More than 1,000 City Colleges of Chicago Star Scholars earned their associate degree in the 2025-26 school year.  A number of these scholars gathered along with family and friends for the Star Scholar Cording Ceremony on Monday in the Sports Complex of Malcolm X College (MXC), 1900 W. Jackson Street in Chicago.  During the Star Scholar Cording Ceremony, City Colleges leadership presented the royal blue cords that the Star Scholars will wear to the City Colleges Commencement ceremony on May 2, 2026, at Wintrust Arena.  The Star Scholarship is a last-dollar scholarship that covers up to three years at City Colleges for tuition and books, after the application of financial aid. Students qualify for the Star Scholarship if they graduate from a Chicago Public School or partner with Big Shoulders Fund high school with at least a 3.0 GPA.  To learn more about the Star Scholar program, visit www.ccc.edu/starscholarship