ICCTA Report: Community College Bachelor’s Degree Bills Advance in Springfield

Joliet Junior College | September 16, 2026

Article Summary: Trustee Diane Harris told the Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, that legislation allowing Illinois community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees in high-demand fields has cleared a House committee, and that proposed federal budget changes would cut several student aid programs.

Legislative Report Key Points:

House Bill 5319 and Senate Bill 4034 would let Illinois community colleges offer bachelor’s degrees in high-demand fields; HB 5319 passed the House Executive Committee.

Harris said fewer than one in six Illinois community college students goes on to earn a bachelor’s degree, and roughly 40% of the state’s commuting zones lack a nearby public university.

Federal proposals for FY2027 include a $50 increase in the maximum Pell Grant but would eliminate the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and reduce federal work-study.

The ICCTA members meeting was set for Sept. 18-19 in Springfield; the ACCT Leadership Congress is in Chicago the week of Oct. 21.

JOLIET — Legislation that would allow Illinois community colleges to grant bachelor’s degrees in high-demand fields has advanced out of a House committee, Trustee Diane Harris told the Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, in her report as the board’s representative to the Illinois Community College Trustees Association and the Association of Community College Trustees.

Harris said House Bill 5319 and Senate Bill 4034 “seek to allow Illinois community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees in high-demand fields,” and that HB 5319 passed the House Executive Committee on March 25, “marking an important step forward.”

“The legislation builds on agreements reached during the previous legislative session, including public universities’ neutrality and a collaborative approach to implementation,” she said.

Harris cautioned that her written report covered July and August and that the situation could have changed since. “So that we would talk about in our October meeting,” she said.

The Case Made in the Report

Harris read the workforce argument from the report. “Illinois faces significant workforce shortages in fields such as healthcare, manufacturing, technology and education, many of which increasingly require bachelor’s degrees,” she said. “Yet fewer than one in six community college students currently go on to earn a bachelor’s degree.”

Community college baccalaureate programs “would provide students with more affordable opportunities to earn four-year degrees closer to home,” she said, which matters most “in areas where access to public universities is limited. Approximately 40% of Illinoisans’ commuting zones lack a nearby public university.”

Harris said such programs already operate in 24 states, “many designed around regional workforce needs and employer involvement,” and that Florida and Washington “have reported strong employment outcomes for graduates.”

She urged trustees to contact legislators. “There’s still always opportunities to call your legislators and tell them how important it is for our community in our area,” she said.

Federal Aid Proposals

Turning to the ACCT public policy report, Harris said proposed FY2027 federal funding levels “contain both positive developments and concerns.”

On the positive side, she cited a proposed $50 increase in the maximum Pell Grant, approximately $10 million more for strengthening community college training grants and approximately $8 million more for career and technical education.

“However, other programs do face reduction or elimination,” she said. “The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant is proposed for elimination and federal work study funding would be reduced. Proposed student loan changes would also eliminate subsidized loans for many future undergraduate borrowers.”

Harris said Congress has “temporarily delayed a lot of the changes, but the issue still remains unresolved,” and encouraged trustees to contact their congressional representatives.

“The key message is simple,” she said. “We have to stay informed, stay engaged and keep advocating.”

Harris announced that the ICCTA members meeting would be held Sept. 18 and 19 in Springfield, and encouraged trustees to attend the ACCT Leadership Congress in Chicago the week of Oct. 21. She said she would not be able to attend the Springfield meeting and was uncertain whether her alternate would.

Separately, President Dr. Clyne Namuo told the board he has been asked to co-chair the Illinois Community College Presidents Council legislative committee with Dr. Avis Proctor, president of Harper College, and said he would be in Springfield the following two days for a statewide presidents’ meeting. He said he would be working closely with Harris in her ICCTA role “as we make our way down to Springfield” through the veto session and into the next legislative session.

Harris’s report was presented as item 5.1 and required no board action. She said copies of her written report were available from the board’s executive assistant.