​A growing number of four-year institutions in Illinois are not only recruiting community college graduates, but they are also providing incentives for them to do so.

City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) in particular has been building partnerships with local universities that are offering scholarships or pre-transfer advising to students who have recently earned associate degrees from the city’s community college system.

“We are committed to increasing the numbers of students who transfer to bachelor degree programs following City Colleges of Chicago graduation,” said Chancellor Cheryl Hyman. “Through strategic partnerships with four-year institutions, we can ensure students use their time with us effectively.”

Some of those partnerships include:

• The DePaul Admissions Partnership Program (DAPP) with DePaul University offers CCC students and students from other community colleges in Illinois access to DePaul counselors, who can provide guidance on class selection and majors while they are still enrolled at the two-year college. DAPP guarantees that students’ bachelor’s degree-completion requirements will not change for three years after joining the program.
• The Guaranteed Admissions Transfer (GAT) program with the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) allows CCC students to apply for guaranteed admission to the university as early as their second semester at the community college. Currently, 52 CCC students are on track to transfer to UIC next fall.
• The Presidential Scholarship at Illinois Institute of Technology offers qualifying CCC transfer students substantial financial support, including an annual tuition scholarship award up to $23,500—renewable for up to three years—as well as a $5,000 stipend for undergraduate research and a $5,000 annual housing award.
• The Lewis University Aviation Academy offers $10,000 to CCC transfer students seeking a bachelor’s degree in an aviation-related program, such as air traffic control management or aviation administration. 

CCC student Natasha Porter currently attends Harry S Truman College—one of seven colleges in the CCC system—and plans to transfer to a local university next year. She is considering UIC because of the GAT program. Porter said she appreciates that the program will give her an opportunity to sample the UIC campus before she enrolls there.

“I can talk to a Truman advisor or a UIC counselor if I have any issues,” she added.

There’s also a financial incentive to participate in the program. Porter said she can save about $14,000 by enrolling at CCC for her first two years and then transferring to UIC to complete a bachelor’s degree.