Senate approves Johnson’s plan to reduce school fees for children of military personnel

SPRINGFIELD – Schools fees may soon be waived for low-income students with veteran or active military parents under a measure by State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) passed through the Senate Wednesday.

“Veterans and active military members endure many hardships, and families with young children are finding it difficult to keep up with school fees,” Johnson said. “By offering support to our heroes and their families, we can assist them through difficult financial times.”

Johnson’s proposal allows school boards to waive fees for students with a parent who is a veteran or an active member of the military with an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, which is an estimated $55,500 for an average family of four.

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Senator Fine supports alternative solutions to student debt across Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – Student loan debt is the 2nd highest consumer debt category, just behind mortgages.  To help address this issue, today, State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview)’s Senate Bill 3032 passed the Senate unanimously. Part of this legislation prohibits universities from withholding official transcripts from potential employers as a means of debt collection.

“It is discouraging for students who have made immense sacrifices to earn their degrees to be denied access to their transcripts until their debt is paid off,” Senator Fine said. “Having access to their transcripts is essential for students to seek the jobs necessary to pay off their debts, as well as finding a fulfilling career.”

Under Senator Fine’s legislation, universities would be prohibited from withholding transcripts as a means of debt collection. The bill also requires colleges to institute a hardship policy to ensure students that have to withdraw due to significant financial or physical hardship leave school with as little debt as possible. Additionally, the legislation would prevent student debt that gets sent to a collection’s agency from being used against a student’s credit score.  

Read more: Senator Fine supports alternative solutions to student debt across Illinois

Loughran Cappel advances legislation to overcome teacher shortages

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation spearheaded by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) to waive application fees for short-term substitute teaching licenses cleared the Senate Wednesday.

“As a parent and former teacher, I believe we have an obligation to ensure our children have access to a high-quality education,” Loughran Cappel said. “A student’s education should not stop when their teacher is sick or unable to be in the classroom, which is why we need to simplify the process for qualified individuals to substitute teach.”

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Gillespie passes municipal social worker debt relief programs

SPRINGFIELD – Two measures to assist social workers with earning and paying off their degrees, introduced by State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights), passed the Illinois Senate on Wednesday.

“Incentivizing students of social work to start their careers in Illinois will help our local governments recruit the qualified professionals they need, while mitigating the student debt crisis,” Gillespie said.

Senate Bill 3912 expands the Post-Master of Social Work Professional Educator License scholarship to municipal social workers. Recipients would be required to work for an Illinois municipality for at least two of the five years immediately following graduation.

Read more: Gillespie passes municipal social worker debt relief programs