College Promise Spotlights Hope Chicago for Its Family-Centered Approach to Postsecondary Education and Workforce Development

‍CHICAGO — Hope Chicago and College Promise brought together educators, policymakers, and community advocates for The Decade of Promise, a half-day symposium held at Farragut Career Academy in Chicago on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. The event focused on the growing need for innovative, family-centered approaches to postsecondary education and workforce development.

Hope Chicago’s two-generation scholarship model, which supports both students and their parents with debt-free access to postsecondary and career training pathways, was highlighted by the national, non-partisan, non-profit initiative as a promising strategy for closing equity gaps and advancing economic mobility for Illinois families.

College Promise used the convening to spotlight its newly launched national initiative to support parent students, with an intentional focus on fathers. With male college-going and attainment rates falling significantly behind those of women—both nationally and in Illinois—this initiative comes at a critical time.

• Nationally, the college-going rate among recent high school graduates is 14% higher for women (69%) than for men (55%). Once in college, women are more likely to persist, earning 7% more college degrees than men by age 29. 
• These national trends are mirrored in Illinois, where the college enrollment gap between men and women is 13% higher for women. The attainment gap is nearly twice the national average (+15%), with women accounting for 57% of all degrees and certificates earned compared to 41% for men.

With Illinois as one of only six states with a statutory commitment to student parents, the discussion elevated the importance of inclusive, family-focused approaches to higher education locally and nationwide.

“Programs that address the realities of parenting while pursuing education are not just innovative—they’re essential for the upward economic mobility of families,” said Rosye Cloud, Interim CEO of College Promise. “Hope Chicago is redefining what access and success look like for entire families and communities here in Illinois today, and for generations to come.”

The convening featured a robust program of thought leaders and program providers, culminating in a powerful scholar voice panel featuring Hope Parent Scholars and community partners who are navigating college as parents and caregivers.

“Hope Chicago provided me the opportunity to go back to school, and with the financial challenge out of the way, I felt like [pursuing a degree] wasn’t taking away from my family,” said Brian Barney, Hope Parent Scholar at National Louis University.

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About College Promise

College Promise is a national, non-partisan, non-profit initiative that builds broad public support for postsecondary education and skilling to ensure that hard-working students have access to quality educational and economic opportunities.  Founded in 2015, College Promise has grown to a network of more than 450 Promise programs (+730%) in all 50 states, aligned to more than 1,700 colleges and universities. College Promise works with organizations nationwide to provide scholarships covering tuition, fees, and other educational costs, along with essential support services that equip students to succeed on their college and career journeys.

About Hope Chicago

Hope Chicago's mission is to create pathways to success for multiple generations of Chicagoans through equitable access to debt-free higher education and the support to complete postsecondary journeys. In February of 2022, Hope Chicago promised every enrolled student and one parent/guardian of each student the opportunity to pursue a debt-free postsecondary education at 5 Chicago community High Schools across the city’s South, Southwest, and West Sides—accounting for 4,000 families. Hope Chicago’s goal is to transform whole Chicago communities by providing economic mobility opportunities for multiple generations of Chicago families through debt-free postsecondary and workforce pathways. For more information, please visit: hopechicago.org.