Students actively enrolled in credit-bearing courses for fall 2025 or spring 2026 have access to free test preparation, expert guidance and comprehensive materials to help them prepare for required exams in fields such as nursing, real estate, insurance or financial planning. This program also offers valuable courses to help build essential skills for career success, such as critical thinking, new hire confidence and project management.
Sandburg participates in the Prepare for Illinois’ Future Program, a first-of-its-kind workforce development and education initiative. This program, administered through a partnership with the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) and Kaplan, provides students with access to more than 30 test-prep courses at no cost.
About the program
Illinois is the first state in the U.S. to offer free, comprehensive test-prep services to students attending public universities and select community colleges, including Sandburg. The program has saved students across Illinois more than $4 million in test-preparation costs.
The Prepare for Illinois’ Future Program is part of a statewide effort to boost enrollment at Illinois public institutions, create career pathways for students from underserved urban and rural communities and address critical workforce shortages in healthcare, education and technology fields.
Explore available courses, and register before Dec. 23, 2025.