Elite universities follow Illinois’ free test prep program for college

By Travis Akin

One of the nation’s top ranked premier universities is now providing universal test and licensure preparation courses for its students.

New York University (NYU) signed a partnership with test and licensure prep provider Kaplan, to provide universal test and professional licensures courses to all NYU students. The program has the potential to save students millions of dollars of out-of-pocket costs. All NYU students have access to take courses to prepare for standardized tests and licensure exams to join careers in business, medicine, dentistry, optometry, and law amongst other careers.

In a written statement to Washington Square News, NYU’s Independent School Newspaper, Interim Provost Georgina Dopico said the partnership aims to help alleviate students’ struggles in accessing “high-quality test preparation courses.”

“We are committed to ensuring that our students have the educational resources they need to thrive in their academic and professional pursuits, regardless of economic status,” Dopico wrote. “We are happy to offer this new resource to students, which eliminates at least one financial barrier to graduate education and professional licensing and responds to one of President Mills’ key priorities to help our students thrive.”

Illinois was the first state in the nation to pass legislation to create a universal test and licensure preparation program for its public universities in 2023, but the program has yet to be implemented and rolled out to students. The program will save Illinois students millions of dollars and provide access to resources that are a real financial hurdle for lower- and middle-income students.

More schools across the country – including multiple historically Black colleges -- have signed up for a universal free test and licensure preparation since Illinois created the Prepare for Illinois’ Future program in May 2023. At Cleveland State University, about half of all students that signed up were low-income or minorities. In fact, other state legislatures are in talks to create similar free test and licensure programs for their universities as soon as this year.

“My job as a legislator and appropriations chair is to come up with equitable solutions to help students go to college and prepare for careers,” said Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, architect of the program and chair of the Illinois House Higher Education Appropriations Committee. “With the Supreme Court’s terrible decision on affirmative action, universal test and licensure prep for Illinois colleges lifts up low-income and minority students and enables them to achieve better careers while allowing the state to create a robust workforce. I hope Illinois will be the first state that will offer the program to its students.”

After the Governor’s state budget proposal for fiscal year 2025 was released on February 21. Ford said he will work with members of the Appropriations Committee and key state leaders to continue adequately funding the Prepare for Illinois’ Future program next fiscal year and beyond. He hopes Illinois will serve as a shining example of how to invest in its resident’s future.