100 Chicago Housing Authority college scholars return for Take Flight Staying the Course

CHICAGO (Jan. 5, 2017) – Despite the cold, 100 collegians gathered at the Chicago Housing Authority today to “check in” after their Fall semester to explore internship and employment opportunities for the summer.

They are among the more than 230 CHA residents attending 90 different universities with scholarships provided through the CHA’s $268,000 yearly scholarship fund for the 2016-2017 academic year.

The check-in builds on the annual “Take Flight College Send-Off,” which connects public housing and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) students with the college supplies necessary to start on a strong foot.

“CHA gives its college-bound students a fond sendoff every August, right here in this building,” CHA CEO Eugene Jones, Jr. said. “But we also want to make sure they have the resources to stay in school, to navigate the process, to graduate, and to have connections once they’re out. That’s what Staying the Course is all about.”

In the three years since the CHA assumed oversight of its Scholarship Program, it has provided support to 534 recipients totaling almost $850,000. Student success continues to rise under CHA’s oversight, and currently 100 percent of year-over-year CHA scholarship recipients who receive awards of $3,500 or more, continue to be enrolled or have graduated.

The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) was on hand, providing resume assistance; City Colleges talked about the Partners in Education program and representatives from the ACA spoke to students about healthcare plans.

Other organizations that participated in today’s event offering internships, employment and support were:

UChicago Arts Incubator; Edmund Burke Elementary School; Dimeo Schneider; Skills for Chicagoland's Future; First Eagle Bank; Bronner Group, LLC; BMO Harris Bank; Chicago Public Schools; Oak Street Health; RSM; Steppenwolf Theatre; Year Up; Golden Apple Foundation; Lurie Children's Hospital; Microsoft; Cook County Forest Preserves; Adler School of Professional Psychology; Public Allies; First Defense Legal Aid; Steppenwolf Theater; MAPS Corps and Now Pow

Applications for the 2017-2018 academic year go live on January 17 and closes May 17:  http://www.thecha.org/residents/chicago-housing-authority-scholarship-program/