Chicago Star Scholarship
Offered by City Colleges of Chicago
About this scholarship
The Chicago Star Scholarship lets qualifying graduates of Chicago Public Schools and participating Big Shoulders Fund Catholic high schools pursue an eligible degree or certificate at City Colleges of Chicago without paying remaining tuition, book, or required course-material costs. It is a last-dollar award: federal and state grants are applied first, then Star covers eligible balances. The program is not need-based and is open to undocumented students, although every applicant must complete the applicable financial-aid process. Students unable to file FAFSA submit the Star Scholarship Certification of Ineligibility in the student portal after admission. Applicants need a final high-school GPA of at least 3.0—2.99 is not rounded—and must choose a structured, relevant City Colleges program. The official admissions application includes an option to request Star consideration, making it the direct application route. Funding lasts up to three years from the first fall after graduation and may be used part time or full time, ending earlier when the credential is completed. The next published regular-term cutoff is December 31, 2026 for Spring 2027; applicants missing a term deadline may be reviewed for the following semester.
Eligibility
- Graduate from a Chicago Public School, CPS charter/options school, or participating Chicago Big Shoulders Fund Catholic high school
- Earn a final cumulative high-school GPA of at least 3.0, weighted or unweighted
- Apply to City Colleges of Chicago and select Star Scholarship consideration in the admission application
- Enroll in an eligible structured degree or certificate program
- Complete FAFSA and financial-aid verification or file the official certification of ineligibility after admission
- Begin at City Colleges no later than the second fall semester following high-school graduation
- Register by the applicable 16-week credit-term deadline