Tuition payments could cease to exist for many of Illinois' community college students under a proposal from President Obama. The plan would make two years of community college free to students in participating states.
In Illinois, the proposal would mean a significant increase in financial support to the state's 48 community colleges.
Illinois' financial struggles have resulted in declining support for community colleges in the past decade.
Karen Hunter Anderson, head of the Illinois Community College Board, says she's cautiously hopeful about the plan.
"We would love to see a program like this work in Illinois. How it would work is yet to be seen. I think what the entire system and the state can all agree on is that we need to get more of our residents into post-secondary programs."
Illinois' community colleges served 338,000 students in 2014. More than 10% of the state's community college students take out student loans to pay for their education.
