Chicago College Covers Full Tuition for Single Parents — Here's How the Program Works

Chicago's Generations College runs a Single Parent Scholarship that eliminates tuition for qualifying students: it covers up to $3,500 per semester after Pell Grant aid is applied, letting single parents earn an associate degree at zero cost. To qualify, you must be a full-time, Pell-eligible single parent and maintain at least a 2.5 GPA. The program launched in 2020 and awarded nearly 90 scholarships this year alone — and retention among recipients has climbed more than 20 percent, according to the college's chancellor. The student population served is broader than stereotypes suggest: divorced parents and single fathers are a growing share of recipients, reflecting the nearly two million single-mother undergraduates nationwide counted by the Institute for Women's Policy Research. If you're a single parent weighing a return to school, this model — and programs like it at other community colleges — shows that dedicated aid targeting your specific barriers can make a real difference in whether you finish.