SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — An Illinois House Democrat hopes lawmakers can include $10 million in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget to launch free college test prep classes.

Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) told WAND News Wednesday that Illinois should have a program to help students prepare for licensure exams to become teachers, nurses, social workers and lawyers. 

Ford thought of this idea after talking with his daughter who attends Howard University in Washington D.C.

“On a Sunday, she called me and said you have to look at this,” Ford said. “Howard University is actually offering free test prep. I read over it and found out they actually help people pass their licensure exams. That’s a big deal.”

Ford said Illinois could be the first state in the country to offer this opportunity to increase equity and address worker shortages across several key industries.

“We know that sometimes the tests have barriers that some people just can’t overcome,” Ford said. “And if we can do everything that we can to remove those barriers and support students, I think that we’re going to see that it’s going to be a cost savings to our overall budget priorities.”

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission plans to launch the free test prep program for public university students during Fiscal Year 2024. Although, Ford noted that ISAC could also launch a free test prep pilot project for community college students as well.

ISAC plans to include universal test prep for the MCAT, LSAT, GRE, and GMAT. Students would also be able to receive help preparing for licensing exams for teaching, nursing, real estate, insurance, and brokerage jobs.

Ford chairs the House Higher Education Appropriations Committee and stressed that he is very optimistic this initiative will be included in the final budget plan.

“We haven’t had any push back. Everyone knows this would add value and we’re offering our public universities a tool to recruit,” Ford said. “We’re offering our students a tool to do well and become licensed in their professions. So, this is to me a wise use of taxpayer dollars.”

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