Tom Cullerton works to make college more affordable

SPRINGFIELD- Illinois has joined 14 other states in making college more affordable for students.

State Senator Tom Cullerton’s (D-Villa Park) initiative that requires public universities and community colleges to give students who score a 3 or higher on Advanced Placement (AP) exams college credit was signed into law.

“The cost of tuition continues to grow, and when we add the cost of housing, textbooks and living expenses, students either end up with years of debt or lost opportunities,” said Cullerton. “No one should be discouraged from attending one of our state’s public universities or community colleges due to financial need.”

AP classes improve access, affordability and on-time graduations. If high school students take enough advanced courses they can possibly graduate a semester or year earlier, which results in thousands of dollars in savings and less student debt.

House Bill 3428 will clear up any inconsistent policies at public universities and community colleges, as well as make Illinois competitive with neighboring states that already accept a score of 3 or higher.

Higher education institutions will decide the level of credit and the number of credits granted for a particular score.

“We can’t blame students who go out of state to schools in Indiana, Wisconsin and Kentucky who have this policy. However, we can’t afford to lose our best and brightest to these schools,” said Cullerton. “This new law will allow us to compete to keep these students home.”

House Bill 3428 was signed into law on Thursday, August 13, 2015 and goes into effect immediately.