(a) A community college student who earns the Department of Human Services’s Gateways ECE Credential Level 4 as part of an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in early childhood education that is consistent with the degree requirements established by the Illinois Community College Board and the Board of Higher Education, as appropriate, is deemed eligible for transfer into an early childhood education baccalaureate program at a public university if the student meets all of the requirements of the AAS degree program, is transferring from a program entitled to offer the Gateways ECE Credential Level 4, and earns a minimum grade point average of a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
     (b) Recognizing that the AAS degree and other associate degrees provide important pathways into the early childhood education profession and notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a public university shall grant junior level status in an early childhood education program to any community college student who has graduated from an Illinois community college with an Associate of Applied Science degree in early childhood education. A public university may not require students transferring pursuant to this Section to repeat courses taken and completed successfully at the community college and applied toward the associate degree granted pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section. All courses completed successfully in the AAS degree program must count toward baccalaureate degree completion. Students entering with an AAS may not be required to take a total number of credits greater than those students first starting in a baccalaureate degree program. This includes any courses in which credit for prior learning was used to determine course equivalency and credit was awarded by the evaluating institution. Additional coursework may be required if a student is seeking to add one or more endorsements to the student’s Illinois Professional Educator License.