More than 1,000 Star Scholars from the City Colleges of Chicago are set to graduate with an associate degree in the 2024-25 school year. They participated in the Star Scholar Cording Ceremony at Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Jackson Street in Chicago, on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. The scholars were joined by their families, friends, and college officials.
At the ceremony, City Colleges leadership presented the scholars with royal blue cords to be worn at the upcoming Commencement ceremony on May 3. Attendees included over a hundred Star Scholars, their families, and City Colleges leaders, faculty, and staff.
Rosio Almazan, a student at Malcolm X College, expressed her gratitude, saying, “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. 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 financial aid is applied. Eligibility requires a minimum 3.0 GPA from a Chicago Public School or Big Shoulders Fund partner high school.
Chancellor Juan Salgado of City Colleges of Chicago highlighted the program's impact: “The success of our Star Scholars proves that when financial obstacles are eliminated, college dreams and the success that follows become a reality. I commend each student for their dedication in high school to become a Star Scholar and now I celebrate their achievement in earning their associate degree. Their potential has no bounds, and I’m excited to see what they achieve next.”
Launched in 2015, the Star Scholarship program has recognized almost 20,000 graduates as Star Scholars. This year, more than 1,000 students are expected to earn their associate degrees under the program. Over half of the graduates are anticipated to transfer to a four-year university, with the most common destinations being Chicago State University, DePaul University, National Louis University, University of Illinois Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University, and Roosevelt University.
Rhonda Hampton, Star Scholarship Director at City Colleges of Chicago, remarked, “It is an honor to support students with the Star Scholarship as it provides financial support along with other resources for students who may think college is not an option for them. To see our students' hard work on a daily basis and have the opportunity to celebrate their achievement at the Star Scholar Cording Ceremony is a blessing.”
For additional details about the Star Scholar program, visit www.ccc.edu/starscholarship.