More than 1,000 City Colleges of Chicago Star Scholars earned their associate degree in the 2024-25 school year. These scholars gathered along with family and friends for the Star Scholar Cording Ceremony Wednesday evening at Malcolm X College. “I was in the middle of deciding whether or not I was going to go to college because of the cost. Then I found out I was a Star Scholar and the scholarship made it possible for me to focus on my studies full-time without burning myself out at work—and now I’m graduating with a 4.0 and transferring to a university with no debt to study engineering,” said Malcolm X College student Rosio Almazan. “I’m so thankful for everything that I’ve achieved and all the support I was given.” The Star Scholarship is a last-dollar scholarship that covers up to three years at City Colleges for tuition and books, after the application of financial aid. Students qualify for the Star Scholarship if they graduate from a Chicago Public School or partnered Big Shoulders Fund high school with at least a 3.0 GPA.  “The success of our Star Scholars proves that when financial obstacles are eliminated, college dreams and the success that follows becomes a reality,” said Chancellor Juan Salgado, City Colleges of Chicago. To learn more about the Star Scholar program, visit www.ccc.edu/starscholarship

Photo Credit: City Colleges of Chicago