CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The City Colleges of Chicago previously teamed up with a nonprofit organization called One Million Degrees to offer many students at Olive-Harvey College help getting their degrees, including stipends, counseling and academic aid.
Would-be health care professional Stephanie Meeks said the program has made all the difference.
“One Million Degrees has changed me completely, in a way where I can get the support academically, financially, professionally, and also with the Saturday sessions, agents have changed my perspective on a lot of things,” Meeks said.
Aneesh Sohoni, CEO of One Million Degrees, said the program will soon be easier to access for Olive-Harvey students, thanks to a $20 million investment.
“Rather than having to apply for One Million Degrees and apply for our supports, students will be automatically accepted into our program,” Sohoni said.
City Colleges Chancellor Juan Salgado, though, said his goal is that the program won’t stop there.
“While we’re starting at Olive-Harvey College on a pilot basis, we will be growing this to additional colleges into the future,” Salgado said.
Salgado said the increase will be gradual, but that they aim to help as many students as possible.
“Aneesh often says: ‘It shouldn’t be luck or chance that allows a student to get into [One Million Degrees],’” Salgado said. “We are, as they enroll in nine credits or more, welcome them into the program. They can, of course, opt out of the program, but our hope is that 100% of them opt in.”
The City Colleges of Chicago are the main focus of WBBM’s “At Issue” program, which runs at 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
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