GODFREY - Students at Lewis and Clark Community College have an exciting opportunity to complete a four-year degree online at a lower cost through a partnership with Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
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On Thursday, March 5, 2026, LCCC President Dr. Ken Trzaska and SIU Chancellor Dr. Austin Lane met at LCCC’s Godfrey campus to complete the sub-agreement. Known as the Saluki Step Ahead program, this agreement guarantees SIUC admission to LCCC students for specific degree tracks.
“I just want to thank SIUC’s leadership and, most importantly, the partnership and the focus on trying to do more for our students,” Trzaska said. “It’s just a remarkable partnership. We look forward to continuing to grow together and find those ways in which we can be even better partners to each other.”
Eligible students include those who are studying Accounting, Business Administration, Criminology & Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Health Care Management, History, Industrial Management and Applied Engineering, Information Technology, Nursing (RN to BSN), Psychology, and Radiologic Sciences.
Through the Saluki Step Ahead program, LCCC students will complete their freshman and sophomore years at LCCC before transferring to SIUC. Lane emphasized that the goal is to keep students at LCCC for their first two years. Students are asked to apply during their first year at LCCC, but won’t transfer until their junior year.
The credits that they have earned at LCCC will transfer and go toward their degrees, not just their transcripts, at SIUC. Students are not expected to relocate to Southern Illinois but instead can complete their programs completely online through SIUC.
Additionally, students in the Saluki Step Ahead program will receive $4,000 discounts during their junior and senior years, saving $8,000 total.
“Think about your cost here, and our cost, and us giving them that $8,000 — it’s going to help them with being able to finish without acquiring all this debt and discouragement about not being able to get to the finish line,” Lane said.
The program opens many new possibilities for students. Trzaska thanked his team for their “important work behind the scenes” to make this partnership possible.
Lane echoed Trzaska, adding that SIUC is eager to welcome new LCCC students through the Saluki Step Ahead program.
“We’re fully committed to making sure that students from Lewis and Clark get a first-class transfer education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale,” he said.
For more information about the Saluki Step Ahead program, including how to apply, click here.
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