Students at a high school in Chicago were surprised with scholarships that cover their tuitions, room, board, and books. They can freely pursue a degree without worrying about any debts after graduation. How awesome?!
This life-changing announcement was made by the Benito Juarez Community Academy. Hope Chicago gifted the entire student body with full college scholarships.
There are around 1700 students, and even included scholarships for the parent or guardian for each of the kids. According to the CEO of Hope Chicago, Dr. Janice Jackson, the lives of these students and their families will be changed as a result of this donation.
Only the Beginning of the Surprise Scholarships?
This is only the first of the five surprise scholarship announcements that are planned for the Chicago Public Schools high schools.
The other four schools haven’t been announced yet, but Hope Chicago notes that the total student number will be around 4000, without including the adult family member recipients.
The scholarships are to one of 20 higher education schools, trade schools, and universities that have agreed to be part of the program. The students will have their tuition paid fully, but also the room, board, and other expenses to ensure debt-free graduation and start of their careers.
Being Able to Pursue Your Education Dreams without Worrying about Debts Is an Indescribable Feeling
The co-founder of Hope Chicago, Ted Koenig, said that this was an awesome day for everyone involved. Getting the news that you’ll have a debt-free education left everyone speechless, including Diego Garcia and his mom Maria.
Garcia explains that his mom was a nurse in Mexico and has always wanted to keep learning more so he was brought to tears that she’ll be able to pursue higher education.
Another student, Amanda Hernandez, said that this announcement is a major step towards her pursuit of higher education. Hernandez aspires to become a teacher so this was wonderful news. She says that the debt-free education will ease her life, in fact, it will make it 100 times easier, she emphasized.
Hope Chicago has worked for two years to make the necessary agreements with the school and acquire the funding from donations. This is an operation expected to cost a billion.
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