Felons serving long-term sentences in one of Illinois' three maximum security prisons now have the chance to earn a master's degree. And students from the outside world can join them.

Nearly 1.3 million Illinois adults lack a high school diploma or equivalent, and more than two million speak something other than English as their primary language, according to the Illinois Community College Board. The ICCB is launching a new billboard campaign to urge those Illinoisans to enroll in adult education programs.