods from 6 months to one year.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 4601 (LaPointe) would appropriate $15,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for costs associated with the Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program Act. Effective July 1, 2024.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 4725 (Gonzalez) would amend the Retention of Illinois Students and Equity Act. Under the bill, a noncitizen graduate student who is an Illinois resident but who does not possess a valid visa or status as a lawful permanent resident would be eligible for State financial aid and benefits.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 5437 (McCombie) amends the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act to transfer the powers and duties under the Act from the Board of Higher Education to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. Whereas current law requires IBHE to contract annually for an independent evaluation of program implementation, the bill would require ISAC to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the program, which could be done by contracting with an outside entity. Effective immediately.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 5482 (Gonzalez) would provide that, notwithstanding any other law of this State to the contrary, effective on January 1, 2025, or as soon thereafter as is feasible, ISAC would release from remaining repayment obligations any recipient of a scholarship, grant, or waiver that has been or may be converted to a student loan under a State program for which the Commission is responsible for collections. The bill would remove provisions concerning repaying funds received due to the failure of the recipient to fulfill scholarship, grant, or waiver obligations. Recipients would still pledge to complete these obligations and provide evidence to the Commission that the recipient is fulfilling or fulfilled the terms of the agreement. While the bill provides "catch-all" language directing ISAC to release repayment obligations for all programs, changes in the bill would specifically amend language governing the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program, the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program, special education teacher tuition waivers, the Optometric Education Scholarship Program, Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License Scholarships, the iGROW Tech Scholarship Program, and the Nursing Education Scholarship Law.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 5568 (Ortiz) would change the standards that entitle students to in-state tuition. Legislators several years ago established that students meeting certain criteria would be entitled to in-state tuition rates at Illinois public postsecondary institutions, regardless of immigration status. Among the criteria, the student must have lived with parents while attending high school in Illinois for at least three years. Under this bill, there would no longer be a requirement that the student lived with a parent while attending school in Illinois, and other types of school attendance in Illinois could qualify a student for in-state tuition. Notably, a student who attended a community college in Illinois and attained an associate degree or completed the minimum requirements for transfer into an Illinois public university would now be entitled to in-state tuition. Of interest to ISAC, these changes will also result in revised screening questions for a student to use the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (created after passage of the RISE Act), and they will allow additional students to apply for ISAC programs and other state-funded financial aid. However, as is the case with the RISE Act today, the student would still need to meet other program requirements to actually be awarded aid, including programs' own residency requirements. The expansion in these bills would lead to an increase in the number of students who could apply for Illinois financial aid programs, but because ISAC programs are generally subject to appropriation, this would not necessarily increase their costs. See also the Senate version, SB 2404 (Villivalam).
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 5613 (Ozinga) would amend the Illinois Income Tax Act. In provisions concerning a deduction for contributions to a College Savings Pool account or the Illinois Prepaid Tuition Trust Fund, it would remove the existing $10,000 limit for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
Other Bills Affecting Access and Affordability
The remaining bills in this report make no direct changes to ISAC programs, but they may affect college access and affordability and/or financial aid processing.
SB 91 (Tracy) expands the list of conflicts that may make a veteran's dependent eligible for the University of Illinois Children of Veterans Tuition Waiver, including veterans who served in the armed forces of the United States until any time on or after August 2, 1990, and until Congress or the President orders that persons in service are no longer eligible for the Kosovo Campaign Medal or the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. Note that regardless of the number of conflicts that could qualify under the law, the number of waivers per county under this waiver program is capped at three. That cap is unchanged by this bill.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Appropriations – Education Committee
SB 236 (McClure) expands the list of conflicts that may make a veteran's dependent eligible for the University of Illinois Children of Veterans Tuition Waiver. It would include the children of veterans who served during the invasion of Panama between December 20, 1989, and January 31, 1990. Note that regardless of the number of conflicts that could qualify under the law, the number of waivers per county under this waiver program is capped at three. That cap is unchanged by this bill.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Appropriations – Education Committee
SB 2222 (Fine) would require that all internships for school social workers be paid internships, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, and it would provide for two new grant programs to support this mandate. Subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education would award competitive grants on an annual basis to school districts to assist in the funding of these paid internships, prioritizing schools that demonstrate a shortage of school social workers. ISBE would report annually on the program. Also subject to appropriation, the Board of Higher Education would award competitive grants on an annual basis to colleges or universities in the State to fund field placements for social workers. The colleges and universities would then award the funding to students, giving priority to applicants who are a member of a racial minority. Each college or university that received funds would provide an annual report to IBHE for publication on its website. Effective immediately.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Appropriations – Education Committee
SB 2690 (Porfirio) would require each public institution of higher education to cover any transcript evaluation fees that the public institution of higher education would otherwise require to be paid by a refugee during the admission process. The institution could pay these fees on behalf of the refugee or reimburse the refugee for payment. Effective immediately.
