Latest news with #IllinoisStudentAssistanceCommission
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Afternoon Briefing: Advocates press funding for college test prep support program
Good afternoon, Chicago. Supporters of a state program providing free test preparation to students at public universities and some community colleges said the effort has saved students over $8 million in just two months, but needs $10 million in state funding to remain in operation. Illinois launched the program in late February, becoming the first state to offer free comprehensive test preparation for college students and already serving more than 200,000 students statewide. The program, a collaboration between the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and the educational service company Kaplan, allows students free access to more than 40 prep courses including graduate-level admissions exams such as the LSAT for law school, as well as courses in data analytics, cybersecurity and real estate. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History Hundreds of marchers and demonstrators gathered at Union Park in the West Loop Thursday morning for a rally on May Day, a celebration commemorating the labor movement. Read more here. More top news stories: What to know about May Day, including its Chicago origins and how it has grown over the years Bilingual science teacher at East Leyden High School named Illinois Teacher of the Year The new land-based Hollywood casinos coming to Joliet and Aurora are betting that the way to a gambler's heart is through their stomach. Read more here. More top business stories: Baxter International expects tariff impact of $60 to $70 million this year Conagra sells Chef Boyardee to private equity-owned Hometown Food Company The guard will play her first preseason minutes with the Chicago Sky tomorrow in an exhibition game against Brazil in a familiar setting — the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, where she spent the toughest year of her collegiate career with LSU. More top sports stories: Chicago baseball report: Division play heats up for 18-13 Cubs and 7-23 White Sox Man who fell from 21-foot Clemente Wall at PNC Park during Cubs-Pirates game in critical condition Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company woke up this morning to boffo Tony Award news as plaudits landed on its world premiere production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' drama, 'Purpose,' a bold play very loosely based on the family of political activist Jesse Jackson Jr. and now playing on Broadway. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: David Cerda put some of his own story into 'Scary Town.' It's not an easy story. 'The Four Seasons' review: Tina Fey is no Alan Alda, but at least there's the Vivaldi Across continents, tens of thousands turned out for today's rallies marking International Workers' Day, many citing President Donald Trump's agenda — from aggressive tariffs spurring fears of global economic turmoil to immigration crackdowns — as a central concern. Read more here. More top stories from around the world: Kohl's ousts CEO Ashley Buchanan after investigation into some vendor transactions President Donald Trump's health agency urges therapy for transgender youth, not broader gender-affirming health care President Donald Trump names Secretary of State Marco Rubio as acting national security adviser, taps Mike Waltz for UN envoy
Chicago Tribune
01-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Afternoon Briefing: Advocates press funding for college test prep support program
Good afternoon, Chicago. Supporters of a state program providing free test preparation to students at public universities and some community colleges said the effort has saved students over $8 million in just two months, but needs $10 million in state funding to remain in operation. Illinois launched the program in late February, becoming the first state to offer free comprehensive test preparation for college students and already serving more than 200,000 students statewide. The program, a collaboration between the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and the educational service company Kaplan, allows students free access to more than 40 prep courses including graduate-level admissions exams such as the LSAT for law school, as well as courses in data analytics, cybersecurity and real estate. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. May Day rally underway in Union Park with march planned to Grant Park later in the day Hundreds of marchers and demonstrators gathered at Union Park in the West Loop Thursday morning for a rally on May Day, a celebration commemorating the labor movement. Read more here. What to know about May Day, including its Chicago origins and how it has grown over the years Bilingual science teacher at East Leyden High School named Illinois Teacher of the Year Hollywood Casino food courts in Joliet, Aurora to get Stephanie Izard's Goat, Antique Taco The new land-based Hollywood casinos coming to Joliet and Aurora are betting that the way to a gambler's heart is through their stomach. Read more here. More top business stories: Hailey Van Lith credits LSU for strengthening her resilience ahead of Baton Rouge return with the Chicago Sky The guard will play her first preseason minutes with the Chicago Sky tomorrow in an exhibition game against Brazil in a familiar setting — the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, where she spent the toughest year of her collegiate career with LSU. Read more here. Chicago baseball report: Division play heats up for 18-13 Cubs and 7-23 White Sox Man who fell from 21-foot Clemente Wall at PNC Park during Cubs-Pirates game in critical condition 2025 Tony Award nominations: Steppenwolf's 'Purpose' and 'Death Becomes Her' both score big Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company woke up this morning to boffo Tony Award news as plaudits landed on its world premiere production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' drama, 'Purpose,' a bold play very loosely based on the family of political activist Jesse Jackson Jr. and now playing on Broadway. