University of Illinois System launches pilot program to boost community college transfers
The program aims to lower barriers and provide targeted career advising to low-income and first-generation college students wanting to transfer to four-year schools.
While 81% of community college students say receiving a bachelor's degree is their goal, only 31% of students transfer to a four-year institution to attain it. This program aims to increase that number.
In collaboration with One Million Degrees, a Chicago-based nonprofit supporting community college students, the program will 'unlock opportunities that will fuel our state's workforce and economic future,' the University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen said in a news release.
'We are highly motivated to build on the momentum that we've created with Illinois' community colleges, expanding opportunities for students to not only access higher education but to thrive in rewarding careers,' Killeen said.
The pilot will begin by serving 240 students from select community colleges. Students will be provided with academic and career support through their transfer to University of Illinois campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield. The first cohort of students will begin in spring 2026, and the second will begin in spring 2027.
The University System is working to select participating community colleges.
Researchers have found that transferring from community colleges to four-year universities is one of the 'most powerful tools' to improve opportunities, especially for first-generation and low-income students. Josh Hoen, interim CEO of One Million Degrees, said in a news release, 'we cannot allow these pathways to become bridges to nowhere' for students taking the risk to transfer.
'This is about ensuring that when students bet big on themselves by pursuing a college degree, they see a powerful labor market return that will dramatically increase their career and earning potential,' Hoen said.
To ensure a smooth transition into four-year institutions, One Million Degrees will provide students with support including academic coaching, financial assistance and career services.
The U. of I. system will assess the pilot over the next four years and may consider expanding it beyond the initial participating community colleges to help more students, according to the news release.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
DEF Hero's Vertically Integrated DEF Solution Brings Enterprise-Grade Infrastructure to America's Fleets
CHICAGO, IL / / August 11, 2025 / For many small-to-midsize fleet operators, managing DEF is a constant challenge. It's not just about finding a supplier - it's about sourcing the right equipment, monitoring tank levels manually, and dealing with emergency deliveries when fluid runs dry. Enter DEF Hero - the most important DEF company you probably haven't heard of. Through its KeepFill Program, the company is delivering a vertically integrated platform that includes bulk DEF, dispensing systems, radar monitoring, and fully automated nationwide delivery - built specifically for the 90% of the market legacy providers have overlooked. An All-in-One DEF Infrastructure Stack At its core, the DEF Hero KeepFill Program turns DEF from a logistical burden into an integrated utility. It's a single service that encompasses: On-site tanks and pumps - installed pre-delivery Bulk DEF fluid - certified and scheduled for refill Radar-level sensors - real-time tank data every 24 hours Auto-dispatch triggers - refills delivered before levels drop Coverage across the entire continental US There's no piecing together vendors, no spreadsheets to track usage, and no staff time wasted on tank checks. DEF Hero brings the reliability of large-fleet DEF service to every fleet, everywhere. Solving for Risk, Not Just Supply One DEF shortage event can stop a truck, delay a project, or hault an entire company's ability to deliver their products. But for fleets under 100 diesel-powered units, building a DEF management system from scratch simply isn't feasible. That's where DEF Hero's vertically integrated model becomes a game-changer. With predictive tank data and refill automation, DEF Hero customers gain: Operational continuity - no DEF emergencies or outages Reduced admin overhead - one vendor, one bill, one dashboard Compliance peace of mind - DEF usage data and refill history on demand It's not just about fluid. It's about resilience. Smarter Insights Through Integration DEF Hero doesn't stop at automation. Its platform can feed DEF usage data directly into the systems fleet managers already use. That means live tank data alongside vehicle diagnostics, routing insights, and maintenance schedules. Fleet leaders can now: Track DEF usage trends across locations Forecast future refill schedules with confidence Automate purchasing and compliance documentation DEF is no longer siloed. It's a visible, manageable part of the fleet infrastructure. The New Normal for DEF Operations DEF Hero isn't just supplying DEF - it's redefining the category. In a space that has long neglected smaller fleets, this vertically integrated offering introduces a new expectation: smarter fluid logistics, accessible to all. The KeepFill Program is already running in thousands of locations across the country. And with rapid expansion into Canada and Mexico on the horizon, DEF Hero is poised to become the default DEF infrastructure partner for North America's mid-market fleet operators. Learn more at and experience how easy DEF management can be. Media Contact: Company Name: DEF Hero Company Press Contact: DEF Hero PR TeamContact Email: press@ Company Website: SOURCE: DEF Hero View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Los Angeles Times
25 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Kayne Anderson BDC Announces Investment in Southern California Credit Platform SG Credit Partners
