SPRINGFIELD —State Senator Celina Villanueva championed a measure to make the college transfer process easier and more equitable by waving certain admissions fees.

“Equitable access to education is of the upmost importance, and students in their final semester should have the opportunity to transfer without the burden of application fees,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “It is our responsibility to ensure every student’s transition into higher education is seamless and fair.”

Senate Bill 3081 would require public universities to waive admission application fees for a student transferring from an Illinois public community college if the transferring student is enrolled in the last semester of a degree program and is on schedule to graduate with a degree.

Additionally, the measure would encourage each public university to develop a policy to automatically waive the undergraduate transfer admissions application fees for low-income students transferring from a community college.

“This is one less barrier in higher education that students will have to face,” said Villanueva. “This measure isn’t just a win for students – it’s a win for state and community colleges as well.”

Senate Bill 3081 passed the Senate Thursday and heads to the House for further consideration.