Widening the Doors of Opportunity

Since 2020, UIC’s Sprinternship program has given UIC computing students a jump start on careers with micro-internships at major companies like McDonald’s, Google, Amazon, and Abbott Laboratories. This spring, the program is entering a new chapter, with a new director determined to continue and grow opportunities for diverse tech talent at UIC.

The decision to attend college usually comes with a catch: You can go, but only if you can afford it. Across the country, that calculation fails — college costs rising, aid falling short, families left to bridge the gap or walk away. In Illinois, something different is happening. This year, the University of Illinois System enrolled over 100,000 students for the first time in its history — a milestone powered by a simple principle: Cost should never close the door to opportunity.

A recent study done by the University of Illinois Springfield shows that not only do disabled employees tend to get paid less than non-disabled employees, but they should make the same wage considering that they are just as capable to handle the job at hand as any other employee.

The Illinois Dual Credit Learning Accelerator, jointly hosted by the Office of Online Learning and Undergraduate Admissions, is an initiative that aims to provide high-quality academic opportunities for prospective Illinois public high school students interested in pursuing four-year degrees. 

The University of Illinois Springfield is expanding its academic programs to better serve students and meet workforce needs by enhancing its Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies program with new transfer pathways focused on paralegal preparation and introducing a Public Leadership minor open to all undergraduate majors.

The University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford launched the Street Medicine Program, funded by a $2.5 million federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The initiative trains family medicine residents to bring care directly to people where they are on the streets, in encampments and at shelters.

The University of Illinois Springfield will offer four new medical laboratory science (MLS) certificates starting in August to address the critical shortage of certified laboratory specialists in central Illinois. Certificates will be offered in clinical chemistry, hematology, immunohematology and medical microbiology.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign increased the family income threshold to be eligible for Illinois Commitment — a financial aid program that provides free tuition and fees for in-state students — from $67,100 to $75,000, effective fall 2025.

This summer, 30 area community college students visited the University of Illinois Chicago Nanofabrication Core Facility's cleanroom to gain hands-on experience manufacturing semiconductor devices. The Semiconductor Fabrication Training Program was established to grow the talent pipeline of undergraduate-level engineering students trained in industry-standard hardware and software.

Chicago high school students are getting a jump-start to their public health careers, thanks to a pilot program offered by the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health and the Chicago Department of Public Health. As Chicago Public Health Innovators (ChiPHI), they engage in a six-week program set in both classrooms and in Chicago communities.