City Colleges of Chicago’s (CCC) Star Scholarship program announced five new college and university Star Transfer partnerships today, bringing the total number to 20 of four-year schools giving Star Scholars who graduate from City Colleges additional scholarships towards completion of their bachelor’s degrees.
 
Saint Xavier University, Kendall College, Marquette University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Illinois State University join 15 existing four-year college Star transfer partners whose awards to Star Scholars range from $1,000 up to $50,000/year.
 
“In the City of Chicago, high school graduation is no longer the last stop on a student’s educational journey and the Star Scholarship removes the burden of cost to receiving a degree,” said Mayor Emanuel. “I am proud of our twenty colleges and universities partners who have taken this a step further and now provide Star Scholars with the opportunity to pursue a high-quality, affordable four-year degree at a school of their choice.”  
 
More than $1 million in additional scholarship funds have been offered to Star Scholars through these transfer partnerships to date. Loyola University has offered the most in scholarships to date ($425,000); University of Illinois at Chicago has accepted the most Star Scholars to date (122); and CME Group, the Star program’s first corporate partner has provided students with 25 $5,000 scholarships and connected 5 CCC students with paid summer internships at elite trading firms.

“We have colleges and universities— some of the best in the world— competing for our transfer students,” said City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado.  “These colleges and universities recognize the value our students bring to their institutions, the contributions they make in and out of the classroom, and the imprint they will make on our economy and world.”

In addition to the five new partners, City Colleges has been working with the following universities and colleges to offer Star Scholars additional support once they move on to earn their bachelor’s degree: University of Illinois at Chicago, Columbia College, DePaul University, Dominican University, Governors State University, Illinois Tech, Loyola University, National Louis University, North Park University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northwestern University, Robert Morris University, Roosevelt University, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and University of Chicago.
 
The combination of these benefits means that a student could obtain a bachelors degree for the cost of 2 or 3 semesters.  For example, a student that earns a semester of credit while in high school (from AP, IB or Dual credit/dual enrollment in City College Courses), earns a Star scholarship, and then takes advantage of the Star Partnership at the Illinois Institute of Technology could obtain a degree for roughly $40,000 in tuition and fees (using current rates), compared to $160,000 for your typical in-state student.

Since launching its first class in Fall 2015, the Star Scholarship program has seen strong outcomes.  More than 2,900 Star Scholars are enrolled at City Colleges this fall.  67% of the first 890 students in the Fall 2015 cohort have either graduated or are expected to complete by the time their scholarship ends, and this total expected three-year graduation rate for Star Scholars would be nearly triple the national community college graduation rate average.  Furthermore, the percentage of Star Scholars that graduated from CCC in two years was nearly the average national community college graduation rate (22%) after three years. The first year to second year retention rate of Star Scholars (85%) is also nearly double the national average for community college students.
 
Students eligible for the Star Scholarship have graduated from a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) high school with a 3.0 GPA and test nearly college-ready in math and English, and enroll in a City Colleges structured, relevant pathway.
 
The new partnership agreements include:

• Saint Xavier University (SXU) will offer a $1,000 SXU Chicago Star Scholarship. Students are eligible for SXU’s Transfer Merit & Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) scholarships ranging from $10,000 to $18,000 per year plus any other financial aid that the student qualifies for, and they will have access to SXU advisors and SXU campus activities & events while at CCC.
• Kendall College will offer guaranteed admission to all Star Scholars providing they meet admission requirements. Star Scholars who maintain a 3.0 or higher at CCC will receive tuition discounts between 15 percent -20 percent and additional scholarships ranging from $480-$1,450 per quarter, depending on the program. Students will get dedicated transfer advising support and use of campus resources.
• Marquette University (MU) will offer a $3,000 scholarship each year for one Star Scholar from each CCC campus, with additional $3,000 PTK scholarships. Transfer students will be considered for up to $18,000 through the merit-based Pere Marquette Scholarship, and as a guaranteed admit, students will get access to MU advising, support & events.
• Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) will offer up to 20 Star graduates with at least a 3.5 transfer GPA (according to the SIU calculation) a $2,500/year scholarship for two years. Fall applicants who apply by November 1, fill out the SIU Academic Scholarship application by December 1 and participate in the SIU Scholarship Interview weekend will be eligible for the University Excellence Transfer Scholarship worth $9,500/year for two years and the Chancellor’s Transfer Scholarship that covers tuition and mandatory student fees for two years.
• Illinois State University details are coming soon.

To learn more about the Star Scholarship, go to www.ccc.edu/starscholarship.

About City Colleges of Chicago

The City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) is the largest community college system in Illinois and one of the largest in the nation, with 5,500 faculty and staff serving 90,000 students annually at seven colleges and six satellite sites city-wide. The City Colleges of Chicago includes seven colleges:  Richard J. Daley College, Kennedy-King College, Malcolm X College, Olive-Harvey College, Harry S Truman College, Harold Washington College and Wilbur Wright College. For more information about City Colleges of Chicago, or for registration information, call (773) COLLEGE or visit www.ccc.edu.