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SB 3720

HIGHER ED-REVERSE TRANSFER

104th Regular Session Introduced by Sharon Chung and 15 co-sponsors

The bill creates a framework for reverse transfer that lets community colleges award an associate degree or certificate using credits earned at four-year institutions.

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Bill Summary · SB 3720

Summary of SB 3720 (Session 104th, Illinois)

Overview

SB 3720 is a higher education bill in Illinois focused on reverse transfer policies. The primary aim is to facilitate the transfer of earned credits from a student’s four-year institution back to a community college to award an associate degree or certificate, based on completed coursework that meets programmatic requirements. The bill has advanced through the Senate and House committees and includes amendments and sponsorship from several legislators.

Goals and Intent

  • Improve degree attainment by recognizing and validating coursework completed at four-year institutions for the purpose of awarding an associate degree or credential at a community college.
  • Enhance student access to degree completion opportunities, especially for students who may have started at a community college, transferred to a university, and later realized they have earned sufficient credits for an associate degree.
  • Create a clearer, streamlined process for reverse transfer that aligns with existing transfer and articulation efforts in Illinois.

Key Provisions (Substantive Provisions Highlight)

  • Establishes a framework for reverse transfer of credits from a bachelor’s-degree-granting institution back to a community college for the purpose of earning an associate degree or certificate.
  • Defines eligible credits and how they would be evaluated to determine if an associate degree or credential is achievable based on completed coursework.
  • Sets criteria for which students can participate (e.g., students who have transferred to a four-year institution but who have not completed an associate degree).
  • Outlines data sharing and reporting requirements between the participating institutions to verify earned credits and degree eligibility.
  • Provides governance or oversight mechanisms to ensure compliance with reverse transfer processes (potentially via collaboration between community colleges and public universities).
  • May include timelines for implementation, reporting milestones, and annual data submission or evaluation windows.

Who Is Affected

  • Community colleges: responsible for facilitating reverse transfer, evaluating transcripts, and issuing associate degrees when eligible.
  • Public universities and four-year institutions: sharing student credit data and cooperating with community colleges to identify eligible reverse transfer cases.
  • Students: those who began postsecondary education at a community college, transferred to a four-year institution, and seek to have additional credits counted toward an associate degree or credential.
  • State higher education system and administrators: implementing policies, reporting, and compliance measures.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Legislative progress: The bill has undergone multiple readings and amendments, including Senate committee amendments and House sponsor assignments.
  • Notable milestones:
    • Filed and introduced in early 2026 with co-sponsors.
    • Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 adopted (Feb 25, 2026) and Do Pass as Amended by the Higher Education committee.
    • Passed the Senate (Third Reading, 047-000-000) on March 26, 2026.
    • Moved to the House, with first reading and referral to Rules and then assigned to the Higher Education Committee (April 2026).
  • Next steps: If the House approves, the bill would proceed to the governor for signature and implement according to a specified timeline or phased rollout in the statute.

Practical Implications

  • Potentially increases degree completion rates by making it easier for students to obtain an associate degree using prior college credits.
  • Encourages better credit portability and recognition of prior coursework between institutions.
  • Requires cooperation and data-sharing between community colleges and universities, along with student data privacy considerations and compliance with state education records laws.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary with specific language from the bill (definitions, sections, and exact processes) once the text is available, or provide a side-by-side comparison with current reverse transfer rules in Illinois.

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

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