- Status: Passed Senate Higher Education Committee 10-0-0, Senate 2nd Reading
SB 2862 (T. Bennett) would require the IBHE to compile and publish, on an annual basis, a list of the most in-demand jobs in this State, along with the starting salary, the median salary, and the typical education level for those jobs. Effective July 1, 2024.
- Status: Passed Senate Higher Education Committee 12-0-0, Senate 2nd Reading
SB 2928 (Toro) would create the Second Chance Seat in Every Class Act. Among its changes, the bill would require that each institution of higher education reserve at least one enrollment in each class for a returning resident (a formerly incarcerated Illinoisan) and at least one enrollment in each online class for an incarcerated individual. The bill would create an Incarcerated Individuals and Returning Residents Educational Supply Fund to pay for costs that incarcerated individuals and returning residents incur for books or other supplies needed to take classes under the Act. The new fund would be supported by requiring campus bookstores to pay 1% of gross revenues to the fund. The bill would also prohibit institutions of higher education from considering criminal history information when making any decision about an applicant or student, inquiring about or considering criminal history information at any time during the admission decision-making process, or placing an applicant or student on probationary or similar status based upon criminal history information, with exceptions. Effective immediately.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Appropriations – Education Committee
SB 2986 (Halpin) creates a process for community colleges to seek approval to offer baccalaureate degree programs. The Board of Higher Education, in consultation with the Illinois Community College Board, would create a standardized electronic form by which a community college district could document student demand or workforce need for a specific baccalaureate degree completion program and demonstrate that the demand or need is currently unmet or that there is insufficient access to such a program in the district. If the Board of Higher Education determines that unmet student demand or workforce need for a program exists, IBHE would communicate a request for baccalaureate partnership notification to all public universities.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Higher Education Committee
SB 3081 (Villanueva) would require each public university to waive any admissions application fee for a student transferring from a public community college in this State if the transferring student is enrolled in the last semester of a degree program and is on schedule to graduate with a degree. Effective immediately.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Higher Education Committee, Postponed
SB 3113 (Hunter) would require that, beginning with state fiscal year 2026 and for each fiscal year thereafter, the state budget would include an explanation of the manner in which provisions of the budget further the Governor's efforts to ensure equity in the State. Specified agencies (ISBE, the Department on Aging, the Department of Central Management Services, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Illinois Department of Labor, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Public Health, and the Illinois Department of Transportation) would be required to report annually to the General Assembly on how the most recently adopted State budget promotes equity. The Governor's Office of Management and Budget would also be required to report on how the budget has addressed equity. Effective immediately.
- Status: Senate Assignments Committee (not yet assigned)
SB 3132 (Halpin) would make several changes sought by the Illinois Community College Board, mostly technical in nature (e.g., changing reporting dates and clarifying existing provisions). Of interest to institutions, it would also repeal a provision (110 ILCS 983/20) of the Know Before You Owe Private Education Loan Act that currently requires institutions to annually certify their compliance with the Act to the IBHE or ICCB, as appropriate. Effective immediately.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Higher Education Committee
SB 3133 (Stadelman) would allow a state College Savings Pool account (e.g., Bright Start) to be rolled over into a Roth IRA account, to the extent permitted by Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. Effective immediately.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Financial Institutions Committee
SB 3138 (Feigenholtz) would amend the Children and Family Services Act. In a provision requiring the Department of Children and Family Services to award post-secondary education scholarships and fee waivers to eligible students, it would prohibit schools from requiring a recipient to maintain a specified minimum grade point average to continue to receive scholarships and fee waivers, while still requiring that students must be making satisfactory progress toward completing their degree at a community college, university, or college. DCFS would be required to adopt rules identifying the criteria for "satisfactory progress toward completing a degree." Whereas current law requires the institution to waive any tuition and fee amounts beyond the federal Pell Grant and state MAP grant for eligible students, the bill would require any tuition and fees beyond Pell to be waived. Effective immediately.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Higher Education Committee
SB 3215 (D. Turner) would require the IBHE to administer a student teaching stipend program to alleviate the financial burden of student teaching, to encourage students to pursue teaching careers to alleviate the state's teacher shortage, and to encourage current teachers to be matched with student teachers. Subject to available appropriations, the Board would provide each educator preparation program (a) funds to distribute to each eligible student a stipend of up to $10,000 per semester for up to 2 consecutive semesters, plus additional funds to pay the direct costs of operating the stipend program, and (b) funds to distribute to each eligible cooperating teacher a stipend of up to $2,000 per semester for up to 2 consecutive semesters per academic year, plus additional funds to pay the direct costs of operating the stipend program. Assuming the program is funded, IBHE and the State Board of Education would be required to report on its impact on educator preparation programs to the General Assembly and Governor on or before June 30, 2028. Effective immediately.
