Updated July 2023
Course Credit for the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy
at Public Colleges and Universities in Illinois
Per Illinois state statute, “Each public community college and public university in this State shall establish
criteria to translate a State Seal of Biliteracy into course credit based on foreign language course
equivalencies identified by the community college's or university's faculty and staff and, upon request
from an enrolled student, the community college or university shall award foreign language course
credit to a student who has received a State Seal of Biliteracy. Students enrolled in a public community
college or public university who have received a State Seal of Biliteracy must request course credit for
their seal within 3 academic years after graduating from high school.”
While the legislation requires that schools translate the Seal into course credit, many schools also use the
Seal as a placement tool or to satisfy certain graduation requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to
seek these credits and approvals in a timely manner at the institution of higher education.
The following information was gathered from individual college and university websites and is subject
to change as unique entities update their websites. If you encounter a broken link or incorrect
information, please send an email to biliter[email protected].
Chicago State
University
A student who has received the State Seal of Biliteracy will be awarded
a total of 6 credits (lower division). This is the equivalent of first
semester (3 credits) and second semester (3 credits) of language study
at CSU. When the seal is granted in a language not offered at Chicago
State University, 6 credit hours of lower division foreign language
elective will be awarded.
Published yearly in the
CSU course catalog PDF
Eastern Illinois
University
A student who has received the State Seal of Biliteracy will receive a
total of 8 credits (lower division). This is the equivalent of first semester
(4 credits) and second semester (4 credits) of language study at EIU.
Registrar: Biliteracy
Governors State
University
Students who present appropriate documentation of the Seal to their
advisor within three years of high school graduation will be awarded six
hours of foreign language credit.
Admission Information
Illinois State
University
Illinois State University accepts the State Seal of Biliteracy from any
state as equivalent to two semesters (8 credits) of language study (LAN
111-112) in languages offered at the University. If the seal is granted in
a language not offered at Illinois State University, eight credit hours of
lower division foreign language will be awarded.
Office of the Registrar
If you are earning a B.S. in the College of Arts and Sciences, then your
language requirement is to complete a world languages class at the
level of 112 or higher, or completion of Level III of one high school world
language or earning the Seal of Biliteracy.
Department of
Languages, Literatures,
and Cultures
Northeastern
Illinois
University
Students who receive the State Seal of Biliteracy will receive a total of 6
credits (lower division) of language study at Northeastern.
Transfer Center
Updated July 2023
Northern Illinois
University
Seal of Biliteracy: 12 credits
Commendation: 9 credits
You must ask for the credits to be applied. To receive credit, send an
official high school transcript with an annotation stating that you
earned the seal or commendation directly to the Office of Admissions.
World Languages and
Cultures
Southern Illinois
University
Carbondale
Students that have earned the State Seal of Biliteracy while in high
school will automatically receive foreign language credit at SIUC once a
high school transcript is received awarding the State Seal of Biliteracy.
SIUC does not require foreign language for admission purposes, thus
only those programs that require foreign language will show complete
upon receipt of the State Seal of Biliteracy.
Alternative Credit
Opportunities
Southern Illinois
University
Edwardsville
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville accepts the State Seal of
Biliteracy as equivalent to 101-202 in language courses offered at the
university, namely sixteen (16) credit hours.
When the seal is granted in a language not offered at Southern Illinois
University Edwardsville, sixteen (16) credit hours in a lower division
foreign language course (FL 101-202) will be awarded
Facilitated Language
and Tutoring Center
Academic Policies
University of
Illinois Chicago
Students who present appropriate documentation of the Seal to their
advisor within three years of high school graduation will be awarded
UIC proficiency credit. For languages not listed, 4 semester hours of
foreign language elective credit will be awarded. The State Seal of
Biliteracy must be earned in Illinois to be recognized by UIC.
College of LAS language requirement met.
College of Business Admin language requirement met.
Hispanic and Italian
Studies
Course Catalog:
Academic Standing
University of
Illinois
Springfield
UIS translates the State Seal of Biliteracy into foreign language course
credit based on course equivalencies identified by UIS faculty and staff.
It is the student’s responsibility to request course credit based upon an
earned State Seal of Biliteracy.
Course Catalog
University of
Illinois
Urbana-
Champaign
Students with a verified Seal of Biliteracy will earn 8 hours of credit
equivalent to the first two levels of foreign language regardless of the
language other than English. The credit will appear as 8.00 Earned
hours from Seal of Biliteracy on the official University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign transcript in the Transfer Credit Accepted by the
Institution section.
Office of the Registrar
Earned course credit (SPAN 102/122), enroll in SPAN 130.
Department of Spanish
& Portuguese
Western Illinois
University
Students earning the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy will receive credit for
courses numbered 121, 122, 223, and 224 in the specified language
(approximately 14 credits).
Foreign Languages and
Literatures
Updated July 2023
Community Colleges
Blackhawk
Community College
Two years of credit
Academic Resources:
High School
Articulation
Carl Sandburg
College
The Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy posted to a student’s high school
transcript will be evaluated as twelve (12) credit hours of foreign
language coursework at Carl Sandburg College (levels 151, 152, and
251). Credit granted will be based on foreign language course
equivalencies, or elective credit.
Registrar’s Annual
Credit Granting Guide
City Colleges of
Chicago
Students who have earned the SSB from an Illinois high school will
receive the equivalent of 4 semester hours of college credit. For
languages offered at City Colleges of Chicago, students will receive
credit for the first introductory course in the same language in which the
student has received the State Seal of Biliteracy.
