Chicago State University is launching a new program that aims to set freshmen up for a successful college experience.
The program will cover tuition, books, technology expenses and other fees for freshmen at the university — but they must complete a five-week summer program first.
The initiative is a so-called last dollar program that is meant to fill the gap between the price of college and whatever scholarships or other financial aid a student may have earned.
The stated goal is to “reverse a declining trend and increase college enrollment and graduation rates of underrepresented students,” according to a university news release.
It’s part of a broader effort involving programming and scholarships and called the Cougar Commitment Initiative, which aims to “close Chicago’s Black and Latinx education and wealth gap,” the release said.
Nearly 70% of students at the South Side school are African American and 8% are Latino, according to a school representative.
“The data shows that the more support you can offer freshmen, particularly those who haven’t had the same academic preparation as others — first-generation students, students who may not have financial resources — all the support you can provide them makes that first critical year easier,” university president Zaldwaynaka “Z” Scott told the Tribune. “You’re more likely to see it show up in graduation and retention rates.”
The program should cost about $1.2 million, Scott said, but that includes elements already in place, like intensive advising. The university estimates spending about $650 per student on a computer and books, but the tuition amount will vary per student.
Students won’t be required to take a loan to cover tuition or fees their first year at Chicago State if they complete the summer program. The main focus is not on increasing enrollment — which grew last year after 10 years of decline — but on making sure students of color who are ready for college are set up for success.
“The rate at which Black students go to college has dropped about 26% the last (few) years,” Scott said. “We want to do what we can to move that number because college has been proven to change outcomes, improve communities, improve health outcomes and improve lives of Black and brown students.”
Following the shift to remote learning this spring prompted by the coronavirus, Scott said the university would be releasing its return-to-campus plan next week and that it would likely involve a mix of remote and on-campus learning.
“We know that the preferred (learning) method is that they’re on campus and engaged with one another. We know at some point science will permit that to come back,” Scott said. “For now, we are focused on health and safety and wellness. We have to be careful and cautious in how we do that going forward.”
The university hasn’t had to lay off staff or take other drastic cost-cutting measures because of COVID-19, Scott said. But officials have had to cancel events, and the university incurred costs in the transition to remote learning.
“There has been a financial impact,” Scott said. “How we manage that, going forward, is under discussion.”
