Larry Walsh Jr.: Free test, professional licensure/credentialing prep courses would boost
JJC enrollment and create job opportunities.
State Rep. Larry Walsh Jr., D-Elwood, said a plan to provide free test and professional licensure preparation courses, as well as industry credentialing classes, for Joliet Junior College (JJC) and other Illinois community college and public university students will not only help colleges recruit and retain students but also enable area students to find local, higher-paying jobs.
Walsh is working with State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, to secure $10 million in state funding for free test and licensure prep courses in the state’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget.
“Test preparation and critical thinking classes have proven to dramatically improve outcomes but, unfortunately, many students simply cannot afford them,” Walsh said. “Providing these courses for free at JJC and other schools would help keep Illinois students in Illinois and ultimately lead to them launching more successful careers right here in Illinois. The last thing we want is for our students to go to school here and then move to other states. We want to keep our students in Illinois to help grow our economy and move our state forward. A small investment in our students and universities today could become a major factor in the future economic growth in our state.”
New data shows how successful universal free test prep can be. At Cleveland State University, 440 students already signed up for universal exam prep, saving students $397,736. Of those 440 students, 41 percent are low-income, and 40 percent are first generation college students, which means they are the first in their family to go to college.
“Students at JJC taking nursing classes, seeking to work in the financial services industry, or trying to get their real estate license would be able to utilize these free prep courses, save hundreds of dollars, and greatly improve their chances to pass their licensure and credentialing exams,” Walsh said. “Providing this service to our students is something we should have done a long time ago.”
Walsh noted JJC was the nation’s first community college and could soon lead the way for free test prep classes for JJC’s more than 30,000 students.
“Joliet Junior College is no stranger to firsts,” Walsh continued. “With this initiative, the state’s premier junior college can build on its track record of success in preparing local students for their professional development. I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to make free test prep classes a priority for the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget and for many years to come.”