Dupage Policy Journal

Legislation introduced by Sen. Tom Cullerton that requires public universities and community colleges to give students who score a 3 or higher on Advanced Placement exams college credit passed in the state Senate last week.

“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," Cullerton said. "This is one small step we can take to make college more affordable. No one should be discouraged from attending one of our state’s public universities or community colleges due to financial need.”

House Bill 3428 will make policies at public universities and community colleges more uniform, as well as ensure the Illinois remains competitive with other states already accepting scores of 3 or higher on the exam.

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

The bill passed the Senate with bipartisan support.