Illinois Rep. Lilly’s school social work scholarship expansion bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Camille Y. Lilly aims to expand eligibility and institutional access for Illinois’ school social work scholarship, following approval in both chambers, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 71 Democrats and five Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 32 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 40 Democrats and 18 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Lilly introduced the bill in the Illinois House on Feb. 6, 2026 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as HB5460, was passed on May 28, 2026 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Provides that the Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License scholarships may also be known as School Social Work scholarships. Includes, as a qualified applicant subject to meeting the other requirements, (i) a person who is pursuing a clinical social work license or social work license and (ii) a person who will obtain a master’s degree in social work from an approved program before enrolling the academic program that the scholarship would support. Allows scholarships to be applied to the payment of tuition and mandatory fees at a private, not-for-profit institution of higher education in the State that prepares students to obtain an Illinois Professional Educator License with an endorsement in School Social Work. Provides that a scholarship for a recipient attending a private, not-for-profit institution shall not exceed the maximum grant payable to a student enrolled in the most expensive comparable program of study at a public university in the State. Effective July 1, 2026.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill expands Illinois’ Post-Master of Social Work School Social Work Professional Educator License scholarship, also called the School Social Work scholarship, to include applicants who are pursuing, not only already holding, a clinical or general social work license and those who will complete a master’s in social work before starting the supported program. It allows scholarships to be used at private, not-for-profit Illinois institutions that prepare students for a Professional Educator License in school social work, with awards there capped at the cost of the most expensive comparable public program. The work and repayment obligations remain in place. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Adriane Johnson (Democrat-30th District), Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock (Democrat-46th District), and Sen. Javier L. Cervantes (Democrat-1st District), along with five other sponsors.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Lilly graduated from Drake University in Des Moines in 1983 with a BS.

Lilly, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2010 to represent the state’s 78th House District, replacing previous state representative Deborah L. Graham.

Lawmakers listed as “Not Voting” were present for the vote but did not cast a vote. Those marked as having an “Excused Absence” were not present and formally provided a reason for their absence, which was accepted.