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.
