A new law could make it easier for Illinois community college students to transfer to four-year universities.

The bill, which passed through the Illinois House of Representatives April 6, allocates $350,000 to create and maintain a Web site for transfer students.

The Web site would assist students who are looking into transferring before taking courses, said State Rep. Robert Pritchard (R-Hinckley).

The bill does not make any credit from any accredited university transferable, but this is an ultimate goal, he said.

The bill, which is now in the Senate, aims to increase transparency of the course requirements of community college students transferring to four-year schools, Pritchard said.

While acceptance of any credit may sound like good news to some transfer students, state regulation of university standards decreases the academic integrity of an institution, said Missy Gillis, NIU Transfer Center coordinator.

The lawmakers’ goal in HB 2515 is to relieve faculty of the responsibility of deciding which credits are transferable, Gillis said. The state’s interest in transfer credit could stem from concern over wasted financial-aid dollars.

The state may not want credits obtained through financial aid to go to waste, Gillis said.

But here are many other resources already available to transfer students.

One-on-one academic advising is the best way for students to determine how to transfer their credits from community college to NIU, Gillis said.

The Transfer Center deals with community colleges and with their students on an individual basis, she said.

Associate’s degree holders from community colleges also enjoy a number of benefits in Illinois.

These benefits allow fresh transfer students with associate’s degrees in liberal arts and sciences acceptance into any public Illinois university, so long as they maintained a 2.0 GPA, Gillis said. These students have junior standing and are not required to take any general education classes.

The most common obstacle for transfer students is gaining access to limited-admission majors, Gillis said.

Several popular programs at NIU such as nursing, athletic training and acting have limited-admissions policies, she said.

Sometimes, students may be accepted into the university but not into the program of their choice, Gillis said.

In order to avoid this situation, Gillis said she recommends “early intervention.”

Students interested in transferring to a four-year school should look into their degree program’s requirements as soon as possible, Gillis said.

NIU also offers dual admission. Students may take classes at their community colleges and NIU simultaneously, she said.

This is helpful for students interested in courses not offered at their community college, especially students interested in limited-acceptance programs, Gillis said.

Advising for both transfer and traditional students is also available at the Academic Advising Center in the Campus Life Building.

Students are no longer required to visit every corner of campus in order to explore their options, Gillis said. The Academic Advising Center is especially useful for “deciding students” who have not declared a major or are interested in changing majors.