Illinois Institute of Technology’s Ascend Program offers a seamless transition from high school to a bachelor’s degree, complete with mentorship, career coaching, scholarships, and internship opportunities.
Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), in a transformative initiative aimed at broadening access to higher education, announces the launch of its Ascend program. This pioneering collaboration with City Colleges of Chicago offers graduating high school seniors a cost-effective and flexible path to pursue their academic journeys. Students begin their college experience at a partner institution, and upon successful completion of the first year, transition seamlessly to full-time study at Illinois Tech to finish their bachelor’s degree.
“Community College students have the propensity to bring in a skilled, experienced, and a more diverse talent pool into the workforce. “This incredible partnership with Illinois Tech highlights the fact that, together, we are pulling out all the stops for students so they can be fully supported and prepared to reach their education and career goals,” said Chancellor Juan Salgado, City Colleges of Chicago.
Traditional community-college transfer pathways have always offered one option for students to advance from community colleges to four-year institutions after earning their associate degrees. The Ascend program is unique in that it enables learners who have applied to Illinois Tech and need additional academic preparedness, or who see affordability as a barrier, to study at one of the seven City Colleges of Chicago while they take part in first-year experiences and access student support at Illinois Tech.
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