Adults living at or below the poverty level may now have the option to receive an education for free. The Odyssey Project offers free courses in the humanities to adults living at or slightly above the poverty level.

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Project Coordinator John Marsh says these courses offer benefits whether or not the student wants to enroll in college.

“A lot of the justification for why we teach the liberal arts at the University is to prepare students to live in a democratic society. Not everyone obviously goes to college, but everyone lives in a democracy,” Marsh said.

Courses are taught by U of I faculty and resemble university classes. The courses transfer as college credit and can serve as a starting point for those who want to go back to school. The course runs from September through May. The first group to complete the program will graduate May 5th. Anyone who would like to become a student in the program can contact the Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities.