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SB 2448

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2025 Regular Session Introduced by Sollie Norwood

Automates general admission offers to qualifying Illinois high school seniors and community college students via a statewide Direct Admission Program starting 2027–28.

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Bill Summary · SB 2448

Summary — SB 2448: Public University Direct Admission Program Act

Note on record inconsistencies: The bill text supplied addresses a statewide direct-admission program for Illinois public universities and community colleges. The supplied bill metadata (title, status, and legislative-action timeline) contains conflicting entries. This summary focuses on the substance of the bill as shown in the text. Verify current status on the Illinois General Assembly website for final procedural details.

Purpose / Intent

Establish a statewide “direct admission” program to automatically identify and offer general admission to qualifying Illinois high school seniors and eligible public community college students, with the goals of increasing college access, simplifying application processes, and improving outreach to historically underserved students.

Key provisions

  • Establishment and administration

    • Beginning with the 2027–2028 academic year, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), in collaboration with the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), and the State Board of Education (SBE), must establish and run the Direct Admission Program.
    • The program must comply with FERPA, the Illinois School Student Records Act, and the School Code.

  • University obligations

    • Each participating public university must annually submit its grade-point-average (GPA) standards for general admission (both first-time and transfer standards) to ISAC by March 1.

  • Student identification and notifications

    • Beginning July 1, 2026, and each July 1 thereafter, ISAC will use school-district data (student directory info including email and cumulative GPA) to determine which students meet university admission standards and provide that information to IBHE.
    • IBHE or a statewide application portal (as contemplated in an amendment) will notify qualifying students and the universities for which they qualify. Universities may also notify students directly.

  • Community college students / transfers

    • Public community colleges (open-access) will be included: a community college student who (1) is enrolled in an Illinois community college, (2) has earned at least 30 graded transferable semester hours, and (3) meets a public university’s minimum GPA requirement shall receive an offer of general admission from that university.
    • By July 1 each year, community college districts must provide, consistent with FERPA, access to qualifying students’ direct-admissions information to ISAC. Prior to sharing transferable-credit details, community college districts must obtain written/electronic consent from students (or parent/guardian if under 18), per the amendment.

  • Outreach, technology, and reporting

    • IBHE, ISAC, and SBE must develop a preselection outreach campaign (in consultation with UIC and UIUC) to encourage qualifying juniors and seniors to apply to the University of Illinois campuses.
    • ISAC may develop technology to automatically notify qualifying students.
    • IBHE must submit a report on the program and outreach campaign to the Governor and General Assembly by August 1, 2029, and annually thereafter.

  • Definitions

    • “Direct admissions information” is defined to include name, home address, birth date, phone number, student email address, and cumulative GPA.
    • The bill lists Illinois public universities covered (UIS, SIU system, Chicago State, Eastern, Governors State, ISU, Northeastern, NIU, Northern, Western, and any future public universities).

Who is affected

  • High school juniors and seniors in Illinois (automatic identification and offers to qualifying seniors)
  • Illinois public community college students seeking transfer pathways
  • Public universities and community colleges (reporting, notification duties, articulation/transfer coordination)
  • ISAC, IBHE, ICCB, SBE, and school districts (data collection, technology, outreach)
  • Vendors/portal operators if state partners with external providers (amendment contemplates vendor partnerships)

Timeline / effective dates

  • Data collection by ISAC: begins July 1, 2026 (and annually thereafter)
  • Program launch: academic year 2027–2028 (first automatic admission offers)
  • First required IBHE report: August 1, 2029 (and annually thereafter)
  • Annual university GPA submission: March 1 each year

Privacy and legal safeguards

  • The bill requires compliance with FERPA, the Illinois School Student Records Act, and School Code provisions, and includes student-consent provisions for community college data sharing.

For confirmation of final language, amendments, and current enactment status, consult the Illinois General Assembly bill tracking page or the official enrolled bill.

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

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