CPS, City Colleges and UIC announce expansion of transfer student partnership, unveiling ‘Chicago Roadmap 2.0'

Chicago Tribune

22-04-2025

Five years after its initial debut, Chicago Public Schools, City Colleges of Chicago and the University of Illinois Chicago announced the expansion of their education partnership, presenting the launch of 'Chicago Roadmap 2.0' on Tuesday at UIC's student center.
Created in 2020 to support the city's transfer students, partners in the Chicago Roadmap saw that increased collaboration between the district and City Colleges could allow for a 'comprehensive educational pathway' for those students.
The first version of the program, or Roadmap 1.0, created a lot of alignment between the three institutions, CEO Pedro Martinez said, opening up the opportunity for CPS, City Colleges and UIC to ensure students are graduating from college on time without the typical obstacles transfer students face.
Roadmap 1.0 has seen success, according to Martinez. Since its launch, the number of early-college students in CPS has increased by 62%, and the number of students on track to earn an associate's degree in high school increased by 60%. The program also touts 450 City Colleges students who transferred to UIC last year, a figure they hope will grow in the expansion.
The newest development of the program will take it to the next level, City Colleges Chancellor Juan Salgado said. Roadmap 2.0 will include guaranteed admission for transfer students between City Colleges and UIC, seamless credit transfer, coordinated academic support, enhanced student resources such as tutoring, mentoring and career guidance, and an AI-powered degree planning portal to give students 'real-time, personalized' guidance, expected to launch in fall 2026.
'The launch of 2.0 will strengthen student persistence and completion rates by offering early college coursework, advising, and academic alignment across institutions,' Salgado said in a news release. 'The AI tool removes the uncertainty and clearly shows students the path from point A to point B, saving our students both time and money.'
Having these opportunities available early on allows for social and economic mobility for thousands of students, Martinez said. First-generation students, who make up a majority of CPS, may find it complex to navigate higher education, Martinez said. Through this program, students are given a 'head start.'
'If you're a student of poverty, it isn't enough that you graduate at level with your peers. It's just not enough in our country, our data shows it,' Martinez said. 'That means earning college credit while graduating high school.'
Liam Smith, a senior English major at UIC, is among the students who've benefited from the program. Smith said he attended Wilbur Wright College as a Star Scholar, which covered the cost of his associate's degree.
After attending some events before transferring to UIC, Smith said it made the university feel like family even before he started taking classes there.
'It's been a really good process,' Smith said. 'It's really transformative and can help any student from high school to CCC, then UIC.'
In an address to UIC and Chicago City Colleges leaders Tuesday, Smith said it would be beneficial for students in the program to have clarity about whether they can transfer in the fall or spring semester. He also said that students should be given more information about Transferology, a software platform used by City Colleges and UIC, that lets students look at courses from different institutions and how they would transfer. Finally, Smith said students would benefit from connecting with advisers and their peers before enrolling.
While the program is expanding resources to students, it's also increasing financial support. With the expansion of the support for City Colleges students through the new Start Scholarship agreement, UIC Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda said eligible transfer students will be given up to $5,000 per year in additional funding.
UIC also recently launched its Aspire Program, which would cover 100% of incoming students' tuition and fees from families with a household income of $75,000 or less. Miranda said the university is anticipating roughly 58% of all UIC undergraduate students will benefit from this program.
'With the Chicago Roadmap 2.0, we're focusing squarely on equity, access and outcomes for all students,' Miranda said. 'We realize it's not enough to expand access and offer seamless pathways to a college degree, it's also critical to remove financial barriers so that students can pursue their dreams.'
Various groups have supported the Roadmap from its inception, including the Gates Foundation, the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, the Joyce Foundation and a couple of anonymous donors.
As Roadmap 1.0 costs about $10 million, Martinez said the philanthropic resources provided were used to 'catalyze' the program. The program is continuing to ask for philanthropic help to 'lift off' the second phase. Scaling what the institutions know is working, expanding the partnership will ensure more students across Chicago and the state can benefit from this model, Miranda said.
'What we are building here together in Chicago has the potential to serve as a national model,' Miranda said. 'One that redefines how high schools, community, colleges and universities collaborate to support student success.'