| Good afternoon, Chicago. Supporters of a state program providing free test preparation to students at public universities and some community colleges said the effort has saved students over $8 million in just two months, but needs $10 million in state funding to remain in operation. Illinois launched the program in late February, becoming the first state to offer free comprehensive test preparation for college students and already serving more than 200,000 students statewide. The program, a collaboration between the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and the educational service company
Kaplan, allows students free access to more than 40 prep courses including graduate-level admissions exams such as the LSAT for law school, as well as courses in data analytics, cybersecurity and real estate. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History news Members of Arise Chicago rally at Union Park in the West Loop, May 1, 2025, for a march to Grant Park on May Day which commemorates the labor movement. Organized labor and activist groups are calling for protection of immigrants and fair wages. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Hundreds of marchers and demonstrators gathered at Union Park in the West Loop this morning for a rally on May Day, a celebration commemorating the labor movement. More top news stories: business Olga Llinin squeezes fresh lime on a salad at Antique Taco in Chicago on April 30, 2025. (Audrey Richardson/Chicago Tribune) The new land-based Hollywood casinos coming to Joliet and Aurora are betting that the way to a gambler’s heart is through their stomach. More top business stories: sports Sky guard Rachel Banham, right, defends guard Hailey Van Lith during the first day of training camp on April 27, 2025, at Sachs Recreation Center in Deerfield. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) The guard will play her first preseason minutes with the Chicago Sky tomorrow in an exhibition game against Brazil in a familiar setting — the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, where she spent the toughest year of her collegiate career with LSU. More top sports stories: eat. watch. do. The company of “Purpose” on Broadway at the Hayes Theater in New York. (Marc J. Franklin) Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company woke up this morning to boffo Tony Award news as plaudits landed on its world premiere production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ drama, “Purpose,” a bold play very loosely based on the family of political activist Jesse Jackson Jr. and now playing on Broadway. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: nation & world An activist raises his clenched fist during a May Day rally in Manila, Philippines, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) Across continents, tens of thousands turned out for today’s rallies marking International Workers’ Day, many citing President Donald Trump’s agenda — from aggressive tariffs spurring fears of global economic turmoil to immigration crackdowns — as a central concern. More top stories from around the world: | 
