South Central Reporter

A bill aimed at adding agricultural science to the list of classes that count toward the minimum requirements for acceptance into Illinois colleges and universities has passed the state Senate. 

State Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) said the goal of Senate Bill 1624, which received a unanimous vote last week, was to bring attention to the importance of lessons dealing with agriculture. 

"My goal is to encourage students to feel confident and passionate about their career choices, especially when choosing a field that has such a substantial and diverse impact," Turner said in a post on her Facebook April 27.

Under current law, students are required to complete at a minimum of 15 units of high school coursework in English, social studies, math, sciences, and electives in foreign languages, music, vocational education or art to be accepted into a college or university, according to a release on Turner's Senate website. 

The bill, if passed, would add agricultural sciences to the list of accepted courses towards the minimum admission requirements since only some higher education establishments accept it as a science on the current list.

The bill goes before the Illinois House of Representatives to be considered.