The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), the state’s college access and financial aid agency, has contracted leading global education company Kaplan to provide free test preparation courses to all students enrolled in Illinois’ 12 public 4-year universities, which includes Northeastern Illinois University.
The pilot program, called Prepare for Illinois’ Future, gives students 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 from Kaplan. Five Illinois community colleges — Joliet Junior College, Carl Sandburg College, Southwestern Illinois College, Malcolm X College and Morton College — are also part of this new initiative.
“The Prepare for Illinois' Future program is an investment in our students’ future,” Northeastern Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs R. Shayne Cofer, Ph.D., said. “It's one way of removing obstacles and empowering students to reach their full potential. We believe that providing students with the best possible preparation positions them for a successful future in Illinois.”
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.
“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,” ISAC Executive Director Eric Zarnikow said. “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.”
Kaplan, Inc. is a global educational services company that helps individuals and institutions advance their goals in an ever-changing world. Our broad portfolio of solutions help students and professionals further their education and careers, universities and educational institutions attract and support students, and businesses maximize employee recruitment, retainment, and development.
"The State of Illinois’ bold initiative has the potential to create lasting benefits for millions of residents across the state by addressing acute shortages in critical fields such as healthcare and education, producing more doctors, nurses, teachers and other essential professionals,” CEO of Kaplan North America Gregory Marino said. “Providing free access to our comprehensive suite of test prep and career development resources will help aspiring professionals thrive and lift up their communities."
Information has been shared with Northeastern employees and students via Nmail on how to log into the Prepare for Illinois’ Future powered by Kaplan’s All Access License™.
