Loyola University Chicago and Hope Chicago Partner to Provide Debt-Free Education for Scholars and Parents

CHICAGO, IL – June 6, 2022
Loyola University Chicago today announced a partnership with Hope Chicago, an innovative multi-generational scholarship program committed to investing $1 billion in postsecondary scholarships to Chicago Public School (CPS) students and their parents over the next decade. This year’s inaugural cohort of Hope Scholars at Loyola will include 38 students.   

“We are proud to partner with Hope Chicago and delighted that their efforts are also directed at expanding access to higher education for CPS students,” said Dr. Jo Ann Rooney, president of Loyola University Chicago. “Loyola is committing significant institutional resources to ensure that these students not only reach our campus and feel welcome–but succeed and thrive in their college journey from convocation to commencement. For 152 years, our University has provided young people the opportunity to transform their lives through the power of education, and we look forward to expanding our mission with partners like Hope Chicago.”  

Recently, Loyola announced a separate, $100M gift from John and Kathy Schreiber to fund full scholarships and support services for Black, Latino, first generation, and other ethnically and racially diverse students. Although the John and Kathy Schreiber gift is independent of Hope Chicago’s initiatives, both programs seek to combat the same inequality and underrepresentation in higher education. 

In Chicago, just one in every five CPS graduates will complete college in 10 years–a statistic with tangible implications to economic wellbeing, health, and civic engagement. The average difference in lifetime earnings between those with a college degree and those with a high school diploma is approximately $1 million. College graduates are also typically more engaged in civic and community affairs and better equipped to sustain positive health outcomes over the course of their lives. These factors contribute to a 30-year gap in life expectancy between some zip codes in Chicago. 

“We know that a college degree is the most powerful tool one can use to maximize their career opportunities,” says Hope Chicago’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Janice Jackson. “That’s why we aim to change the game and redefine the college experience for our scholars in collaboration with our partner institutions.”

The Loyola/Hope Chicago partnership is a culmination of the promise made by Hope Chicago in February of 2022 to five CPS high schools on the city’s South, Southwest, and West Sides. Hope Chicago announced that 4,000 students and either one parent or guardian of each of the selected students would receive access to debt-free higher education. With future cohorts in the works, the partnership with Hope Chicago opens the door for more CPS graduates and their families to experience the world-class Jesuit, Catholic education that Loyola has to offer. Hope Scholars at the University will receive a full suite of comprehensive support including tuition, room and board, transition support, academic and social/emotional support, and exclusive access to dedicated support staff on campus. 

For more on Hope Chicago, visit hopechicago.org or contact press@hopechicago.org or 312-477-3170. 

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About Loyola University Chicago
Founded in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is one of the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic universities, with nearly 17,500 students. The University has four campuses: three in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy, as well as course locations in in Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Vernon Hills, Illinois (Cuneo Mansion and Gardens), and a Retreat and Ecology Campus in Woodstock, Illinois. The University features 15 schools, colleges, and institutes. Ranked a top national university by U.S. News & World Report, Loyola is also among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by prestigious national organizations including AmeriCorps and the Carnegie Foundation. To learn more about Loyola, visit LUC.edu or follow us on Twitter via @LoyolaChicago.