Illinois Tech and Moraine Valley Community College Announce Guaranteed Admission and Scholarships

CHICAGO-May 4, 2026-Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) and Moraine Valley Community College have announced a guaranteed admission partnership and articulation agreement that creates a direct path for Moraine Valley students to earn their bachelor's degrees at Illinois Tech, Chicago's only technology-focused university and a national leader in student career outcomes and economic mobility. Through the agreement, qualified Moraine Valley students can secure admission to Illinois Tech in advance, while still completing their associate degrees and gain immediate access to personalized transfer advising, discounted Illinois Tech coursework, a guaranteed annual Transfer Scholarship of $25,000, and early exposure to Illinois Tech's experiential learning opportunities through the Elevate initiative.

The announcement cemented an already-thriving relationship between the two institutions: Moraine Valley Community College continued to be one of the largest undergraduate feeder institutions in 2025 and Illinois Tech's single largest feeder school outside the city of Chicago. The partnership, formalized via the agreement at a ceremonial signing on Moraine Valley's campus in Palos Hills, Illinois, reflects both institutions' shared commitment to expanding access to high-quality, career-ready education for students across the greater Chicago region.

"At Illinois Tech, we believe that where a student starts should never limit where they can go. Moraine Valley has long sent us outstanding students who go on to thrive in some of the most in-demand fields in technology, engineering and business and this partnership allows us to engage even more of them earlier in their academic journey," says Mallik Sundharam, Illinois Tech vice president for enrollment management and student affairs. "We are proud to build a formal pathway that meets Moraine Valley students where they are and provides the tools, support and scholarship resources they need to achieve their full potential at Illinois Tech."

A Seamless Path to a Bachelor's Degree

Under the guaranteed admission program, participating Moraine Valley students will receive one-on-one support from a dedicated Illinois Tech transfer admission counselor who will guide them through course selection and the transfer process at both institutions. Students who enroll in the program may also take Illinois Tech non-degree courses while still at Moraine Valley at a deeply discounted rate of 10 percent of Illinois Tech's standard tuition per credit hour, allowing them to build Illinois Tech credit before they officially transfer. Aligned course mapping helps students take required courses in the appropriate sequence, ensuring that credits transfer seamlessly to Illinois Tech while maintaining academic momentum. This structured pathway reduces the risk of excess credits, keeps the time to degree on track, and helps make the overall cost of graduation more efficient and affordable for students.

Illinois Tech guarantees a minimum Transfer Scholarship of $25,000 per year to every Moraine Valley student who is successfully admitted through the program-prorated for part-time students and renewable automatically each year through undergraduate degree completion. The scholarship extends to Illinois Tech's Accelerated Master's Program, also known as the Plus One Program, for students who choose to continue their graduate studies, providing exceptional long-term value. Additional scholarships and financial aid are available for students who progress into a master's degree, helping minimize both the time and cost to graduation. The program also allows students to leverage their bachelor's degree credential while completing their master's, supporting expanded employment opportunities. The program also allows students to leverage their bachelor's degree credential while completing their master's, supporting expanded employment opportunities. National labor market data reinforces the value of advanced education: according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, full-time workers with a master's degree earned about 17 percent more than workers whose highest degree was a bachelor's in 2025-equivalent to nearly- $15,500 more annually-underscoring the strong earnings potential of the Plus One Program.

In addition, students benefit from early and sustained engagement with Illinois Tech's experiential learning ecosystem through the Elevate initiative, which integrates hands-on projects, internships, research, and career development opportunities. This approach ensures students are not only academically successful but also graduate with the skills, experiences, and professional readiness needed to thrive in today's competitive economy.

"Experiential learning is at the heart of an Illinois Tech education," says Sundharam. "Through early exposure to hands-on experiences, our students develop the knowledge, practical expertise and twenty-first-century skills that employers seek to enhance long-term career success. This partnership with Moraine Valley expands access to those opportunities and to our flagship Elevate initiative, which ensures every student engages in internships, research, and real-world learning. Moraine Valley students have consistently demonstrated their readiness to succeed at Illinois Tech, and we are excited to welcome even more of them through this structured and guaranteed admissions pathway."

