Joint Agreements

District 509 students may complete an AAS degree or Career/Technical certificate at another participating Illinois community college with approval. This applies only if the program is not offered at Elgin Community College (ECC). Approval is required before enrolling in the program elsewhere. If approved, students will pay the in-district tuition rate of the other college. Please review ECC’s Degree Programs and Certificates list. View our Continuing Education opportunities to verify that ECC does not offer the program you wish to complete before filling out the Request Form.

In-District Students

ECC students may apply to complete an AAS degree or certificate at another college if ECC does not offer the program. This option is available only to students residing in District 509. If approved, they may attend a participating Illinois community college at that college’s in-district tuition rate. Please see the joint agreement guidelines - PDF for specifics on what is and is not eligible.

1. Fill out and submit a joint agreement form including proof of residency, a valid driver’s license or state ID, or other legal documentation, including your name and address.
2. If you are applying for any program that requires acceptance, such as certain health professions programs, you must also submit your notification of acceptance before the joint agreement will be issued.
3. If your request is approved, ECC will send the authorization to the college you wish to attend. Once accepted, your joint agreement is valid through the end of the academic year and must be renewed for the next academic year, which begins in the fall.

Please allow up to three weeks for joint agreement requests to be processed. Joint Agreements are not processed earlier than one semester before you wish to attend.

If you have any questions, contact jointagreements@elgin.edu, and we will be happy to help.

Need a joint agreement to attend ECC?

If you are a student outside of Elgin Community College District 509 and wish to enroll in a program unavailable at your home college, please contact your “home” college to begin the joint agreement process. Determine your "home" school using the ICCB zip code locator tool.