RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE EXPANSION OF THE CHICAGO STAR SCHOLARSHIP TO ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO
WHEREAS, City Colleges of Chicago ("City Colleges") is a great asset for all Chicagoans, with over seven campuses and six satellite sites all over the City; and
WHEREAS, City College's operating budget exceeds $206 million, and is funded by Chicago taxpayers; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, City Colleges began the Star Scholarship program; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago Star Scholarship program provides a full scholarship, inclusive of tuition and books, for CPS graduates seeking an associate degree at City Colleges; and
WHEREAS, On average, an associate degree generates nearly $500,000 more in additional lifetime earnings than a high school diploma. A bachelor degree brings another half a million dollars. By enrolling at City Colleges, students can save up to $40,000 compared to other local institutions; and
WHEREAS, In its first year, the Chicago Star Scholarship has enabled more than 1,000 CPS graduates to pursue their degree from City Colleges free-of-charge. The first cohort of Star Scholars has achieved a 94 percent retention rate, suggesting that students enrolled in this program are more likely to persist in their coursework toward a degree; and
WHEREAS, Recipients of the Star Scholarship are permitted to continue their college education at fifteen institutions in the Chicago area and receive significant financial aid at schools participating in the Star partnership, such as Northwestern University, University of Cliicago, DePaul University, Illinois Institute of Technology, and the University of Illinois at Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Currently, The Cliicago Star Scholarship is limited to those students who attend Chicago Public High Schools, have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale, and are "completion-ready" in Math and English; and
WHEREAS, The benefits of the Scholarship should extend to all taxpaying residents of the City; now, t...
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