(110 ILCS 952/10)
Sec. 10.
Definitions.
The following terms, whenever used or referred to, have the following meanings, except where the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Advisory Council" means the Mental Health Consortium Advisory Council created under Section 35 of this Act.
"Approved institution" means a public or private college or university located in this State.
"Department" means the Department of Human Services.
"Designated shortage area" means an area designated by the Secretary as a shortage area, a mental health underserved area, or a critical mental health manpower shortage area, as defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services or as further defined by the Illinois Department of Human Services to enable it to effectively fulfill the purpose stated in Section 5 of this Act. These areas may include the following:
(1) an urban or rural area;
(2) a population group; or
(3) a public or nonprofit private mental health
|
"Enrollment" means the establishment and maintenance of |
| an individual's status as a student in an approved institution, regardless of the terms used at the institution to describe such status. | |
"Fees" means those mandatory charges, in addition to |
| tuition, that all enrolled students must pay, including required course or lab fees. | |
"Full‑time enrollment" means enrollment by a student for |
| at least 9 hours per school term or as otherwise determined by the institution of higher learning. | |
"Mental health employment obligation" means employment in |
| this State as a licensed professional counselor, licensed clinical professional counselor, licensed clinical psychologist, licensed social worker, licensed clinical social worker, or licensed marriage and family therapist in direct patient care in a human services capacity in a designated shortage area for at least one year for each year of scholarship assistance received through the program. | |
"Program" means the Mental Health Graduate Scholarship |
|
"School term" means an academic term, such as a semester, |
| quarter, trimester, or number of clock hours, as defined by an approved institution. | |
"Secretary" means the Secretary of Human Services.
"Student in good standing" means a student maintaining a |
| cumulative grade point average equivalent to at least the academic grade of a "C". | |
"Total and permanent disability" means a physical or |
| mental impairment, disease, or loss of a permanent nature that prevents employment with or without reasonable accommodation. Proof of disability shall be a declaration from the federal Social Security Administration, the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission, the federal Department of Defense, or an insurer authorized to transact business in this State who is providing disability insurance coverage to a contractor. | |
"Tuition" means the established charges of an institution |
| of higher learning for instruction at that institution. | |
(Source: P.A. 96‑672, eff. 8‑25‑09.) |
(110 ILCS 952/20)
Sec. 20.
Scholarships.
(a) Beginning with the fall term of the 2009‑2010 academic year, the Department, in accordance with rules adopted by it for this program, shall provide scholarships to individuals selected from among those applicants who qualify for consideration by showing all of the following:
(1) That the individual has been a resident of this
| State for at least one year prior to application and is a citizen or a lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. | |
(2) That the individual enrolled in or accepted into |
| a mental health graduate program at an approved institution. | |
(3) That the individual agrees to meet the mental |
| health employment obligation. | |
(b) If in any year the number of qualified applicants |
| exceeds the number of scholarships to be awarded, the Department shall, in consultation with the Advisory Council, consider the following factors in granting priority in awarding scholarships: | |
(1) Financial need, as shown on a standardized |
| financial needs assessment form used by an approved institution. | |
(2) A student's merit, as shown through his or her |
| grade point average, class rank, and other academic and extracurricular activities. | |
The Department may add to and further define these merit |
|
(c) Unless otherwise indicated, scholarships shall be |
| awarded to recipients at approved institutions for a period of up to 2 years if the recipient is enrolled in a master's degree program and up to 4 years if the recipient is enrolled in a doctoral degree program. | |
(Source: P.A. 96‑672, eff. 8‑25‑09.) |