Kayne Anderson BDC Inc., a business development company externally managed by its investment adviser, KA Credit Advisors LLC, which is an affiliate of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP, announced an investment in SG Credit Partners Inc., a Southern California-based national credit platform focused on the lower middle market. SG Credit was formed in 2013 and has offices in Newport Beach and Santa Monica, along with regional offices in Atlanta, Boston and Chicago. It has invested in more than 200 companies, originating over $1 billion in commitments across its three lending verticals (commercial finance, consumer products and software & technology). It plans to use its expanded capital base to grow existing verticals and develop adjacent businesses. 'This is a key strategic opportunity for KBDC and highlights our commitment to growing our portfolio with value-enhancing investments,' said Doug Goodwillie, co-chief executive of KBDC, in a statement. 'SG Credit's unique lower middle market lending platform is highly complementary to our business and will further enhance the returns of KBDC's diversified portfolio.' The investment complements KBDC's private credit investment capabilities by further diversifying proprietary investment channels and will be structured as an $80-million term loan facility, $34-million delayed draw term loan facility and $12-million common equity investment. KBDC anticipates that its debt investment in SG Credit will be immediately accretive to earnings in 2025, and it will be a significant minority shareholder in SG Credit following the closing of the transaction. 'We are proud and excited to partner with a firm of the caliber and history of Kayne Anderson. This collaboration will not only support our growth with additional capital but also enable us to offer innovative, value-added financing solutions to a wider range of companies,' said Marc Cole, co-founder and chief executive of SG Credit, in a statement. Fenchurch Advisory Partners US LP served as financial advisor and Mayer Brown LLP as legal advisor to KBDC. Solomon Partners served as financial advisor and Greenberg Traurig LLP and Brenner, Saltzman & Wallman LLP as legal advisors to SG Credit. Information for this article was sourced from Kayne Anderson BDC.
Newsweek
26 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Ford's New Assembly Line Design is Key to Lowering Vehicle Costs
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Ford tore up the moving assembly line concept and designed a better one, the company's CEO Jim Farley explained to a crowd gathered at Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky for Ford's announcement that a new, lower-cost electric truck is coming to market in 2027. "One of the first things we did was bring in manufacturing expertise directly from our teams in Dearborn. That was incredibly important [it] set the baseline of what the architecture of the products would be off the platform. [It is a] marriage of both worlds, in terms of the expertise of 122-year-old company with massive capabilities and supply chain and industrialization in general," Alan Clarke, Ford's executive director of advanced EV development, told Newsweek. "[It] was really important to not only engage early, but also ensure that the ideas were able to fail fast. That's a startup mentality. When you're moving quickly, you want to really quickly determine: Is this actually more efficient? Does it actually save us money? Do we still deliver what we need to the customer in order to effectively make the product?" he said. The formula for the new assembly line structure, the Ford Universal EV Production System, starts with the new Ford Universal EV Platform. That platform underpins future battery-electric vehicles and is the result of a California-based skunkworks operation that was designed and enabled to break Ford's timeline, agility and product development norms. F-150 Lightning trucks coming down an assembly line. F-150 Lightning trucks coming down an assembly line. Ford Motor Company Instead of a traditional snaking assembly line structure, Ford's Louisville plant, which expanded 52,000 square feet as part of the effort, will feature an "assembly tree." That tree will include three sub-assemblies that run down their own separate assembly lines in unison, then join together at the end. "There's been a lot of work in the last three years on AI, on plants, and we're doing that and putting that into the system too. You've seen some of that already, but then we've also taken to this new platform, what we're able to do and add to that. So again, it's a win, win on both sides," a Ford spokesperson said. As part of the vehicle building shift, single-piece aluminum unicastings will replace dozens of smaller parts. This will allow the front and rear of the vehicle to be assembled separately. Additionally, less parts means fewer opportunities for failures that result in recalls, a business element that Ford has continuously struggled with during Farley's tenure, costing the company billions. "Elegant, simple designs are ultimately what enable low-cost: deletion of parts, deletion of process.... There's a lot of innovation of powertrain, in how we put the whole product together," the spokesperson said. Under the new assembly plan, Ford's assembly line workers on the third branch of the line put together the battery, seats, consoles and carpeting. Parts travel down the assembly tree to operators, further simplifying operations, in kit form with all fasteners, scanners and power tools included, in the order in which they are intended to be used. The team has further optimized the assembly line and order of operations for building the vehicle to improve the ergonomics for employees, reducing twisting, reaching and bending. Ford estimates that this new way of assembling vehicles will be 40 percent faster than the current assembly time of the Ford Escape. Some of that time, Ford says, will be yielded back to the company for other tasks, with an ultimate net speed improvement of 15 percent. It takes 20 hours to build one Ford Escape today.
