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92_SB1521gms
State of Illinois
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Springfield, Illinois 62706
George H. Ryan
GOVERNOR
August 17, 2001
To the Honorable Members of
The Illinois Senate
92nd General Assembly
I have signed Senate Bill 1521, which amends the State
Finance Act, the Higher Education Student Assistance Act, and
the Illinois Vehicle Code. Senate Bill 1521 creates a
program to provide new teacher training scholarships, to be
known as Illinois Future Teacher Training Corps Scholarships.
The bill provides scholarships for full-time undergraduate
and graduate students pursuing studies at qualified
institutions of higher learning leading to teacher
certification in this State, and covers tuition and other
necessary fees for a period of up to four years.
Although the intent of Senate Bill 1521, which provides
funding for new teacher training scholarships, is admirable,
the means through which these funds are derived is
questionable. History has shown that very few special
license plates are effective revenue generators. I am
concerned that there will be a public perception that this
bill will generate large sums of money for this laudable
scholarship fund, when in fact that will likely not be the
case. Furthermore, it still remains to be seen if enough
plates will be sold to allow any deposits into the
scholarship fund.
Having expressed my concerns with the funding mechanism
for the Illinois Future Teacher Training Corps Scholarships,
I have signed Senate Bill 1521.
Sincerely,
George H. Ryan
GOVERNOR
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