HOPE CHICAGO PRESS RELEASE: JANURARY 18, 2024

Hope Chicago Expands College Partnership Offerings, Adding Six New Illinois Postsecondary Institutions

Dominican University, Elmhurst University, Lake Forest College, Lewis University, Roosevelt University and Trinity Christian College join network of Illinois-based higher education institutions supporting Hope Scholars.

CHICAGO, IL, Janurary 8, 2024 / -- Hope Chicago, the new two-generation economic mobility program offering debt-free college and workforce opportunities to 4,000 Chicago Public School graduates and their parents, today announced the expansion of its college and university partner network, with the addition of Dominican University, Elmhurst University, Lake Forest College, Lewis University, Roosevelt University, and Trinity Christian College.

Hope Scholars can attend partner institutions debt-free, and through these partnerships, students receive access to non-financial supports that are key in helping students succeed. The collaboration between Hope Chicago and these postsecondary partners expands higher education access for residents in some of Chicago’s most systemically disinvested neighborhoods. As Hope Chicago partners, each institution will provide dedicated staff members on-campus to support attending Hope Scholars—helping them navigate the collegiate environment, encouraging placement in campus programs, and connecting them to academic, financial, and career advising.

“Access to quality postsecondary education is not just a privilege; it's a fundamental right that can transform the trajectory of low-income families and disadvantaged communities in Illinois. For South and West Side Chicago Public School Students, pursuing higher education isn't merely about acquiring a degree; it's about unlocking doors to opportunity and offering them a stake in a more prosperous and equitable future of our city and state,” said Dr. Janice Jackson, Hope Chicago CEO.

“We’re proud to be expanding our network of high-quality offerings to Hope Scholars here in Illinois—empowering them to find their best postsecondary fit. We are thankful to our new partners at Dominican University, Elmhurst University, Lake Forest College, Lewis University, Roosevelt University and Trinity Christian College for joining us in this pursuit of a more prosperous future for Chicago and Illinois—fueled by postsecondary transformation,” she added.

With this expansion, Hope Chicago is now supported by a network of 29 Illinois-based higher education institutions offering a wealth of postsecondary and workforce options for Hope Scholars including:

Arrupe College, Loyola University

Chicago State University

Dominican University

Eastern Illinois University

Elmhurst University

Governors State University

Harold Washington College, City Colleges of Chicago

Harry S. Truman College, City Colleges of Chicago

Illinois Institute of Technology

Illinois State University

Kennedy-King College, City Colleges of Chicago

Lake Forest College

Lewis University

Loyola University Chicago

Malcom X College, City Colleges of Chicago

National Louis University

Northeastern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University

Olive-Harvey College, City Colleges of Chicago

Richard J. Daley College, City Colleges of Chicago

Roosevelt University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Trinity Christian College

University of Illinois Chicago

University of Illinois Springfield

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Western Illinois University

Wilbur Wright College

Hope Chicago is also adding a new postsecondary partnership to its Parent Scholar Program with Rivet School -- a college and career experience designed for working adults to earn a postsecondary degree and pursue economic opportunity.

When accounting for those additional in-network postsecondary and workforce partners who specifically support Hope Chicago’s Parent Scholar Program, Hope Chicago now anchors a network of 46 programmatic partners in support of multi-generational debt-free postsecondary advancement.

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