Say No to Charter Community Colleges

Latest

Local 1600 faculty, professionals, and part-time professionals stand up against charter community colleges in Chicago.
PHOTO/ZACH POULOS, CCCTU LOCAL 1600

 
CHICAGO, IL — Do you want your daughters and sons or other young adults to succeed in college? Do you want them to be shackled with debt when they are done getting their degrees? No one wants that indebtedness for our young people. Yet, the Instituto Progresso Latino College, despite its amazing promises, will definitely not help young people succeed.
The Instituto Progresso Latino “College”, which is not endorsed by the faculty of the City Colleges of Chicago, promises to help immigrant children with limited English skills succeed. According to City College Chancellor Juan Salgado, the college would offer opportunities to students who would not make it in our Chicago City College system.
That is a patently absurd claim. The City Colleges offers English as a Second Language support for students at all levels and adult education for students who have not completed high school. Our fine academic institutions at the City Colleges are all independently accredited academically and our degrees mean something. Their college is not accredited, and it won’t be for the next two years.
Despite its promises and over $40 million-dollar contributions­—supposedly no strings attached money—from Chase Bank, students would not pay cheaper tuition. Although students would supposedly not pay tuition the first year, the following years, they would be heavily burdened. After the first year, each credit would be $240. At 12 credits a semester that would be $5,760 for tuition alone.
For residents, the City Colleges charge $3,504 year for the year or 24 credit hours. You think that is too high? The tuition for the supposed Instituto College would go up every year. After the fifth year, tuition would be a whopping $450 per credit or $10,800. Who in their right mind would pay such a large sum to attend essentially a charter college? The tuition at the City Colleges is way more affordable, and offers ample wraparound services for students to succeed. Why, then, this ruse? What does Chase Bank get from such a generous donation?
After exhausting their financial aid, if any, students would have to take out loans to complete their degrees. These $40 million dollars are not a gift. Nor is the Instituto’s supposed first free year of Instituto Progresso Latino College. Students deserve better than empty promises, especially those immigrant youth who are trying to make something of their lives.
If students want a future, they deserve to get a degree at an established institution with real credentials at an affordable price. Chicago’s Malcolm X College is a state-of-the-art college with various health degrees. Students should be going to colleges like these.
The doors of City Colleges are open, and we welcome these students. We will make sure they succeed and, whether they get a higher degree or a job, our tuition won’t make debt slaves out of them.
The only thing private colleges like Institute Progresso Latino do is steadily threaten the viability of public community colleges. We must take a clear principled stance, and say ‘No to Charter Community Colleges.’

+ Articles by this author

Free to republish but please credit the People's Tribune. Visit us at www.peoplestribune.org, email peoplestribune@gmail.com, or call 773-486-3551.

The People’s Tribune brings you articles written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Unsigned articles reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: ©2024 peoplestribune.org. Please donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Featured

ICE Terror Campaign Threatens Us All

Several recent Facebook reels show how ICE is ramping up its campaign of terror against immigrants, citizens and protestors alike as the effort to create a police state continues and resistance grows. One creator speaks to the significance of Haitians now being targeted.

Medicaid Defenders in Wheelchairs Arrested Ahead of Senate Budget Vote

Over 60 people, including grandmas in wheelchairs, were arrested in the U.S. Senate Rotunda in a nonviolent protest against cuts like Medicaid and the SNAP food program in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Budget Bill.”

Zohran Mamdani Delivers Stunning Blow to ‘Billionaire-Backed Status Quo’ in NYC

New York City proved that a movement powered by hope, courage, and working class people can beat the money of billionaires.

The American People Want Peace, Not War!

The US's immoral and illegal attack on Iran threatens the whole world with war. The American people have a special responsibility to come out into the streets and rein in the US government, which has become a rogue state.

Juneteenth 2025: ‘We Have to Win this Fight,’ Hannah-Jones Tells Black Graduates

Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones addressed Black graduates at Harvard University, telling them that "we are about to see unleashed upon us an America that we have not had to live in. And we have to win this battle."

More from the People's Tribune