University of Illinois System and Chicago-Based Higher Education Nonprofit Team Up to Bridge Community College Transfer Gap

A multiyear initiative will offer holistic support to help Illinois community college students transfer to bachelor's degree programs and prepare for careers in high-growth industries

CHICAGO, April 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- One Million Degrees and the University of Illinois System, the flagship public higher education system in the state of Illinois, announced an agreement to launch a new multiyear pilot program aimed at further increasing transfer rates from community colleges to four-year universities, with a focus on first-generation students across Illinois. The comprehensive support program for low-income community college students will lower barriers to the transfer process and provide targeted career advising to help more community college transfers earn the degrees required to access careers in high-growth industries.

"We are highly motivated to build on the momentum that we've created with Illinois' community colleges, expanding opportunities for students to not only access higher education but to thrive in rewarding careers," said Tim Killeen, president of the University of Illinois System. "Fulfilling the promise of college access and degree completion requires strong, accessible transfer pathways that connect Illinois' 48 public community colleges to our universities. This initiative will unlock opportunities that will fuel our state's workforce and economic future."

The new One Million Degrees partnership is an extension of the longstanding commitment to improving college transfer by the University of Illinois System and the state of Illinois. Illinois offers several transfer initiatives, such as the Illinois Articulation Initiative and guaranteed transfer admission pathways aimed at streamlining credit transfer between community colleges and universities, while tools like iTransfer and Transferology make it possible for institutions to identify common and equivalent courses across multiple campuses.

Education researchers and higher education leaders have long viewed transfer as one of the most powerful tools for improving upward mobility, particularly for students from first-generation and low-income backgrounds. In the past year, transfers from community colleges to four-year institutions surged by 7.7%, suggesting that more students are intent on earning bachelor's degrees. However, while 81% of students who enter community college cite a bachelor's degree as their ultimate goal, just 31% end up transferring to a four-year institution.

To help close the community college transfer gap, the U of I System will partner with One Million Degrees, a Chicago-based nonprofit whose evidence-based holistic student support model has been found to significantly improve student persistence, retention and career outcomes. OMD provides a comprehensive system of wraparound support — including academic coaching, financial assistance and career services — helping community college students transition smoothly into four-year institutions and reinforcing existing programs with an emphasis on student support.

"Transferring from community college to a four-year university is one of the most powerful strategies we know for advancing multigenerational upward mobility. But we cannot allow these pathways to become bridges to nowhere for the students who make the leap to transfer — or even enroll and complete — without progressing into a career that fully capitalizes on their unique talents and abilities," said Josh Hoen, interim CEO of One Million Degrees. "Ultimately, this is about ensuring that when students bet big on themselves by pursuing a college degree, they see a powerful labor market return that will dramatically increase their career and earning potential."

The initiative will launch as a pilot program serving a total of 240 students in two cohorts from select Illinois community colleges, providing additional targeted academic and career support as they transfer to University of Illinois System campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield.

The universities are working to identify their community college partners at this time. The first cohort will be recruited this fall for a pilot that starts in spring 2026, and the second pilot cohort will begin in spring 2027.

Over the next four years, the university system will evaluate the pilot and consider scaling the program beyond the initial community college partners with the goal of helping significantly increase transfer and bachelor's degree completion rates, paving the way for participants to secure high-paying jobs in growing fields.

About One Million Degrees: One Million Degrees accelerates community college students' progress on career pathways to economic mobility by providing wrap-around supports to highly motivated community college students to help them succeed in school, in work, and in life. From tutors and coaches to financial assistance and professional development, OMD offers the support that empowers scholars to transform their lives and those around them for generations. OMD currently serves 871 community college scholars from under-resourced neighborhoods at 10 Chicago-area community colleges, including all seven City Colleges of Chicago. OMD partners with employers across industries to build on-ramps to in-demand jobs through new apprenticeship and credentialing programs.

About University of Illinois System: The University of Illinois System is among the preeminent public university systems in the nation and the largest comprehensive system of higher education in Illinois. Composed principally of its three best-in-class universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield, the U of I System is a powerhouse for education and discovery, and is widely recognized as among the most innovative university systems in the world. The U of I System boasts leading graduate and doctoral research centers, two medical schools, two law schools, world-class engineering and business colleges, top liberal arts colleges, an urban hospital system, regional health science campuses, and educational programs available to residents of all 102 Illinois counties.

SOURCE One Million Degrees