UChicago Study Finds Chicago Star Scholarship Boosts College Completion Without Limiting Four-Year Degrees (Chicago, IL) – A new study from the University of Chicago’s Inclusive Economy Lab finds that students eligible for the Chicago Star Scholarship are more likely to complete a college degree—particularly an associate degree—while remaining just as likely as their peers to eventually earn a bachelor’s degree.
The report, The Effect of Merit-Based Free Community College, examined outcomes for Chicago students who narrowly met or missed the scholarship’s 3.0 GPA eligibility threshold. By comparing students just above and just below the cutoff, researchers were able to isolate the causal impact of the scholarship itself.
According to the findings, eligible students were 2.1 percentage points more likely to earn an associate degree than those who did not qualify, and were equally likely to earn a bachelor’s degree. While the scholarship did not change whether students enrolled in college at all, it did influence where they began their higher education.
Students eligible for the Star Scholarship were 4.2 percentage points more likely to start at a community college and 2.9 percentage points less likely to initially enroll at a four-year institution. However, six years after high school graduation, both eligible and ineligible students were equally likely to have enrolled in a four-year college at some point.
Researchers say the results demonstrate that tuition-free community college can increase degree attainment without steering students away from four-year degrees.
“These findings suggest that for the average student in our study, tuition-free community college can increase degree attainment without causing students to substitute two-year degrees for four-year degrees,” said Emileigh Harrison, a research affiliate with the Inclusive Economy Lab and assistant professor at the University of Texas.
Launched in fall 2015, the Chicago Star Scholarship is a “last-dollar” scholarship available to graduates of Chicago Public Schools and Big Shoulders Fund–partner high schools who graduate with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The program covers tuition and fees at City Colleges of Chicago after other financial aid is applied. To date, more than 21,000 students have participated.
City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado said the findings confirm what educators have observed since the program’s inception.
“The Star Scholarship continues to open doors of opportunity for Chicago’s students, proving that when we remove financial barriers, more students can earn a college education and stay on the path to a degree,” Salgado said. “When students have access to quality, affordable education close to home, they are more likely to succeed and earn the credentials that lead to stronger futures for themselves, their families, and our city.”
Beyond individual outcomes, the study points to broader policy implications as governments and institutions look for ways to make college more affordable for students with limited financial resources. Researchers say the results underscore the role community colleges play in promoting educational attainment and economic mobility.
Elijah Ruiz, a former Star Scholar and co-author of the study, said the scholarship changed his trajectory.
“In high school, I was accepted only to colleges I could not afford and felt that taking on significant debt was my only option,” Ruiz said. “After learning about Star Scholarship, I decided to enroll in City Colleges of Chicago. I was not only spared from a lifetime of debt, but I was set up for a smoother transition into the workforce to do what I love.”
The full report is available through the University of Chicago’s Inclusive Economy Lab.
UChicago Study Finds Chicago Star Scholarship Boosts College Completion Without Limiting Four-Year Degrees
