110 ILCS 930/ Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Act.

(110 ILCS 930/1) (from Ch. 144, par. 2301)

Sec. 1. Short Title. This Act may be cited as the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Act.

(Source: P.A. 93-862, eff. 8-4-04.)

(110 ILCS 930/2) (from Ch. 144, par. 2302)

Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

"Academic year" means the period of time beginning with the fall term in one calendar year and running through the end of the summer term in the following calendar year.

"Board" means the Board of Higher Education.

"DFI" means the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Program of financial assistance. The program shall assist successful applicants in pursuing a graduate or professional degree and shall also assist program graduates to find employment at an Illinois institution of higher education, including a community college, in a faculty or staff position.

"Illinois resident" means any United States citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States who meets at least one of the following requirements:

(1) has earned a degree from an institution of higher education authorized to operate in this State; or

(2) is a registered voter in this State and has lived in this State for a period of at least 3 years prior to applying for a grant under this Act.

The status of Illinois residency of a student at the time of initial matriculation in the DFI shall hold for his or her entire time in his or her graduate or professional study at the DFI institution.

"Institutional representative" means the designated individual who is responsible for coordinating DFI activities at each qualified institution of higher education.

"Program Board" means the entity created to administer the grant program authorized by this Act.

"Qualified institution of higher education" means a qualifying publicly operated educational institution located within Illinois (i) that offers instruction leading toward or prerequisite to an academic or professional degree beyond the baccalaureate degree, excluding theological schools, (ii) that is authorized to operate in the State of Illinois, and (iii) in which at least 45% of students receive federal Pell Grants, which shall be based on the 3-year average proportion of federal Pell Grant recipients at Illinois public universities using the most recent data available to the Board.

(Source: P.A. 104-437, eff. 11-21-25.)

(110 ILCS 930/3) (from Ch. 144, par. 2303)

Sec. 3. Composition of the Program Board. The Program Board shall be comprised of 11 members and shall be appointed by the Board of Higher Education. The Board shall name the chair person of the Program Board. The Program Board shall name the vice chair person of the Program Board and make any necessary subcommittee appointments. Persons appointed to the Program Board shall include, but need not be limited to, individuals who are in leadership positions in public institutions of higher education, including community colleges. Program Board members shall serve 2-year terms and shall continue to serve until a replacement or reappointment is determined. There are no term limits for members of the Program Board. Illinois institutions that grant doctoral degrees must have representation on the Program Board.

(Source: P.A. 104-437, eff. 11-21-25.)

(110 ILCS 930/4) (from Ch. 144, par. 2304)

Sec. 4. Responsibilities of the Program Board. The Program Board shall be responsible for:

(a) Establishing policy for administration of the DFI grant program authorized under this Act, including program guidelines for the operation of the DFI and criteria to promote placement of grant recipients.

(b) Creating the application materials, setting application deadlines, reviewing applications, and approving applications for participation in the DFI grant program.

(c) Establishing subcommittees or panels as necessary to review applications and promote student placement.

(d) Reporting annually to the Board on program outcomes and results, including lists of new and continuing scholarship award recipients by institution, level, and field of study; lists of recipients retained in the program from the previous year; lists of placements of most recent program graduates; a description of institutional efforts to place program graduates; and a description of policy and administrative actions designed to increase placement of grant recipients.

(e) Disseminating information regarding the DFI to qualified institutions of higher education for distribution.

(f) Prioritizing fields of study for awarding DFI funds annually.

(g) Meeting at least 3 times per year.

(Source: P.A. 104-437, eff. 11-21-25.)

(110 ILCS 930/5) (from Ch. 144, par. 2305)

Sec. 5. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 84-785. Repealed by P.A. 93-862, eff. 8-4-04.)

(110 ILCS 930/6) (from Ch. 144, par. 2306)

Sec. 6. DFI grants. A program of financial assistance is established to implement the policy of encouraging students to enroll and complete academic programs at the postbaccalaureate level and to enhance the diversity of faculty and staff of Illinois institutions of higher education. The Board of Higher Education shall provide administrative assistance for the Program Board and shall distribute funds appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose in accordance with decisions made by the Program Board.

(Source: P.A. 104-437, eff. 11-21-25.)

(110 ILCS 930/7) (from Ch. 144, par. 2307)

Sec. 7. Eligibility for DFI grants. Institutions of higher education shall verify that student applicants meet the eligibility requirements for DFI grants. An individual is eligible for an award under the provisions of this Act if the Program Board finds:

(a) that the individual is an Illinois resident and a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States;

(b) (blank);

(c) that the individual is an Illinois resident for no less than 3 years prior to applying for the grant and the individual holds a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education authorized to operate in this State;

(d) that the individual's financial resources are such that, in the absence of a DFI grant, the individual will be prevented from pursuing a graduate or professional degree at a qualified institution of higher education of his or her choice;

(e) that the individual has above average academic ability to pursue a graduate or professional degree, as evidenced by the following:

(1) a minimum grade point average of a C+ (2.75 on a grade scale of 4.00 = A) in the last 60 hours of undergraduate work; and

(2) admission to a post-baccalaureate degree program at a qualified institution of higher education;

(f) that the individual meets other qualifications, which shall be established by the Program Board;

(g) that the individual was a federal Pell Grant recipient at any point while earning a baccalaureate degree;

(h) that the individual is admitted as a full-time student, as defined by the institution of higher education, for at least 9 months of the year pursuing a doctoral, master's, or post-baccalaureate professional degree program at a qualified institution of higher education;

(i) that the individual has signed an agreement to meet this Act's employment conditions if a DFI award is accepted; and

(j) in order to maintain eligibility in the DFI and in order to be considered for subsequent DFI grants, that the individual meets the scholastic requirements and eligibility for financial assistance required by the institution of higher education in which he or she is enrolled as a DFI participant.

