Earn a Debt Free College Degree from City Colleges of Chicago

Having an advance degree opens up more opportunities to make better pay later on in life.   If you are a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA)  or a Housing Choice Vouchers {formerly section 8} resident and are interested in obtaining a degree or certificate from the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC)-at a low cost, you may want to continue and read this blog post.

The CHA and the CCC has a partnership that will help you build a better future at a low price.    All qualifying adults receiving a housing subsidy from CHA, including Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) households, can participate in CHA’s agreement with the City Colleges of Chicago.  

The basic eligibility requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The public housing resident/HCV tenant must be lease compliant;

• The public housing resident/HCV tenant must attend an Information Session prior to beginning the enrollment process;

• The public housing resident/HCV tenant must have no outstanding debt to CCC at the time of enrollment, this agreement does not pay for any existing debt owed to CCC;

• The public housing resident/HCV tenant, if currently enrolled, must be in good academic standing with CCC;

• If the public housing resident/HCV tenant has received a notice of termination, they are ineligible to register through this program;

• If the selected program accepts financial aid, the student must apply for, and be eligible to receive, federal financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); and

• Any non-loan financial aid received (grants, scholarships), will be applied to the cost of tuition first; CHA will pay any remaining tuition and/or eligible expenses up-to $4,000 per year (please note CHA will not retroactively pay for courses previously completed or in which the student is currently enrolled).

• This means that residents can attend a wide variety of associate degree, non-credit certificate, and adult education (GED) programs at any of the City Colleges of Chicago campuses.  Eligible expenses that are covered by this partnership includes tuition, required books and/or uniforms, and certification/licensing exams. There are a few eligibility requirements that you must know before you can begin this debt free education.

If you are interested in learning more about this great opportunity, please RSVP to an informational session by calling the CHA/CCC information line at 312-553-2830.  Resources for 2014 tuition assistance are limited, so we hope you register as soon as possible to take advantage of this great opportunity.