Chambana Sun

All public universities in Illinois will begin using the Common App platform. This will enable students to apply to all 12 public universities in Illinois using one platform. The purpose of this new platform is to decrease the number of Illinois students who go to college outside of the state. Only three of the public universities in Illinois previously used the Common App. 

Gov. J.B. Pritzker allocated $1 million from the state budget to help schools adopt the new platform. 

"It’s happening now because Gov. Pritzker has championed this in his last few budgets, providing support for our public universities to do this," Deputy Governor for Education Jesse Ruiz told Illinois Newsroom. "There is some expense, but we think it’s well worth it, given the advantages it gives to all our students in Illinois."

Ruiz argued that the new application would be easier on college applicants. 

"I think it does reduce logistical barriers, and more importantly, brings more opportunity to students through the Common App to access many more universities with one application process, perhaps some that they may not have otherwise explored, had it not been made more readily and easily available to them," said Ruiz. "We are truly reducing barriers to entry for a number of our students across the state."

Ruiz also thought adopting the platform and keeping more students in Illinois would benefit the whole state.

"They’re keeping our Illinois institutions robust with robust enrollments, and also hopefully growing the number of Illinoisans who achieve a higher education degree or certificate or training and making sure that more and more Illinoisans have access to it," he stated. "Because we’re in a knowledge economy. And we know that. And so we want to make sure all Illinoisans have opportunities to obtain a higher education. And this does make it easier."

"Illinois becomes only the second state in the nation to have all its public universities on the Common App," said Ruiz. 

The Common App operates as a nonprofit organization, represents almost 900 schools, and is used by over a million students a year, one third of whom are first-generation college students. The represented schools are both public and private and situated in all 50 states and 20 different foreign countries. The purpose of the Common App is to decrease systematic barriers to attending college and applying for scholarships and financial aid.