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: From Tokyo to Turin to LA, President Donald Trump's policies loom over May Day marches Across continents, tens of thousands turned out for today's rallies marking International Workers' Day, many citing President Donald Trump's agenda — from aggressive tariffs spurring fears of global economic turmoil to immigration crackdowns — as a central concern. Read more here.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Advocates press for continued funding to college test prep support program
Supporters of a state program providing free test preparation to students at public universities and some community colleges said Wednesday the effort has saved students over $8 million in just two months, but needs $10 million in state funding to remain in operation. Illinois launched the program in late February, becoming the first state to offer free comprehensive test preparation for college students and already serving more than 200,000 students statewide. The program, a collaboration between the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and the educational service company Kaplan, allows students free access to more than 40 prep courses including graduate-level admissions exams such as the LSAT for law school, as well as courses in data analytics, cybersecurity and real estate. Lawmakers would have to provide the additional funding by June 30 to keep the program available for a full school year. At a news conference Wednesday to call attention to the program, Dave Adams, a senior vice president with Kaplan, said 'the true sign-up period for all these courses and test preps' is not slated to begin until the fall. 'There are always barriers when you spend taxpayer dollars,' said state Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Chicago Democrat who led efforts to secure $10 million in the 2024 budget to fund the program. 'It has to be debated, and it has to be proven to be worthy so that's what we're doing and we're going to continue to get evidence that this is worthy, so that when we go into our budget debates we could continue to push for it with evidence.' Since late February, more than 2,200 students across the University of Illinois system have enrolled in Kaplan courses for free through the program, saving them almost $6 million, according to Janet Gooch, chancellor of the University of Illinois Springfield. About 500 students have enrolled in courses, primarily under the physician assistant and lawyer topics, in the Southern Illinois University system. Nick Marquez, a graduate student at UIS, said the program allowed him to pursue his goal of attending law school. 'Without it, I simply wouldn't have the tools and resources to compete at the same level as others who could afford professional test prep courses,' Marquez said. 'Having structured weekly classes, personalized practice tools and life tutor support has been a game changer for me.' Adams said over 60% of the students utilizing this state program are minority students and over a third are low-income or first-generation students. Erin Steva, vice president of external affairs at Chicago State University, said her school's faculty often helped students pay for test preparation resources before the state program went into place. About 89% of Chicago State students are low-income, over 60% struggle with their basic needs and about 22% of students are parents, Steva said. 'Access to standardized tests and test prep services is a huge barrier,' Steva said. 'We have to be intentional about getting our students into college, through college and into those careers, and this is an absolutely essential investment in that pipeline.' In addition to helping students, the program also brings a return on investments for the state, according to state Sen. Michael Halpin, a Democrat from Rock Island. Halpin said the program encourages students to attend college in the state, supports higher rates of employment in the state workforce and motivates students to give back to their universities once employed. The Illinois Academy of Physicians Assistants also 'strongly supports' continued funding for the program, said Jayson Coble, a physician assistant at St. John's Hospital in Springfield. 'It helps solve two separate but growing crises in Illinois — inequitable access to health care and the growing shortage of qualified health care professionals, doctors, nurses, PAs, pharmacists and the like,' Coble said. While Ford is only asking for state funding to support the universities and community colleges now participating in the program, he said other community colleges and even some private institutions have asked to be included. Expanding the program would depend on funding approval by the legislature. 'But let us be clear here today that it is just the beginning,' Ford said. 'Funding for this program must be reauthorized. If we believe in equity, if we believe in workforce readiness, in building a better Illinois, we need to make sure that this program continues, continues to impact the future of our state and the lives of our students and our public universities.'
