(110 ILCS 947/27) Sec. 27. Prepare for Illinois' Future Program. (a) Subject to appropriation, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall as soon as is practicable, develop and implement a Prepare for Illinois' Future Program to offer comprehensive test preparation and professional licensure preparation, free of charge and at no cost to students, with a goal of serving all students at institutions of higher education. If funding for the program is insufficient to support universal access, then the Commission may prioritize offering the services to recipients of the Monetary Award Program grant assistance under Section 35 of this Act. (b) The Program shall offer students, at a minimum, test preparation services for the Medical College Admission Test, the Law School Admission Test, the Graduate Record Examination, the Graduate Management Admission Test, and other preparation programs for professional exams that may include, but are not limited to, exams for nursing, teaching, real estate, securities, and law. The program may also provide preparation for credentials such as, but not limited to, the Securities Industry Essentials Exam, a Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional exam, and a Wealth Management Specialist exam. In establishing the Program, the Commission shall consider, among other factors, whether the test and licensure exam preparation and credentialing programs can be provided by a single vendor. (c) The Commission shall report to the General Assembly and Governor on the Program's usage as soon as is practicable after the Program has been in place for at least one academic year. To the extent that appropriate data is available, the Commission shall also report information on the program's effectiveness, with a goal of providing multi-stage research to gauge the impact of this investment on in-state university recruitment and retention, the State's talent pipeline, and the longitudinal value provided to State students. Institutions of higher education shall provide information to the Commission as needed to facilitate completion of this report.
(Source: P.A. 103-8, eff. 6-7-23.) |