(Source: P.A. 104-437, eff. 11-21-25.)

(110 ILCS 930/7.5)

Sec. 7.5. Institution and institutional representative responsibilities.

(a) A DFI institution shall:

(1) be a qualified institution of higher education;

(2) commit to providing leadership, information, and placement opportunities for DFI fellows;

(3) designate an institutional representative; and

(4) recover funds provided to a student who does not meet the conditions of an award under Section 10 of this Act and return the funds to the Board.

(b) A DFI representative shall:

(1) actively recruit students who will be eligible for DFI awards and verify to the Program Board that applicants for DFI financial assistance meet all eligibility requirements;

(2) maintain records for award recipients, including DFI application materials, contracts, and records of award payments;

(3) provide award recipients with academic and support services, such as mentoring, counseling, and other activities that would enhance the chances for degree completion and success in achieving the goals of the DFI;

(4) supervise the payment of awards from funds awarded by the Program Board;

(5) collect, process, and forward to the Program Board, by the announced deadline each spring, all new applications and renewal forms from eligible students; and

(6) assist award recipients who complete their program of study in seeking a full-time teaching or administrative position at an Illinois institution of higher education or a full-time position as an employee of this State in an educational-related capacity; such positions may include, without limitation, administrative positions in State elementary, secondary, or higher education agencies.

(Source: P.A. 104-437, eff. 11-21-25.)

(110 ILCS 930/8) (from Ch. 144, par. 2308)

Sec. 8. Application. The Program Board shall design the application for the DFI award and determine the timetable for submission of the application. A student shall apply directly to the qualified institution of higher education that he or she plans to attend. All new applications and renewal forms shall be submitted by the institution of higher education on behalf of the student to the Program Board, with the institution's verification and endorsement.

(Source: P.A. 104-437, eff. 11-21-25.)

(110 ILCS 930/8.5)

Sec. 8.5. Determining and administering awards. In determining the recipients of awards, the Program Board shall favor recipients who received awards in previous years and who maintain conditions of eligibility as set forth in Section 7 and have made satisfactory academic progress toward a degree, as determined by each institution of higher education, as long as no student receives assistance for more than 4 years. In administering awards, the Program Board shall:

(1) determine the award amount annually;

(2) direct the Board to deliver the awards to the institution of higher education to disburse to the recipients, conditioned upon the recipients' satisfactory academic progress; and

(3) attempt to achieve distribution of the awards among qualified institutions of higher education so that the awards are distributed equitably within fields of study.

A recipient who received an award in a previous year may not be disqualified from receiving a subsequent award if the applicant's qualified institution of higher education no longer meets the Pell Grant criteria described in Section 2, as long as the applicant and the qualified institution of higher education maintain all other conditions of eligibility.

Grant funds shall be distributed by an institution of higher education to grantees during the period of DFI enrollment, not to exceed 12 months per award.

(Source: P.A. 104-437, eff. 11-21-25.)

(110 ILCS 930/9) (from Ch. 144, par. 2309)

Sec. 9. Terms of award. After a person has been accepted into the DFI, the individual shall be eligible for an annual award which may be renewable for up to an additional 3 years provided that he or she makes satisfactory progress toward completing his or her degree. The Program Board shall determine the award amount annually.

(Source: P.A. 92-45, eff. 7-1-02; 93-862, eff. 8-4-04.)

(110 ILCS 930/10) (from Ch. 144, par. 2310)

Sec. 10. Conditions of award.

(a) As used in this Section, "good faith effort" includes actively seeking employment and maintaining contact with the institutional representative and Program Board.

(b) Conditions for acceptance of a DFI award are that the recipient shall agree to do the following:

(1) accept a teaching or nonteaching full-time appointment at an Illinois institution of higher education;

(2) accept a position as an employee of this State in an administrative, educational-related position, as determined by the Program Board, for the period equal to the number of years that he or she was a participant in the DFI; such positions shall include, without limitation, administrative positions in State elementary, secondary, or higher education agencies; or

(3) make a good faith effort to secure such a position for a time period of no less than 5 years.

(Source: P.A. 104-437, eff. 11-21-25.)

(110 ILCS 930/11) (from Ch. 144, par. 2311)

Sec. 11. Penalty for failure to fulfill the conditions of a DFI award. If the obligation of the award is not met, repayment of the funds awarded shall be required according to procedures developed by the Board. However, a recipient of an award may not be penalized if the failure to fulfill the conditions of the award is because the recipient is no longer eligible due to changes made by this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 104-437, eff. 11-21-25.)

(110 ILCS 930/11.5)

Sec. 11.5. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 93-862, eff. 8-4-04. Repealed by P.A. 104-437, eff. 11-21-25.)

(110 ILCS 930/11.10)

Sec. 11.10. Relation to Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act. All grants under this Act are subject to the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act.

(Source: P.A. 104-437, eff. 11-21-25.)

(110 ILCS 930/11.15)

Sec. 11.15. Applicability. The changes made to this Act by this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly shall first apply beginning with awards made for the 2025-2026 academic year.

(Source: P.A. 104-437, eff. 11-21-25.)