Illinois Administrative Code › Title 23 - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL RESOURCES › Part 1085 - GROW YOUR OWN TEACHER GRANTS › Section 1085.90 - Forgivable Loan Program

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
Every program under the initiative shall implement a
				program of forgivable loans to cover any portion of tuition, books, and fees of
				candidates under the program in excess of the candidates' grants-in-aid. All
				students admitted to a cohort shall be eligible for a forgivable student loan.
				Loans shall be fully forgiven if a graduate completes 5 years of service in
				hard-to-staff schools or hard-to-staff teaching positions, with partial
				forgiveness for shorter periods of service. Grow Your Own Illinois shall
				establish standards for the approval of requests for waivers or deferrals from
				individuals to waive this obligation. GYOI shall also define standards for the
				fiscal management of these loan funds.
(Section 25(a) of the Act) Any
				candidate in a program administered under this Part may receive a forgivable
				loan for tuition, books and fees associated with completion of the teacher
				preparation program, provided those expenditures are not otherwise paid for
				through grants-in-aid or other resources of the consortium. Any amount expended
				for an individual's tuition, books and fees shall be considered a part of that
				individual's loan, regardless of how the payment is administered and regardless
				of whether the individual receives any actual payment of funds. The cumulative
				total amount of any candidate's loan shall not exceed $25,000.
a) Pursuant to Section 25(a) of the Act, loan
			 funds provided to candidates as part of this program
shall be fully
			 forgiven if a graduate completes 5 years of service in hard-to-staff schools or
			 hard-to-staff teaching positions, with partial forgiveness for shorter periods
			 of service.
Forgiveness and repayment of loans shall be determined as
			 provided in this Section.
b) An
			 individual may accrue the service required for forgiveness of loans under this
			 Part in one or more eligible schools or positions.
c) If an individual has not assumed
			 employment in an eligible school or position within 2 years after receiving a
			 teaching license/certificate, the individual shall be required to begin the
			 repayment of amounts loaned under this Part. No interest shall apply.
d) An individual who drops out of the program
			 shall be required to begin repaying the amounts loaned in the month following
			 the month when it becomes evident that he or she will not be completing
			 coursework required under the teacher preparation program for 2 consecutive
			 semesters.
e) If a graduate has not
			 completed 5 years of service within 10 years after receiving a teaching
			 license/certificate, the individual shall be required to begin the repayment of
			 amounts loaned under this Part. The amount due shall be the total amount
			 borrowed, less a percentage reflecting the relationship that any time taught by
			 the individual in eligible schools or positions bears to the total 5 year
			 commitment. Loan amounts shall be reduced in increments of 10% for each
			 semester completed.
f) Repayment of
			 loans shall be made in no more than 60 equal installments. The minimum monthly
			 payment will be determined by dividing the total amount due by 60. An
			 individual may prepay the balance due on the loan in its entirety at any time
			 or make payments in addition to the minimum amount owed each month without
			 penalty.
g) In addition to the loan
			 forgiveness permitted under Section 25 of the Act, GYOI may defer or waive an
			 individual's obligation to repay an amount due as provided in this subsection
			 (g).
1) GYOI shall waive the repayment
			 obligation for an individual who is counseled out of a preparation program or
			 found ineligible to continue, provided that the individual's exit from the
			 program is not due to a violation of law or of applicable institutional
			 policies.
2) GYOI shall waive the
			 repayment obligation for an individual who drops out of a preparation program
			 or demonstrates that he or she is unable to complete a portion of the required
			 teaching service due to:
A) The onset or
			 exacerbation of a disability;
B)
			 The need to care for an immediate family member during serious illness or
			 disability;
C) Destruction of the
			 individual's residence; or
D) Other
			 circumstances that require the individual to assume responsibilities that
			 cannot be avoided without serious financial hardship or other family disruption
			 (e.g., death of a spouse that results in the need to take a second job or
			 assume operation of a business).
3) GYOI shall waive the repayment obligation
			 for a candidate who does not complete a preparation program due to the
			 unavailability of a State appropriation for this initiative for at least 2
			 consecutive years.
4) GYOI shall
			 waive the repayment obligation for any candidate in good standing who cannot
			 complete the preparation program due to the consortium's ineligibility for
			 funds under Section
			 1085.70.
5) GYOI shall defer the repayment obligation
			 for a period of time specifically related to the circumstances when an
			 individual:
A) Is unemployed or is working
			 for fewer than 30 hours per week;
B) Is experiencing a financial hardship
			 (e.g., receiving public assistance, earning an amount per month that is no
			 greater than 200% of the amount of the loan payment, or experiencing
			 circumstances such as those outlined in subsection (g)(2) of this
			 Section);
C) Has re-enrolled as a
			 full-time student in an institution of higher education (for example, to pursue
			 a master's degree) or in a program under this Part (for example, to obtain
			 program training by attending a teacher education program for a specialized
			 area, such as math or science); or
D) Is deployed for active duty as a member of
			 the U.S. Armed Services, reserve forces of the United States or as a member of
			 the Illinois National Guard.
6) Each request for a waiver or deferral of
			 repayment shall be submitted in a format specified by GYOI. The affected
			 individual shall describe the specific circumstances that apply. This
			 description shall be accompanied by evidence such as a physician's statement,
			 insurance claim or other documentation of the relevant facts.