Five Illinois lawmakers require students applying for a legislative scholarship to register to vote – a requirement that some experts say is inappropriate and discriminatory. John Whitehead, president of the Virginia-based The Rutherford Institute, said lawmakers who require applicants vying for Illinois General Assembly scholarships to register are discriminating against students whose religious beliefs...
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Marcie Gutierrez, a teacher at John Hay Elementary on Chicago’s West Side, wanted help paying for school when she attended the University of Illinois at Chicago to further her education. So she applied for a legislative scholarship from Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago), whose district includes her school. Gutierrez, however, didn’t live in Ford’s district....
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Gretchen Watson got an undergraduate degree and her master’s, too, thanks to the Illinois General Assembly scholarship program. For seven years, Watson, now an elementary school teacher, didn’t have to worry about tuition bills at Northeastern University. Mary Kate McLoughlin, the daughter of a Chicago precinct captain who works for state comptroller Dan Hynes...
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Someone has to pay for the millions of dollars in scholarships state legislators dole out each year – and that ends up being the rest of the students who attend Illinois’ public universities. For the 2007-2008 school year – the most recent data available – the state’s public universities gave 1,509 legislative scholarships worth...
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The Illinois General Assembly scholarship doesn’t work like other scholarships. Some students win it because they have the right connections. Others don’t face much competition for the award – a year of free tuition at one of 12 public universities in Illinois. And several recipients don’t even meet the one requirement of the state’s...
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The phone calls started Sept. 15. The journalist wanted to know how Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) selects students in her Bronzeville district to receive free tuition at 12 Illinois universities. A team of Columbia College Chicago reporters, in collaboration with Illinois Statehouse News, contacted the offices of all 177 members of the Illinois General...
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The Illinois General Assembly scholarships have become a family affair for dozens of siblings who’ve secured tens of thousands of dollars in free tuition to the state’s public universities since 2003. There’s just one main requirement in the century-old state law that created the legislative scholarship program: Applicants must live in the awarding lawmaker’s...
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Dozens of college graduates receive free tuition each year to dental, law and medical school through the Illinois legislative scholarship program, saving each winner thousands of dollars at the expense of their classmates. Over the last five years 1,256 legislative scholarships were given to graduate students, worth $17.6 million, according to annual reports compiled...
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Communities from north to south, across Chicago have been plagued with mindless violence this year. Join in a city-wide “Day of Healing” today, Dec. 8th at St. Sabina Elders Village, 1222 W. 79th St.  The Day of Healing event begins at 6:00 pm. This event is for everyone concerned about the spread of senseless violence...
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As Jennifer T. Lacey reports, Santa Claus has arrived in Austin on the West Side, and it was a huge, community-wide event that brought out kids of all ages. The new parade and tradition means a lot to the neighborhood, as you will see here. http://www.vimeo.com/8026348
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