Lilly Highlights Law to Increase Diversity in Colleges and Universities

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, D-Chicago, is highlighting a new law to increase diversity in college admissions in Illinois.

“Being able to successfully engage with people from different backgrounds and who have different experiences is becoming an increasingly critical skill in today’s economy and society,” Lilly said. “Ensuring that our colleges and universities have a broad range of gender, geographic, racial and socioeconomic diversity in student admissions will not only enrich our students and campuses, it will help build better leaders for our future.”

Lilly supported House Bill 26 to institute a pilot project for a top ten percent admissions plan for Eastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University and Western Illinois University. Beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, and lasting for four years, each of these institutions will be required to admit general admissions applicants who have graduated in the top ten percent of their high school class, completed minimum college preparatory requirements for a particular institution and satisfied ACT or SAT score requirements for a particular institution. At the University of Texas, students enrolled under a similar law are a far more diverse population than students admitted under other criteria.

“This law will help ensure that institutions of higher education in our state reflect the great diversity of the people of Illinois,” Lilly added. “After four years of destruction and devastation public universities, it will also show our top-performing students that they do have a place at our colleges and universities.”