SB3763 Summary

• Awards 250 annual scholarships to students and teachers pursuing bilingual education teacher certification under Article 14C of the School Code, including high school graduates, current teachers, and those already certified.

• Requires high school principals to certify that scholarship applicants ranked in the upper one-half of their graduating class at the end of the sixth semester and are Illinois residents.

• Provides scholarship holders exemption from fees for up to 4 calendar years while enrolled in a transitional bilingual education teacher education program at the university level or graduate level.

• Requires scholarship recipients to begin teaching at Illinois public, private, or parochial preschools or K-12 schools within one year of graduation and teach for at least 2 of the 5 years following graduation, with specified exemptions for military service, graduate study, disability, and other circumstances.

• Requires repayment of waived tuition plus 5% annual interest if recipients fail to meet teaching obligations, except in cases of death or legal disability.