October 12, 2023
Share this story
A dozen students from Wilbur Wright College, Kennedy-King College, Malcolm X College, and Morton College participated in a roundtable discussion with Governor JB Pritzker Thursday morning centered around the Illinois Graduate and Retain Our Workforce (iGROW) Tech Act. The iGrow program provides students majoring in technology fields grants that could cover their entire tuition. This is in hopes of keeping talent in Illinois and strengthening the state’s technology workforce.
Governor Pritzker, Illinois State Senator Javier Cervantes, State Representative Janet Yang Rohr, President and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Jack Lavin, City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado, and Malcolm X College President David Sanders met with students pursuing degrees in tech fields for an hour-long discussion about how to make the education students want more accessible and how iGrow may impact students.
Students shared how they became interested in fields like cybersecurity and computer science, their academic experiences, any financial obstacles they may have faced in their education, how to encourage students to stay in Illinois after graduation, and how iGrow can encourage underrepresented students to enter into tech. They believe iGrow will help increase diversity in tech fields because it will give students the confidence to believe they can succeed in tech arenas. While iGrow will provide financial assistance to any eligible Illinois student enrolled in an associate or bachelor’s degree program, it will also open doors to internships, apprenticeships, peer-to-peer and professional mentoring, job opportunities, networking connections, and wraparound support services that will ensure success in school and beyond. The consensus at the round table was if students build connections with companies and leaders in their fields in Illinois, they are more likely to stay here and work full-time.
The iGrow Tech Act scholarship program is set to begin in the 2024-2025 school year. To be eligible to apply, a student must have an Illinois high school diploma, at least a 2.5 on a 4.0 GPA scale, and pursue or plan to pursue a degree in computer science, information technology, and other technology-related fields. The scholarship program will cover tuition costs for students who meet the eligibility requirements, but students must work at a qualified job in Illinois for each year of assistance they receive, for a minimum of two years.
Visit the ISAC website to apply for the iGROW Tech Act scholarship program and fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The FAFSA form is used to determine eligibility for federal student aid programs, including grants, loans, and work-study programs. After submitting the FAFSA form, students will be considered for the iGROW Tech Act scholarship program if they meet the eligibility requirements.
April 26, 2024
West Side students who attended share what they learned from the spring break trip Second-year Malcolm X College student Lakeith Lewis said his trip to...
April 25, 2024
On Wednesday, April 24, 2024, City Colleges of Chicago recognized a special group of students—those who are earning their associate degrees during the 2023-24 academic...
April 12, 2024
Malcolm X College’s Radiography program prepares students for in-demand careers in the x-ray field. However, even before earning their degrees, four students are already getting...
April 1, 2024
Employees from Kennedy-King, Malcolm X, and Olive-Harvey Colleges are 2024 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Awards Recipients. The NISOD Excellence Awards...
