Rising college tuition fees and the financial burden of taking on student debt are often hinderances for first-generation and lower-income students from enrolling in higher education. To address this, interest has grown in testing policy solutions, like free community college, that improve access to higher education. 

STAR Scholarship was founded in 2015 as a merit-based program offering free community college tuition to Chicago Public Schools graduates with a GPA of 3.0 or higher and who opt to attend City College of Chicago (CCC). The goal of the program is to make higher education more accessible by lowering financial barriers to completing a bachelor’s or associate degree by making the first two years of college free.  

In partnership with CCC, the Inclusive Economy Lab evaluated both the short and long-term impacts of free tuition for community college students. The research sought to answer the following questions: 

• Does providing free community college increase college enrollment for eligible students? 

• Does providing free community college shift where eligible students enroll in college, particularly between two-year and four-year institutions? 

• Does providing free community college affect associate and/or bachelor’s degree attainment for eligible students?