Credit for the State Seal
of Biliteracy
College of DuPage
Students who earn the State Seal will be awarded eight credits of the
foreign language and students who receive a State Commendation
receive four credits of the foreign language.
If the language is not offered at College of DuPage, general degree
credits in Humanities is given.
Tests Accepted
College of Lake
County
8 credit hours – SPA 121, 122 or FRN 121, 122
For information regarding languages other than Spanish or French,
please speak with the Communication Arts division
Credentials Chart
Danville Area
Community
College
Contact the registrar.
Admissions & Records
Elgin Community
College
4-8 credit hours, depending on language
Biliteracy Course
Listings
Harper College
Students that have earned the SSB while in high school can receive up to
8 hours of Harper College's "Elementary I" and "Elementary II" foreign
language course credit if the applicable language course is offered at
the College.
Testing Center: State
Seal of Biliteracy
Heartland
Community
College
Commendation toward Biliteracy is equivalent to the first two
semesters of college level foreign language for a total of eight credits.
Seal of Biliteracy is equivalent to the third and fourth semesters of
college level foreign language for a total of eight credits.
Additional Exams
Highland
Community
College
Contact the registrar.
Enrollment & Records
Illinois Central
College
Contact the registrar.
Student Records
Illinois Eastern
Community
Colleges
8 credit hours
Credit Equivalency
Updated July 2023
Illinois Valley
Community
College
Contact the registrar.
Student Services
John A. Logan
College
Contact the registrar.
Admissions & Records
John Wood
Community
College
Contact the registrar.
Registration
Kankakee
Community
College
Contact an advisor.
Student Resources
Kaskaskia College
Credit will be awarded for:
SPAN 101 – Spanish I
SPAN 102 – Spanish II
Admissions
Kishwaukee
College
Contact the registrar.
Annual Course Catalog
Lake Land
College
ENG110/111: Manual Communication-Deaf and Advanced Signing
FLG130/131: Elementary French I and II
FLG140/141: Elementary Spanish I and II
FLG150/151: Beginning German I and II
Academic Standards
Lewis & Clark
Community
College
Credit earned in the Elementary foreign language courses, I and II, in
Spanish, French and German
Annual Course Catalog
Lincoln Land
Community
College
Contact the registrar.
Registration
McHenry County
College
The Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy posted to a student’s high school
transcript will be evaluated as eight (8) credits of foreign language
coursework at MCC (levels 151 and 152).
Academic Policies and
Standards
Moraine Valley
Community
College
Students who have earned the State Seal of Biliteracy will earn up to 8
hours of credits of foreign language course. Credit granted will be based
on foreign language course equivalencies, or elective credits.
Moraine Valley will recognize the State Seal of Biliteracy regardless of
the state in which it was earned.
Policies and Forms
Morton College
The institution also recognizes the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy and the
Illinois State Biliteracy Commendation for high school students who
have demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language. Students who
have earned this recognition can earn college credit by submitting their
official high school transcripts reflecting the Seal.
Prior Learning Policy
Oakton
Community
College
Students who have demonstrated proficiency in one or more languages
in addition to English, as designated on their high school transcript, will
be awarded eight modern language credits. Students who enroll in
courses at Oakton within three years of earning the Seal of Biliteracy
will automatically have their transcript reviewed by the Registrar’s
Office for the Seal and credits will be awarded automatically.
Credit for Prior
Learning
Updated July 2023
Parkland College
Upon receipt of the document, college credit for the first two semesters
of the language will be awarded.
Credit for Prior
Learning
Prairie State
College
Contact the registrar.
Registration
Rend Lake
College
Contact the registrar.
Transfer of Credit
Procedure
Richland
Community
College
Contact the registrar.
Records & Transcripts
Rock Valley
College
Contact the registrar.
Credit for Prior
Learning
Sauk Valley
Community
College
Sauk Valley Community College accepts the State Seal of Biliteracy as
equivalent to two (2) years of foreign language coursework taken
during high school if a student's high school transcript indicates the
student has received the State Seal of Biliteracy.
State Seal of Biliteracy
Shawnee
Community
College
Contact the registrar or an advisor.
Registration &
Advisement
South Suburban
College
Contact the Counseling Center
SPN 101 and 102.
Alternative Credit
Southeastern
Illinois College
Contact the Associate Dean of Enrolment Services.
Board Policies
Southwestern
Illinois College
Southwestern Illinois College will accept the State Seal of Biliteracy as
equivalent to two years of foreign language coursework taken during
high school if a student’s high school transcript indicates that he or she
will be receiving or has received the State Seal of Biliteracy.
Course Catalog
Spoon River
College
Upon request, students who achieve the State Seal of Biliteracy in
Spanish will be awarded credit for SPA101 (4 hrs.) and SPA102 (4 hrs.).
Students who achieve the State Seal of Biliteracy in any other language
will be awarded 8 hrs. of elective credit.
Prior Learning
Triton College
Specific to language and proficiency exam.
Illinois State Seal of
Biliteracy Equivalency
Waubonsee
Community
College
The Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy posted to a student's high school
transcript will be evaluated for up to twelve (12) credit hours of foreign
language coursework at Waubonsee Community College if the
applicable language course is offered.
State Seal of Biliteracy
The preceding information was gathered from individual college and university websites and is
subject to change as unique entities update their websites. If you encounter a broken link or incorrect
information, please send an email to biliter[email protected].
