Hope Chicago Organization provided free tuition to 4,000 students on South and West sides

Al Raby High School was one of five high school across the city to learn that their entire student body, and their parents, will receive full, debt-free college scholarships to partner colleges and universities from Hope Chicago. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY EDELMAN
Al Raby High School was one of five high school across the city to learn that their entire student body, and their parents, will receive full, debt-free college scholarships to partner colleges and universities from Hope Chicago. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY EDELMAN

Hope Chicago Organization provided free tuition to 4,000 students on South and West sides

By Tia Carol Jones

Malik Banbridge always wanted to be a funeral home director. He has been talking about going to college for some months. His mother, Sharon Smith, has been out of work for a year, but didn’t want to spoil his dream. She prayed that something would happen. Her prayers were answered when Hope Chicago announced that it would provide free tuition to students at Al Raby High School where Malik is a senior.

Al Raby High School is one of the five Chicago Public Schools where Hope Chicago awarded students in grades 9-12, along with their parents, debt-free, post-secondary education. The scholarships do not have grade point average requirements.  The students can use the scholarships at one of the 20 partner universities, colleges, or educational programs throughout Illinois.

Morgan Park High School, Benito Juarez Community Academy, Noble-Johnson College Prep and Farragut Career Academy also were part of the 4,000 students, parents and guardians Hope Chicago awarded.
Hope Chicago is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2021, with the goal to create opportunities for higher education for students and their parents, by providing scholarships and free tuition to colleges and universities. It is part of a larger investment by Hope Chicago to invest $1 billion in students in Chicago and their parents during the next 10 years.

Smith was overjoyed when she heard the news that Malik could attend college for free. Malik was in complete shock when he heard. Malik wants to study business and mortuary science. Smith will further her education with the opportunity from Hope Chicago to work with special education children.

“Being a single parent, like myself, it was an absolute big help. I know there are a lot of other parents out here like myself, who don’t know how they’re going to make it happen for their children who desire, like my son, to go to school to start their careers. With this program, I’m sure that every parent appreciates everything Hope Chicago is doing and is going to do for our children,” Smith said.

Michelle Harrell, principal of Al Raby High School, felt like the school won the lottery when she was told Hope Chicago chose her school as one of the five.

“It felt like what we had been praying for, and what I and my senior leadership team had really been hoping for, envisioning, manifesting. It just felt like, ‘OK. this is exactly what we asked for,’” Harrell said.

Harrell acknowledges the monetary support was 100% needed, as well as the support on the university level, to keep the students in college and get them through college. Harrell has been seeing a big disconnect when it comes to the college retention rates. She believes having someone at the university that will serve as a support person for the students is a big step in retaining students at the college level. Harrell has been trying to increase the persistence rate of the students from Al Raby going into their second year of college.

Harrell believes Hope Chicago is also providing the parents of the students with the opportunity to pursue post-secondary education opportunities is a game changer. It will give parents the opportunity to pursue dreams and endeavors they might not have known they could pursue. It also gives them support to help them figure out what the parents want to do. It can help battle generational poverty.

“When you can get a profession or career that will pay a living wage, that allows you to not live in poverty, it just changes the dynamic and the trajectory for the entire family,” she said.

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