Chicago City Wire

The president of Chicago State University is hailing Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's March 19 statement that all 12 of Illinois' public universities will use the same online application system known as Common App.

The partnership of Illinois' public universities with the nonprofit that runs the Common Application platform will launch on Aug. 1 for the 2021-2022 application season, the state said in a March news release. 

Chicago State University, Northern Illinois University and the University of Illinois Chicago have been using Common App before the other public universities followed, according to a Common App blog post.

Zaldwaynaka “Z” Scott, Chicago State University’s president | Facebook

"Illinois' public universities are signaling to students across the state and country, we are here to support you as you select the best institution for you and your goals," Zaldwaynaka "Z" Scott, Chicago State University's president, said in a release. "Given Chicago State University's commitment to improving black and Latinx student access and success in higher education, the institution adopted the common application in order to remove an unnecessary barrier in starting the college journey."

Public universities joining the initial three are Eastern Illinois University, Governors State University, Illinois State University, Northeastern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, University of Illinois Springfield, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Western Illinois University, the blog said. Thirty-five Illinois public and private institutions use Common App, the state said.

Illinois public universities' use of a common application is a "critical move to improve access for students to a postsecondary education," Chicago State University posted to Facebook March 19.

Jesse Ruiz, Illinois deputy governor for education, pointed out the benefit of Common App in his March 25 Facebook post.

"Thanks to Governor Pritzker, Illinois becomes only 1 of 2 states in the nation to have all its public universities on the Common App," Ruiz said. "Common App will make it so much easier for students and families to explore all the great public university options in Illinois and submit their applications to them." 

Common App represents nearly 900 institutions of higher education, according to Common App's website. Approximately 35 Illinois public and private institutions use Common App, the Illinois government press release said.

Illinois' fiscal year 2022 budget has a proposal of $1 million to fund the partnership with Common App, the "Illinois Budget in Brief" detailed.