103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB3722

 

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 118/1
110 ILCS 118/10
110 ILCS 118/17 new

    Amends the Public University Uniform Admission Pilot Program Act. Changes the short title of the Act to the Public University Direct Admission Program Act. Repeals the provisions concerning the uniform admission system pilot program on December 31, 2025. Provides that, beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year, the Board of Higher Education, in collaboration with the Illinois Community College Board, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and the State Board of Education, shall establish and administer a direct admission program to automatically offer admission to a public university to qualified high school seniors in this State and public community college students in this State who qualify to transfer to a public university. Provides that under the direct admission program, a public university is required to offer admission to any high school senior who meets the public university's coursework standards for admission and to any public community college transfer student who meets specified criteria. Sets forth program and reporting requirements. Effective immediately.


LRB103 38807 RJT 68944 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3722LRB103 38807 RJT 68944 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Public University Uniform Admission Pilot
5Program Act is amended by changing Sections 1 and 10 and by
6adding Section 17 as follows:
 
7    (110 ILCS 118/1)
8    (Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2027)
9    Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Public
10University Direct Uniform Admission Pilot Program Act.
11(Source: P.A. 101-448, eff. 1-1-20.)
 
12    (110 ILCS 118/10)
13    (Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2027)
14    Sec. 10. Uniform admission system pilot program.
15    (a) Beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year, each
16institution, except for the University of Illinois, shall
17create a 4-year uniform admission system pilot program under
18this Act to admit first-time freshman students for each
19semester of the pilot program.
20    (b) Beginning with the 2022-2023 academic year, the
21University of Illinois shall create a 4-year uniform admission
22system pilot program under this Act to admit community college

 

 

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1transfer students for each semester of the pilot program.
2    The University of Illinois provides multiple pathways to
3transfer and shall guarantee admission to all applicants who:
4        (1) have enrolled only at an Illinois community
5    college after graduating from an Illinois high school;
6        (2) have earned a minimum of 36 graded, transferable
7    semester hours at the time of application to the
8    University. Students are encouraged to consult the
9    Illinois Articulation Initiative general education core
10    curriculum course list and other resources at the State
11    and University level to determine course transferability;
12        (3) have attained a minimum grade point average of 3.0
13    in all transferable coursework completed at the time of
14    application to the University; and
15        (4) have satisfied the University's English language
16    proficiency requirement.
17    (c) Beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, each
18institution shall create a 4-year uniform admission system
19pilot program under this Act to admit community college
20transfer students for each semester of the pilot program. This
21subsection does not apply to a university that already has a
22uniform admission policy for transfer students equal to or
23less restrictive than that prescribed in this Section and
24maintains that policy for the duration of the effective period
25of this subsection.
26    At a minimum, the universities shall guarantee admission

 

 

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1to all applicants who:
2        (1) have enrolled at a State community college after
3    graduating from a State high school;
4        (2) have earned a minimum of 36 graded, transferable
5    semester hours at the time of application to the
6    university; students are encouraged to consult the
7    Illinois Articulation Initiative general education core
8    curriculum course list and other resources at the State
9    and university level to determine course transferability;
10        (3) have attained a minimum grade point average of 3.0
11    in all transferable coursework completed at the time of
12    application to the university; and
13        (4) have satisfied the university's English language
14    proficiency requirement.
15    Nothing in this Section prohibits institutions from
16establishing or implementing less restrictive uniform
17admission transfer policies.
18    (d) This Section is repealed on December 31, 2025.
19(Source: P.A. 102-187, eff. 1-1-22; 103-205, eff. 1-1-24.)
 
20    (110 ILCS 118/17 new)
21    Sec. 17. Direct admission program.
22    (a) In this Section, "Public university" means the
23University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University, Chicago
24State University, Eastern Illinois University, Governors State
25University, Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois

 

 

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1University, Northern Illinois University, Western Illinois
2University, or any other public university now or hereafter
3established or authorized by the General Assembly.
4    (b) Beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year, the Board
5of Higher Education, in collaboration with the Illinois
6Community College Board, the Illinois Student Assistance
7Commission, and the State Board of Education, shall establish
8and administer a direct admission program to automatically
9offer admission into a public university to qualified high
10school seniors in this State and to public community college
11students in this State who qualify to transfer to a public
12university.
13    (c) Under the direct admission program, a public
14university shall be required to offer admission to any high
15school senior who meets the public university's coursework
16standards for admission and to any public community college
17transfer student who meets all of the following requirements:
18        (1) Is enrolled at a public community college in this
19    State
20        (2) Has earned a minimum of 37 hours in the Illinois
21    Articulation Initiative General Education Core Curriculum.
22        (3) Has attained a minimum cumulative grade point
23    average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent in all
24    transferable coursework completed at the time of
25    application to the public university.
26        (4) Has satisfied the public university's English

 

 

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1    language proficiency requirement.
2    (d) In establishing the direct admission program, the
3Board of Higher Education shall specifically evaluate the
4impact on low-income students, students of color, first
5generation college students, students from populations
6underserved in higher education, and students from rural areas
7of this State.
8    (e) The direct admission program shall utilize data and
9technology from the State Board of Education, the Illinois
10Student Assistance Commission, and the Illinois Community
11College Board or shall gather data and develop the technology
12to automatically inform high school seniors and community
13college transfer students of direct admission into the public
14universities for which the students qualify or may utilize the
15services of a statewide student application aggregation
16vendor.
17    (f) The direct admission program shall provide admitted
18high school seniors and community college transfer students
19with the web address for the Illinois Student Assistance
20Commission to find information regarding State grant programs,
21support for financial aid application completion, and
22scholarship searches and other financial aid-related
23information and shall encourage students to determine their
24eligibility for financial aid based on the Free Application
25for Federal Student Aid or, if applicable, an application for
26State financial aid.

 

 

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1    (g) The Board of Higher Education shall submit a report on
2the direct admission program to the Governor and General
3Assembly by February 1, 2026 and each February 1 thereafter.
4The report shall include, but is not limited to, information
5related to implementation of the direct admission program, the
6demographic and geographic data of students offered direct
7admission and the public university to which direct admission
8was offered, the demographic and geographic data of high
9school seniors who accepted direct admission and enrolled in
10the public university that offered that direct admission,
11annual comparable enrollment data of high school seniors and
12community college transfer students, and recommendations to
13improve the direct admission program.
14    (h) Notwithstanding any other provision or law to the
15contrary, all public institutions of higher education, the
16State Board of Education, the Illinois Community College
17Board, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, and any
18other State agency that collects pertinent data shall furnish
19such data and information to the Board of Higher Education as
20the Board of Higher Education deems necessary to fulfill the
21requirements of this Section.
 
22    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
23becoming law.