On Wednesday, Illinois lawmakers were joined by students and university leaders to announce the early results of the Prepare for Illinois’ Future program—a groundbreaking investment in Illinois students and the state’s future workforce.
Speaking at the State Capitol, those gathered spotlighted the transformative impact of the new initiative—the first of its kind in the U.S.—that offers state-funded universal test prep for grad school, licensure, and career exams for all students enrolled in Illinois public universities, as well as those enrolled in select community colleges participating in a pilot program.
“I’m a legal studies student at the University of Illinois Springfield. When I decided to pursue law school way back in the day, I knew the LSAT would be one of the biggest hurdles in my path,” said Nick Marquez, a grad student at University of Illinois Springfield. “High-quality LSAT prep can cost over a thousand dollars. As a college student, that just isn’t money readily available to me. Prepare for Illinois’ Future removes the financial barriers that prevent students like me from accessing top-tier test prep. Without it, I simply wouldn’t have had the resources to compete at the same level as others who could afford professional prep courses.”
In furtherance of the program, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission has contracted leading global education company Kaplan to provide free test preparation courses to all students enrolled in Illinois’ public universities. Five Illinois community colleges are also included as part of a pilot program. Students at these institutions will have free access to Kaplan’s best-in-class preparation for professional licensing exams, graduate-level admissions exams, and credential exams, including comprehensive prep for the GRE®, GMAT®, LSAT®, MCAT®, NCLEX-RN®, USMLE®, Illinois State bar exam, real estate and securities exams, and more. They will also have access to a suite of professional and academic skills development courses.
“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,” said ISAC Executive Director Eric Zarnikow. “ISAC is pleased to partner with Kaplan to provide these services, and I highly encourage all eligible students to enroll in a relevant course this year.”
In addition to providing an incentive for students to stay in Illinois, the Program may ultimately help reduce shortages in the Illinois workforce, including projected deficits of more than 14,000 nurses and more than 6,000 doctors by 2030.
In just two months, the Prepare for Illinois’ Future program has helped thousands of Illinois students prepare for essential licensure and career entrance exams in high-demand fields like medicine, nursing, law, accounting, real estate, cybersecurity, and more—saving students nearly $8 million in out-of-pocket costs.
UIS Chancellor Dr. Janet Gooch explained, “The cost of high-quality test preparation and professional development can be a significant barrier, and often it’s not factored into the cost of higher education. By offering free access to Kaplan’s test prep for graduate admissions and licensing exams, this initiative provides a set of resources that might otherwise be out of reach for many students.”
Representative Natalie Manley of the 98th District recalled, “In a former life I was a single mom with very few resources. I had graduated college with an accounting degree, but I needed to go that last mile, and that was to get my COPA. And the test prep I took for that was so expensive.
“My family, my daughter and I were on public aid, money was scarce for us…it’s a terrifying thought that one test stands between you and being able to get your own place…so I want to encourage people to understand that it’s hard to realize your dreams when there are mountains preventing you from getting there, and it shouldn’t be a test.”
