New Illinois program streamlines college admissions process for students

ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Graduating college is a huge accomplishment. But before you graduate, you have to get there first. Illinois universities are hoping a new program will help.

“It can be very challenging. And so each institution sets its own application, so the applications can differ amongst different institutions. Fees can be quite expensive, anywhere from 30 to a couple of hundred dollars to apply,” Deana Schenk with the Illinois Community College Board, said.

Illinois universities are hoping to capture as much in-state talent as they can with the new “One Click Admission” program.

“The idea behind the program was to streamline the admissions process for students, really with the intention of giving Illinois students a pathway into Illinois institutions so that we can keep them in-state,” Schenk said.

The process for One Click Admission is simple.

All a student needs to do is create an account, upload their information and GPA, and in-state schools will reach out.

“You do not have to submit an app to receive admission offers. All you have to do is enter your GPA and address and just sit back, relax, and let the offers roll in,” Jose Garcia with the Illinois Board of Higher Education, said.

With no expensive application fees or admissions essays, Garcia and Schenk hope to see enrollment surge, especially among low income and first generation students.

“By removing all of that, we’ve really created a pathway that makes it much easier for students to move into higher ed and to really start thinking about their future instead of the stress of going through applications,” Schenk said.

Upping enrollment isn’t just a good thing for students, but schools as well.

While college enrollment is trending up, it’s still below pre-pandemic levels and easier applications could translate into more students on campus.

“We hope to see some significant, significant increases as we go along. And we will be tracking the data very, very carefully to make sure that we are approaching this project correctly and pivoting as needed to make sure that we’re we are getting to those enrollment goals,” Schenk said.

You can access the program by visiting One Click Admit online.

It’s important to note that while One Click Admit gets rid of applications fees — it is not financial assistance. Students looking for help paying for school should visit the Illinois Student Assistance Commission online.