SB2150 Summary

• Amends the Private College Act and Academic Degree Act to create exemptions for private religious institutions from state educational regulations and requirements.

• Allows Illinois tax-exempt, post-secondary religious institutions to apply annually to the Illinois Board of Higher Education for exemption from educational standards under $1,000 application fee.

• Requires exempt religious institutions to use only religious degree modifiers (e.g., "Bachelor of Religious Studies"), prohibits use of "university" in institutional names, and must certify they offer only religious or theology programs.

• Mandates that exempt institutions include specific disclosure statements in all promotional materials, transcripts, and websites stating they are not accredited and credentials are unlikely to be recognized by employers, licensed bodies, or accredited institutions.

• Requires students to sign affidavits confirming they are not using federal or state educational loan funds and that institutions certify they receive no federal or state funds for their programs.