By Analeza Walker
Staff Reporter
In 2014, Rahm Emanuel and City Colleges of Chicago launched Star Scholarship, which gives students an opportunity to get the higher education they desire without the higher cost.
In order to qualify, the student must be a CPS graduate with a GPA of 3.0 or greater, have a 17 in the english and math sections of the ACT and enroll in one of CCC’s pathways.
“By removing the financial barrier to a college degree, we provided students with access to the college education that they deserve,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel in a 2015 press release about the scholarship program.
The program has been well recived by students.
“I actually love it. I have more money for when I transfer, and it has made me a happier person. I tell everyone I know about it,” said Frances Simon, a Harold Washington College student.
The Star Scholarship has expanded from the City Colleges and now includes scholarships at universities that have partnered with the program. As of April 2016, Northwestern University has initiated an almost identical program at their school that following fall.
“Each student will be eligible to receive a Star Scholar Award in an amount of up to $50,000 to be funded by Northwestern,” said Alan Cabbage from Northwestern Now.
“In the fall semester of 2016, City Colleges welcomed 1,017 Star Scholars – up 20 percent from fall 2015,” according to a City of Chicago press release.
“The Chicago Star Scholarship program has successfully retained students with 86 percent of Star Scholars enrolled last fall returning...for the fall 2016 term. That rate is nearly double the national (48.5 percent) fall-to-fall retention rate for two-year public college students,” according to the press release.
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