January 18, 2024
Lake Forest College joins Hope Chicago as new college partner
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, announced the expansion of its college and university partner network to include Lake Forest College and five more institutions.
Lake Forest College joins Dominican University, Elmhurst University, Lewis University, Roosevelt University, and Trinity Christian College in the network. With this expansion, Hope Chicago is now supported by 29 Illinois-based higher education institutions offering a wealth of postsecondary and workforce options for Hope Scholars.
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.
Each partnering 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.
The Hope Chicago college and university partner network includes:
• 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
Begun in February of 2022, Hope Chicago hopes to provide debt-free higher education to 30,000 Chicago Public School students and their parents over the next decade.