Kankakee Times

Community college students will have the opportunity to find affordable housing near their schools thanks to a new law sponsored by State Senator Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago).

Before, community colleges were not allowed to own student housing, but the law now allows community college boards of trustees and local housing authorities in Illinois to build a reasonably priced place for students to live, Sims' website says.

Sims called it a "major bonus" for both the school and its students, some of whom faced the challenges associated with a lengthy commute in order to get to class. 

"There are many advantages to living on campus for students, but the benefits go far beyond having an onsite dorm room or apartment," Sims wrote in a post on his Facebook page. "Studies show that students who live on campus complete more credit hours and have higher grade point averages."

Now, if community colleges want to develop inexpensive housing for students, they must go through a local housing authority or nonprofit organization according to Sims' press release. 

The release said advocates of the law argued limiting housing on community college campuses failed to "meet the needs of every student," since some were forced to drive a distance in order to get to school.