The Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) is a group of 23 private colleges and universities, rooted in the liberal arts tradition, that leverages the expertise of our statewide network to provide underserved students with new educational opportunities. ACI accomplishes this goal through scalable and sustainable programs that seek to close the achievement gap in high-need schools, and that help at-risk students prepare for and graduate from college.
ACI’s progress in addressing these goals has produced measurable results for Illinois and the nation; captured the attention of major corporate, foundation, and government funders; and positioned our network of private, mission-driven colleges and universities as experts in solving some of our nation’s most challenging educational problems.
- ACI’s Center for Success in High-Need Schools has helped hundreds of adults launch new careers teaching in schools serving low-income students; prompted sweeping transformations of teacher education curricula that can be replicated by institutions and communities across the country; and more than doubled the number of alumni from ACI member institutions who choose to teach in high-need schools.
- ACI's College Readiness Program, which provides a four-year, year-round program that maps the road to college for minority, low-income, and first generation students has achieved consistently positive outcomes: 99% of these College Readiness students graduate high school, and 94% enroll in post-secondary programs, primarily two-year and four-year colleges and universities.
- ACI's College Success Network, established in 2006 to provide first-generation, low-income, and minority students with the academic and financial support they need to succeed in college, already is achieving fall-to-fall retention rates of 87%, compared to the national retention rate for all freshmen of only 73.6%.
- ACI’s Scholarship Program, Illinois’ largest statewide, non-governmental scholarship initiative, provides the resources underserved students need to enjoy the benefits of private higher education. This year alone, ACI has awarded more than $439,000 in scholarships to 225 promising students enrolled at ACI member colleges and universities.