- Status: Senate Assignments Committee (not yet assigned)
SB 3273 (Villanueva) would amend the Illinois Income Tax Act. This initiative of Forefront, a statewide alliance of non-profits that represents the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations of Illinois, creates a deduction for an amount equal to the amount included in the taxpayer's federal adjusted gross income that is attributable to student loan repayment assistance received by the taxpayer during the taxable year from a qualified community foundation if the taxpayer is a qualified worker. Effective immediately. HB 4736, identical legislation, has been filed in the House.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Revenue Committee
SB 3276 (D. Turner) would appropriate $50,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Board of Higher Education for all costs and expenses associated with a student teaching stipend program. Effective July 1, 2024.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Appropriations – Education Committee
SB 3395 (Feigenholtz) combines several initiatives to support music and music education. A Music Education Scholarship Act would allow the Board of Higher Education to award scholarships to applicants who are enrolled in or accepted for admission to an associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degree program in music education and who agree to meet certain teaching obligations. A Music and Musicians Tax Credit and Jobs Act would allow the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to award credits to qualified music companies. Changes to the Illinois Income Tax Act would create income tax credits for theater infrastructure projects, and the Live Theater Production Tax Credit Act would be renamed and expanded to support live musical performances in addition to theatrical ones.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Revenue Committee
SB 3579 (Hunter) would create a Loan Repayment Assistance for Optometrists Act administered by the Department of Public Health. Beginning July 1, 2025, an applicant would be eligible for assistance if, among other qualifications, the applicant is practicing full time in this State as an optometrist, is currently repaying educational loans, and agrees to continue full time practice in this State for at least 3 years. Provides that for each year that a qualified applicant practices full time in this State as an optometrist, the Department shall award a grant to that person in an amount equal to the amount in educational loans that the person must repay that year. Effective January 1, 2025.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Appropriations – Health and Human Services Committee
SB 3580 (Rose) would require each public university to ensure that an academic advisor or counselor acts with a duty of care or fiduciary duty to provide academic guidance and advice that is strictly in the best interest of the student whom he or she advises or counsels.
- Status: Senate Assignments Committee (not yet assigned)
SB 3581 (Rose) would require public universities and community colleges to report specified student enrollment data to the IBHE or ICCB, as appropriate, by the 11th day after the start of the academic year, to be posted on the agencies' websites. Data would include prior and current year enrollment, specifying numbers attending full-time, on-line, or in-person, along with the five-year rolling average enrollment.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Higher Education Committee
SB 3582 (Rose) would require that if a public university has a law school, medical school, or nursing program, the admissions process must establish that 25% of the students admitted to the law school, medical school, or nursing program be rural students; defines "rural student". Each of these rural students would be required to agree to return to the county where the student's primary residence was located for a period of 3 years after graduation. Effective July 1, 2024.
- Status: Senate Assignments Committee (not yet assigned)
SB 3594 (Castro) would amend the Illinois Articulation Initiative Act. In the provisions concerning participation, all public institutions of higher would be required to maintain at least one core course (instead of up to 4 core courses) in each of the Illinois Articulation Initiative majors, provided that the public institution has equivalent majors and courses. If the institution does not have an equivalent major, lower-division courses, or both, that align with the major panel's descriptors and course approval criteria, then the public institution would be considered to be compliant with those provisions, as determined by the director of the Illinois Articulation Initiative. Effective immediately.
- Status: Assigned to Senate Higher Education Committee
SB 3722 (Lightford) would amend the Public University Uniform Admission Pilot Program Act, making the direct admission program permanent. Under the Public University Direct Admission Program Act, beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year, the Board of Higher Education, in collaboration with the Illinois Community College Board, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and the State Board of Education, would establish a direct admission program to automatically offer admission to a public university to qualified high school seniors in this State and public community college students in this State who qualify to transfer to a public university. Under the direct admission program, a public university would be required to offer admission to any high school senior who meets the public university's coursework standards for admission and to any public community college transfer student who meets specified criteria. Effective immediately.
