Over two years after the launch of a program in Chicago, offering a free ride to many students at community colleges, city officials are boasting about the increasing number of such students who have since moved on to four-year university courses without debts and with two years of college credit under their belts.
The Star Scholarship has also created another trend, with many high-achieving but financially challenged undocumented immigrants heading to the Windy City’s junior colleges. USA Today has reviewed financial data showing that, of the 3,015 winners of the Star Scholarship program, over one in five who enrolled in the fall then filled out a different alternative to FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student) due to being ineligible for federal aid, which necessitates that all applicants be permanent residents, asylum grantees, or holds US citizenship.
Officials with the City Colleges of Chicago say they do not track how many undocumented immigrants attend the seven community colleges in the city. They add that the proportion is significant, reflected by the number of students who filled out the alternative form for financial aid because they were ineligible for the standard federal aid.
Any public-school student in Chicago showing proficiency via a college entrance exam, and who has at least a B average on graduating high school, can apply for the scholarship. It pays for textbook and tuition fees. Chicago is unique in offering the same chance at gaining the publicly-funded academic scholarship to undocumented immigrants.