September 28, 2021

Duckworth, Durbin Announce Nearly $590,000 to Chicago State University

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $587,729 in federal funding to Chicago State University. This funding from the U.S. Department of Education’s Predominantly Black Institutions Program will assist the university in implementing their Resiliency and Capacity Expansion for Student Success in the Health Professions (RECESS-HP) program. Chicago State, located on Chicago’s South Side, is Illinois’ only four-year U.S. Department of Education-designated Predominantly Black Institution.

“Those of us who weren’t always sure we’d be able to go to college or faced barriers upon entry understand the power of a diploma,” Duckworth said. “I’ll keep working with Senator Durbin to ensure federal support for higher education, especially for Illinois schools like Chicago State University and for working class communities and communities of color, so that every American has the opportunity to enroll in college and complete a degree.”

“Higher education should be accessible to every American, no matter who they are or where they live. Today’s federal funding will help recruit and enroll students at Chicago State University to study health and science at an affordable cost. I will continue to work with Senator Duckworth to secure these kinds of investments in communities of color and Predominantly Black Institutions,” said Durbin.

“This funding, part of a 5-year, $2.9 million commitment, will help ensure Chicago State University’s continued excellence in the health sciences, where our graduates experience 100 percent job placement. Health sciences is an area of growth in the Illinois workforce, and we know that increasing access into the healthcare workforce for communities of color is key to addressing health inequities, so we will continue our innovative student success strategies with this federal funding,” said Chicago State University President Zaldwaynaka (“Z”) Scott, Esq.

Through RECESS-HP, Chicago State plans to prioritize outreach to Black men, develop programs in health education and sciences and improve and expand hybrid and remote learning for students at the university. The U.S. Department of Education’s Predominantly Black Institutions Program awards grants to eligible colleges to make higher education more accessible for low- and middle income Black students.

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