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HB 3717

COM COL-BACCALAUREATE DEGREE

104th Regular Session Introduced by Dee Avelar and 51 co-sponsors

Allows public community colleges in Illinois to offer accredited bachelor’s degrees locally to meet regional workforce needs, with safeguards and equity focus.

Removed Co-Sponsor Rep. Kevin Schmidt
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Bill Summary · HB 3717

Summary — HB 3717 (COM COL‑BACCALAUREATE DEGREE)

Status / Key dates
- Introduced: March 4, 2025 (Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl, primary sponsor). House Committee Amendment No. 1 filed March 18, 2025.
- Committee action: Referred to Higher Education; reported favorably April 14, 2025. Placed on General State Calendar and read second May 5, 2025. Subsequent floor actions on May 7–12 (postponed/laid over).
- Companion: SB 2308.

Purpose
- Authorizes public community college districts in Illinois to establish and offer baccalaureate (Bachelor’s) degree programs when specified conditions are met, with the goals of expanding access to 4‑year degrees (especially in applied fields), meeting regional workforce needs, reducing student costs, and improving equity for underserved and rural students.

Major provisions
1. Authority and Approvals
- A board of trustees may offer a bachelor’s degree only after: (a) meeting statutory requirements; (b) obtaining approval from the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB or “State Board” in the bill); and (c) subsequent consideration by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) consistent with approval processes used for new bachelor’s programs at other public/private universities.

  1. Program prerequisites and documentation

    • Community college must document and publish identified unmet regional workforce needs and the number of potential students/workers.
    • Must hold (or have applied for) appropriate accreditation for the baccalaureate program (Higher Learning Commission referenced).
    • Must demonstrate student demand, fiscal resources/budgeting (faculty, equipment, facilities, library), curricular alignment with federal/state/local requirements, and adequate faculty qualifications.

  2. Equity and recruitment

    • Boards must show how the program will improve racial and socioeconomic equity in access, enrollment, and completion and include plans to recruit/retain a diverse student body.

  3. Tuition limits and student protections

    • Tuition/fees per credit hour for the 3rd and 4th years may not exceed 150% of related lower‑division per‑credit tuition/fees.
    • The tuition charged to an in‑state student may not exceed the amount charged when the student first entered the upper‑division portion of the program.

  4. Limitations & procedural protections

    • Programs may not unnecessarily duplicate degree programs offered by other institutions in the same community college district.
    • Community colleges must notify public institutions in the district at least 60 days before applying to ICCB; those institutions may submit a written response for ICCB review.
    • Credit hours generated in a baccalaureate program cannot be counted for grants under Section 2‑16.02 (i.e., certain grant funding cannot be based on those hours).

  5. Reporting and evaluation

    • Community college districts offering baccalaureate programs must submit annual reports to ICCB (e.g., counts of students enrolled and bachelor’s degrees awarded).
    • The bill provides for a statewide evaluation of community college baccalaureate programs.

Who is affected
- Community college districts (boards, administrators, faculty).
- Current and prospective students—especially adult, working, rural, and underserved populations.
- Regional employers and workforce sectors targeted by new applied baccalaureate programs.
- Public universities (notification/IBHE review) and state higher‑education oversight agencies (ICCB, IBHE).

Potential impacts
- Increases local access to applied bachelor’s credentials and may lower student costs relative to 4‑year institutions.
- Supports regional workforce development by aligning program offerings to documented local needs.
- Raises oversight and accountability requirements (accreditation, reporting, fiscal demonstration) to limit unnecessary duplication and protect student interests.

Sponsors / Cosponsors
- Primary sponsor: Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl. Numerous cosponsors from both parties listed in the bill file; co-sponsor membership has changed during the bill’s consideration.

Note: This summary reflects the text of HB 3717 and House Committee Amendment No. 1 (filed March 18, 2025) as provided.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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