- Status: Senate Assignments Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 2504 (Ammons) would appropriate $1 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Fund.
- Status: Assigned to House Higher Education – Appropriations Committee
HB 4218 (Yang Rohr) would amend the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act and direct postsecondary institutions to require applicants for admission to report which College and Career Pathway Endorsements, if any, they have received.
- Status: Assigned to House Higher Education Committee
HB4252 (Buckner) would create the Student-Athlete Bill of Rights Act. Each postsecondary institution would be required to post a notice detailing specified rights that student-athletes have under federal law and where a complaint may be filed for a violation, as well as to appoint an ombudsperson outside the athletics department to support student-athletes. The Act would also prohibit institutions from retaliating against a student-athlete for good faith complaints about violations or potential violations of a student-athlete's rights. The IBHE would be tasked with providing administrative support to a new Commission on College Athletics, which would pursue research and recommendations and monitor athletic programs at postsecondary educational institutions.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 4341 (Tarver) would require the State Treasurer to establish and administer the Invest in Illinois Higher Education Program for the purposes of expanding access to higher education through scholarships awarded from the Invest in Illinois Higher Education Fund (which would be created by this bill. The Invest in Illinois Higher Education Fund would receive private donations, which would be eligible for a 100% tax credit under the bill. Effective immediately.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 4435 (Stuart) would create an income tax deduction for any amounts paid by the taxpayer's employer on behalf of the taxpayer as part of an educational assistance program, as well as a deduction for an employer for any amounts paid on behalf of their employee as part of an educational assistance program. Both deductions are limited to the first $5,250 of assistance furnished to any individual.
- Status: Assigned to House Revenue & Finance Committee
HB 4473 (Gill) would create a Career and Technical Education Task Force within the State Board of Education to examine how to involve more students in technical education. The task force would be required to report annually and would be dissolved January 1, 2026.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 4492 (Severin) would amend the State Universities Civil Service Act regarding public university tuition waivers. Each academic year, a public university would be required offer a 50% tuition waiver for undergraduate education to each child of an employee of the State Universities Civil Service System ("University System") who has been employed by the University System for an aggregate period of at least 7 years. Each public university would also be required to offer a full tuition waiver for undergraduate education to each child of a person who died while employed full time by the University System or while on leave from full-time employment. Effective July 1, 2024.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 4577 (Mason) would provide that no public high school may punish or penalize a student because of an unpaid balance on the student's school account. This is an enhancement of current law, which already states that a school may not withhold a student's grades, transcripts, or diploma because of an unpaid balance through May 5, 2025. The bill would also remove that sunset date. Effective immediately.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 4652 (B. Hernandez) would amend the Board of Higher Education Act to provide that, subject to appropriation, the Board of Higher Education shall create a student teaching stipend program to alleviate the financial burden of student teaching and to encourage students to pursue teaching careers to alleviate this State's teacher shortage. To participate in the stipend program, an eligible student must be placed as a student teacher no later than June 1, 2025, or no later than June 1 each year thereafter. The educator preparation program would notify the Board of all eligible students who qualify for the stipend program by July 1, 2025, and no later than July 1 each year thereafter, and all eligible students shall be participants in the stipend program. No later than August 1, 2025, and no later than August 1 each year thereafter, subject to available appropriations, the Board would disburse to each educator preparation program funds to distribute to each eligible student a stipend of up to $10,000 per semester for up to 2 consecutive semesters, plus additional funds to pay the direct costs of operating the stipend program. The educator preparation program could distribute stipend funds using the standard methods for allocating State-based financial aid or as wages for employment to each eligible student in monthly installments.
- Status: Assigned to House Higher Education Committee
HB 4720 (Hirschauer) would amend the State Treasurer Act to allow supplemental educational savings deposits of $50 or more for children who are Medicaid beneficiaries. Beginning in 2026, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services would provide the State Treasurer with information on Medicaid recipients with one or more dependent children born after December 31, 2025, for the purpose of identifying the amount of seed funds to be deposited for each beneficiary.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 4736 (Stuart) amends the Illinois Income Tax Act. This initiative of Forefront, a statewide alliance of non-profits that represents the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations of Illinois, creates a deduction for an amount equal to the amount included in the taxpayer's federal adjusted gross income that is attributable to student loan repayment assistance received by the taxpayer during the taxable year from a qualified community foundation if the taxpayer is a qualified worker. Effective immediately. SB 3273 (Villanueva), identical legislation, has been filed in the Senate.