"Moraine Valley Community College has always been committed to opening doors and creating pathways that take our students further than they ever imagined possible. This partnership with Illinois Tech is a powerful extension of that mission-it gives our students a guaranteed, supported, and affordable route to a premier bachelor's degree in the fields where opportunity is greatest," says Moraine Valley Community College President Dr. Pamela J. Haney. "Our students are talented, motivated, and ready to lead. We are proud to connect them with an institution that shares our belief in their potential and is committed to their success every step of the way."

A Student-Centered Transfer Experience

The partnership was designed with the transfer student experience front and center. Illinois Tech's transfer admission counselors will work closely with Moraine Valley's own faculty and advising staff to ensure continuity of support-from a student's first expression of interest through their first day on campus and beyond. Moraine Valley's long record of facilitating proactive, high-touch handoffs of prospective students to Illinois Tech has been a hallmark of the existing relationship between the two schools, and this agreement formalizes and expands that collaborative approach.

"Moraine Valley Community College works hard to ensure student success. Because of the solid foundations we provide our students, we engage transfer partners that are equally committed to seeing our students thrive academically," says Dr. Scott Friedman, dean of Student Engagement at Moraine Valley. "Illinois Tech's new transfer partnership creates a warm, personalized handoff between our teams so that students feel supported while navigating the transition to completing their bachelor's degree. This formal transfer agreement extends a longstanding positive relationship between our institutions and provides the structure and resources our students deserve in the transfer process."

Moraine Valley students interested in learning more about the guaranteed admission program can visit iit.edu/moraine-valley or contact an Illinois Tech transfer admission counselor to schedule an appointment.

Illinois Tech is ranked #1 in Illinois for Best Salaries for Graduates (Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2026) and is one of only five institutions in the country focused on technology, engineering, and the sciences to earn the "Opportunity College and University" designation from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation-the highest possible rating in access and graduate earnings. And due to our high number of STEM majors, the mean starting salary of our 2025 graduates within six months of graduation was well above the national average (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2026).

Photo: (From left to right) Dr. Ryen Nagle, Vice President of Academic Affairs at MVCC; Dr. Michael Bates, Dean of Science, Business and Computer Technology at MVCC; Mallik Sundharam, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at Illinois Tech; Dr. Pamela J. Haney, President of MVCC; Christina Carney-Simon, Vice Chair of the MVCC Professionals Union; Dr. Helen Wood, Assistant Dean of Science, Business and Computer Technology at MVCC; Michelle Garcia Nieto, Associate Director of Board Relations at Illinois Tech; and Dr. Normah Salleh-Barone, Vice President of Student Development at MVCC.

Note: Admission through the guaranteed admission pathway is contingent on meeting all requirements above and is subject to a comprehensive review by the Illinois Tech Office of Undergraduate Admission.

Illinois Institute of Technology

Based in the global metropolis of Chicago, Illinois Tech was born to liberate the power of collective difference to advance technology and innovation for all. It is the only tech-focused university in the city, and it stands at the crossroads of exploration and invention, advancing the future of Chicago and the world. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, computing, architecture, business, design, science and human sciences, and law. Illinois Tech students are guaranteed access to hands-on experiences, personalized mentorship, and job readiness through the university's one-of-a-kind Elevate program. Its graduates lead the state and much of the nation in economic prosperity. Its faculty and alumni built the Chicago skyline. And every day in the city's living lab, Illinois Tech fuels breakthroughs that change lives. Visit iit.edu.

Moraine Valley Community College

Moraine Valley Community College District 524 is a two-year institution of higher education founded in 1967. Located in Palos Hills, the college serves 26 communities in the southwest suburbs of Chicago and offers more than 140 degree and certificate programs accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Students interested in transferring to four-year colleges or universities can earn associate degrees in six different disciplines. The college also offers classes and programming at its Education Center at Blue Island and Southwest Education Center in Tinley Park. To learn more, visit morainevalley.edu.

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Illinois Institute of Technology
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Kevin Dollear
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Illinois Institute of Technology
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Madisson Younglove
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