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SB 1962

HGHR ED-TRANSFER CREDIT REPORT

104th Regular Session Introduced by Cristina Castro

SB 1962 requires Illinois public colleges to annually report which transfer courses are not credited or counted toward a declared major, plus reasons, to IBHE.

Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments
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Bill Summary · SB 1962

Bill Summary — SB 1962 (HGHR ED — Transfer Credit Report)

Sponsor: Sen. Cristina Castro
Act amended: Illinois Articulation Initiative Act (110 ILCS 152) — adds Section 35
Introduced: February–March 2025

Purpose

SB 1962 requires annual, standardized reporting by public colleges and universities in Illinois on courses for which transfer students are denied academic credit (or credit toward a declared major). The goal is to increase transparency about transfer-credit denial patterns and to give the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) data to inform policy and articulation improvements.

Key provisions

  • Adds a new Section 35 to the Illinois Articulation Initiative Act.
  • Annual institutional reporting:
    • By May 1, 2026 and each May 1 thereafter, every public institution of higher education must submit to the IBHE a report (in a form prescribed by the IBHE) describing any course for which a student who transfers to a public 4‑year institution from another State institution of higher education is not granted:
    • academic credit at the receiving institution; or
    • if the student had declared a major and has not changed majors, academic credit toward that major.
  • Required data elements (at minimum):
    • Course name and type, including program, school, major or minor, and credits/units (if any);
    • The institution that granted academic credit for the course; and
    • The reason the receiving institution did not grant credit.
  • IBHE reporting duty:
    • IBHE must compile the institutional data and deliver a consolidated report to the Governor and General Assembly by October 1, 2026 and by October 1 of each subsequent year.

Who is affected

  • Public institutions of higher education in Illinois (as reporting entities), particularly public 4‑year receiving institutions.
  • Transfer students whose courses were evaluated and denied credit (data aggregated at the institutional/course level; the bill does not require student identifiers).
  • The Illinois Board of Higher Education, which must collect, compile, and report the data.

Timeline & legislative status

  • Key dates: Institutions submit data annually by May 1 (first due May 1, 2026); IBHE reports to Governor and General Assembly annually by Oct 1 (first due Oct 1, 2026).
  • Legislative actions (selection): Introduced Feb–Mar 2025 by Sen. Castro; passed the Senate April 16, 2025; referred to relevant House committees with committee activity in April–May 2025. (Current procedural entry: Rule 3‑9(a) / Re‑referred to Assignments.)

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Benefits: Greater transparency about transfer-credit denials; identification of articulation gaps between institutions; evidence base for statewide policy changes to improve transferability and reduce time‑to‑degree and extra costs for students.
  • Administrative burden: Institutions will need processes to collect and submit the required course- and reason-level data annually.
  • Data scope/ambiguity: The phrase “another State institution of higher education” could be read ambiguously (out‑of‑state vs. another Illinois state institution); bill language may require clarification. The bill specifies course- and institution-level detail but does not require student-level identifiers.
  • Follow-up: IBHE’s compiled reports may prompt recommendations for articulation agreements, curriculum alignment, or rule changes to standardize transfer credit practices.

If enacted, SB 1962 creates a recurring statewide information flow intended to reveal and address transfer-credit barriers affecting transfer students in Illinois public higher education.

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

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