- Status: Assigned to House Revenue & Finance Committee
HB 4858 (Walker) would amend the Illinois Income Tax Act to provide that a qualified taxpayer who has annual student loan repayment expenses is eligible for an income tax credit equal to the taxpayer's student loan repayment expenses for the taxable year, but not to exceed $3,000 per taxpayer. Effective immediately.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 4913 (B. Hernandez) would appropriate $50,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Board of Higher Education for all costs and expenses associated with a student teaching stipend program. Effective July 1, 2024.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 4940 (Stuart) would create the Loan Repayment Assistance for Optometrists Act, providing that the Department of Public Health establish an educational loan repayment assistance program for optometrists who practice in this State, beginning July 1, 2025. An applicant would be eligible for assistance if, among other qualifications, the applicant is practicing full time in this State as an optometrist, is currently repaying educational loans, and agrees to continue full time practice in this State for at least 3 years. For each year that a qualified applicant practices full time in this State as an optometrist, the Department would award a grant to that person in an amount equal to the amount in educational loans that the person must repay that year. Effective January 1, 2025.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 5020 (Blair-Sherlock) would amend the Dual Credit Quality Act, making changes concerning high school and community college partnership agreements, the Dual Credit Committee, instructor and other standards for dual credit courses, and the data in reports made by institutions of higher learning. The ICCB and ISBE would be required to develop a Dual Credit Instructor Endorsement Framework by December 31, 2024. The Framework would establish criteria for evaluating instructors on the basis of academic credentials, progress toward academic credentials, equivalent experience, or some combination of these. Sets forth what the criteria shall include and what the Framework may do. Effective immediately.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 5081 (Yednock) would create the Investing in Tomorrow's Workforce Act, to be administered primarily by the Illinois State Board of Education to support students' career and technical education. It would create an income tax credit for a taxpayer that makes a qualified contribution to a scholarship granting organization for which the taxpayer has received a certificate of receipt from the organization. Effective immediately.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 5093 (DuBuclet) creates the Student Bill of Rights Act, which would require the State Board of Education and the Board of Higher Education to jointly establish, no later than January 1, 2025, a student bill of rights to outline that students in public schools and public institutions of higher education have a right to educational equity and to be free from discrimination based on race, sex, gender, socioeconomic status, and mental or physical ability. ISBE and IBHE would publish the student bill of rights on their Internet websites and make a handout available, and each public institution of higher education, the Illinois Community College Board, and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission would link to the student bill of rights published on the Board of Higher Education's Internet website. Effective immediately.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 5158 (Syed) would appropriates $5,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for grants to specified organizations as deemed appropriate by the Department for purposes of administering pre-apprenticeship workforce development programs that support education and training programming targeted to individuals under the age of 18 who reside in underserved areas in specified fields. It would also appropriate $5,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Community College Board for grants to community college districts and public high schools for the purposes of administering the 21st Century Employment grant program. Effective July 1, 2024.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 5210 (Hoffman) would create a state income tax deduction for any amount included in the taxpayer's federal adjusted gross income as a result of discharge of student loan indebtedness. It would also create an income tax credit for qualified higher education expenses incurred during the taxable year by or on behalf of a qualifying public university student or community college student, and an income tax credit for qualified higher education expenses incurred during the taxable year by the parent or guardian of a qualified apprentice, trade, or vocational student. Effective immediately.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 5292 (Syed) would create the Scholarship Displacement Act. Beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, a public institution of higher education would be allowed to reduce a student's institutional financial aid as a result of the awarding of private scholarships to the student only if the student's total financial aid from all sources exceeds the student's financial need until the student's total financial aid no longer exceeds the student's financial need or only if the student is a student-athlete and the institution is complying with the individual or team financial aid restrictions of any athletic association, conference, or other group or organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics. Effective immediately.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)
HB 5494 (Du Buclet) amends the Public Higher Education Act to require that a public institution of higher education display the estimated costs of all required course materials and directly related course fees for no less than 75% of the total number of for-credit courses offered by the public institution of higher education. By December 31, 2025, the Board of Higher Education would submit a report to the General Assembly that details how each public institution of higher education is ensuring compliance with these provisions. Effective immediately.
- Status: House Rules Committee (not yet assigned)