Illinois College receives $3 million grant to deepen student support and career readiness
Illinois College has been awarded a five-year federal Title III Strengthening Institutions Program grant to expand personalized student support, career-connected learning and opportunities for students to build the skills and experiences they need after graduation.
The grant builds on Illinois College’s commitment to putting students first by ensuring they have the resources, relationships and experiences they need not only to earn a degree, but to Graduate READY for what comes next. The investment comes as Illinois College was recently ranked the #1 Best Value Regional College in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report, recognition that reflects the College’s combination of affordability, personal attention, academic quality and opportunities that prepare students for strong futures.
The grant will support Career-Oriented Mentorship for Persistence and Student Success (COMPASS), a new Illinois College initiative that will strengthen support for students from their sophomore year through graduation. COMPASS also expands career-focused learning, connects with the region’s employers and expands opportunities to develop skills in emerging technologies and AI.
COMPASS will focus particularly on the sophomore year, a critical point when students are moving beyond the transition to college and beginning to make important decisions about their majors, career interests and goals after graduation. While freshmen take advantage of strong support during their first year at IC, the grant will allow the College to create a more intentional Sophomore Experience focused on helping students build momentum toward graduation and their future careers.
At the heart of the new Sophomore Experience will be coaching to help students navigate decisions, overcome challenges and connect their academic interests with future possibilities. Students also benefit from coordinated programming through the Center for Academic Excellence and the Center for Career Readiness & Experiential Learning. Technology-enhanced spaces in high-traffic areas of campus will make academic and career resources more accessible.
President Barbara A. Farley states that this grant reinforces student success as the College’s top priority. “IC students have a team of mentors throughout their college experience, helping them explore possibilities, make good decisions and gain the experiences and skills that prepare them for what comes next.” She goes on to note that, “The Title III grant accelerates students’ preparation for rapid changes in their future professions and the world at large.”
Together, these investments deepen the personalized support that already defines the Illinois College experience. Every IC student has access to resources designed to help them persist, discover their goals and prepare for life after graduation. COMPASS will build on that student-first approach that makes the first college in Illinois the best for undergraduate teaching.
Career readiness in the context of AI is an important element of the initiative. Faculty will receive support to develop best practices in using AI in teaching and learning, with particular focus on how to prepare students for future career success.
The grant will also allow Illinois College to deepen its relationships with employers throughout Jacksonville, west-central Illinois and the surrounding region to create more internships and other work-based opportunities. Students will have greater access to employers and the assurance they are developing the skills employers need.
Employers will also have a stronger voice in helping Illinois College understand how fields are changing and what graduates need to succeed, while creating more connections between students, experiential learning and career opportunities. These partnerships will allow the College to respond to changing workforce needs while connecting employers with talented graduates.
llinois College previously received a Title III grant in 2017, which helped consolidate student support services in the Lincoln Hall HUB, expanded support for first-year students, and strengthened faculty expertise in the use of instructional technology. Building on that work, College leaders identified an opportunity to extend that same intentional approach to the sophomore experience and the workforce changes precipitated by AI.
The new grant period runs from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2031.
Together, the investments made through COMPASS strengthens what students can expect from an Illinois College education: intentional support throughout their college journey, opportunities to put their education into practice and the skills and connections to Graduate READY for meaningful careers and lives of impact.