Chicago Tribune
01-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Advocates press for continued funding to college test prep support program
Supporters of a state program providing free test preparation to students at public universities and some community colleges said Wednesday the effort has saved students over $8 million in just two months, but needs $10 million in state funding to remain in operation. Illinois launched the program in late February, becoming the first state to offer free comprehensive test preparation for college students and already serving more than 200,000 students statewide. The program, a collaboration between the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and the educational service company Kaplan, allows students free access to more than 40 prep courses including graduate-level admissions exams such as the LSAT for law school, as well as courses in data analytics, cybersecurity and real estate. Lawmakers would have to provide the additional funding by June 30 to keep the program available for a full school year. At a news conference Wednesday to call attention to the program, Dave Adams, a senior vice president with Kaplan, said 'the true sign-up period for all these courses and test preps' is not slated to begin until the fall. 'There are always barriers when you spend taxpayer dollars,' said state Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Chicago Democrat who led efforts to secure $10 million in the 2024 budget to fund the program. 'It has to be debated, and it has to be proven to be worthy so that's what we're doing and we're going to continue to get evidence that this is worthy, so that when we go into our budget debates we could continue to push for it with evidence.' Since late February, more than 2,200 students across the University of Illinois system have enrolled in Kaplan courses for free through the program, saving them almost $6 million, according to Janet Gooch, chancellor of the University of Illinois Springfield. About 500 students have enrolled in courses, primarily under the physician assistant and lawyer topics, in the Southern Illinois University system. Nick Marquez, a graduate student at UIS, said the program allowed him to pursue his goal of attending law school. 'Without it, I simply wouldn't have the tools and resources to compete at the same level as others who could afford professional test prep courses,' Marquez said. 'Having structured weekly classes, personalized practice tools and life tutor support has been a game changer for me.' Adams said over 60% of the students utilizing this state program are minority students and over a third are low-income or first-generation students. Erin Steva, vice president of external affairs at Chicago State University, said her school's faculty often helped students pay for test preparation resources before the state program went into place. About 89% of Chicago State students are low-income, over 60% struggle with their basic needs and about 22% of students are parents, Steva said. 'Access to standardized tests and test prep services is a huge barrier,' Steva said. 'We have to be intentional about getting our students into college, through college and into those careers, and this is an absolutely essential investment in that pipeline.' In addition to helping students, the program also brings a return on investments for the state, according to state Sen. Michael Halpin, a Democrat from Rock Island. Halpin said the program encourages students to attend college in the state, supports higher rates of employment in the state workforce and motivates students to give back to their universities once employed. The Illinois Academy of Physicians Assistants also 'strongly supports' continued funding for the program, said Jayson Coble, a physician assistant at St. John's Hospital in Springfield. 'It helps solve two separate but growing crises in Illinois — inequitable access to health care and the growing shortage of qualified health care professionals, doctors, nurses, PAs, pharmacists and the like,' Coble said. While Ford is only asking for state funding to support the universities and community colleges now participating in the program, he said other community colleges and even some private institutions have asked to be included. Expanding the program would depend on funding approval by the legislature. 'But let us be clear here today that it is just the beginning,' Ford said. 'Funding for this program must be reauthorized. If we believe in equity, if we believe in workforce readiness, in building a better Illinois, we need to make sure that this program continues, continues to impact the future of our state and the lives of our students and our public universities.'
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois launches free test prep program for public university and select community college students
Illinois is making history as the first state to offer free, comprehensive test preparation to over 200,000 students at public universities and select community colleges throughout the state, announcing the official launch of the Prepare for Illinois' Future Program on Tuesday. The program launched by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is in collaboration with Kaplan, an international educational service company that provides colleges, universities and businesses with educational and training services. The 'revolutionary' program, Kaplan's Senior Vice President Dave Adams said, allows students throughout the state access to more than 40 test prep courses at no cost to them, including courses for graduate-level admissions exams for students taking the law school entrance exam, or LSAT, among other exams, as well as courses in data analytics, cybersecurity, real estate, and more. The program is now available to all students attending any of the twelve public universities in the state, including the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Illinois State University, University of Illinois Chicago and Western Illinois University, as well as five community colleges, including Carl Sandburg College, Joliet Junior College and Malcolm X College. 'Providing free test and licensing preparation courses for students is an important measure to help remove some of the financial barriers students face in advancing their education and careers,' ISAC Executive Director Eric Zarnikow said in a news release. The program was spearheaded by Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, who first learned about Kaplan's All Access Initiative at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where his daughter was enrolled. Shocked by the program, Ford said he called Kaplan to express how impressed he was by the initiative. After he learned Howard had facilitated a partnership with Kaplan and paid for the company's services so students could access them at no cost, Ford was told Kaplan would do the same for Illinois if a contract could be worked out. From that moment, Ford, who is the Chairperson of the Illinois General Assembly's Appropriations-Higher Education Committee, said he made it his mission to provide students in Illinois with the same opportunity. 'Knowing the benefits of test prep and that difference in doing well on a test is about being better prepared, I fought to get the money in the budget,' Ford said. He was successful, securing $10 million in the FY 2024 budget to fund the program. The program will allow over 200,000 students in Illinois aiming to become licensed professionals in various fields free access to unlimited test prep for years to come. One of the program's many benefits is filling the gap students face as they transition from university to the workforce, according to Dave Adams, Kaplan's senior vice president. The costs of test preparation for licensure exams aren't typically considered in the overall cost of higher education, which may have a price tag upwards of thousands of dollars. Needing to take and pass these exams is yet another hurdle placed in front of students aiming to access the career tracks they 'It is high-stakes testing for professional licensures and careers,' Adams said. 'That's especially daunting for underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students, often rural students.' Understanding from years of data that students are unable to pass or do well on licensure admissions tests without access to quality prep programs, Adams said Kaplan also began hearing from long-term university partners that some students were being left behind due to this opportunity gap. Asked how Kaplan could help, Adams said the company decided to open the doors to all of Kaplan's products. With over 40 industry-leading preparation programs available to students state-wide, Ford said this program eliminates existing barriers, allowing students to learn how to test and feel confident testing while they save money in the long run. While some may view the program as solely about test prep, it's more than that, according to Adams. It's workforce development, he said. 'What we've seen in the past few years is that the students that can afford these products are the students who are doing well on the licensure exams,' Adams said. 'They're getting licenses earlier in their careers because they can pay for the prep and pay for the license, they're going to graduate school in larger numbers… because they're doing well on the admissions exams. But now… 200,000 students in the state of Illinois now have the same access that everybody else has.' Western Illinois University was among five universities in the state to roll out the program earlier this month. Justin Schuche, the university's vice president of student success, said the rollout process has been remarkably effective. It's been a little over a week since the program launched and Schuche said the reaction from students has been 'overwhelmingly positive.' With 55 students already registered for services through Kaplan, Schuche said it's clear there's a need for the program and has already allowed participating students to save over $45,000. The program will not only have long-term benefits for students, allowing them to be better prepared for well-paying jobs across several fields, but it will also save thousands of dollars on expenses associated with test prep and will also benefit the state as well, Ford said. Through this, students will be able to take their licensure exams following graduation and join the workforce at a quicker pace, rather than having to wait due to being unable to access resources. This will allow students to help close the state's gap in critical workforce shortages in essential careers such as doctors, nurses and engineers. Confident that students are going to save millions of dollars on out-of-pocket costs, Adams said he's also certain that Illinois will see a return in investment to the program as students will likely choose to stay in the state for college as well as remain in Illinois following graduation to begin their careers as a result of the program. As Illinois is the first state to provide a program such as this, Adams said he believes once the program's value is shown, other states will want to jump on board. 'This is up and running now, the other schools will be up and running in the next couple of weeks,' Adams said. 'Everybody will be online and firing on all cylinders when students come back to school in the fall.'
