March 29--When Ken Ender was in college, he was initially a C-minus student who was more interested in track than school. Eventually, he said he realized how important school was to get what he wanted out of life, and he ended up earning a doctorate.
A new program at Harper College, in northwest suburban Palatine where Ender is the school's president, is aimed at such "scrappy C" students who may not have top grades but excel in the workplace because they work hard.
"Everyone doesn't mature at the same time," Ender said. "But if you show grit and determination, that's the kind of student we want to attract and retain and nurture."
Harper officials on Monday plan to announce the Promise Scholarship program to let those students earn a two-year degree without paying a penny of the tuition -- if they meet specific criteria.
Beginning in high school and continuing through college, participants will have to earn their scholarships by keeping decent grades, attending classes full time and performing community service.
The proposal is similar but more stringent than a national program proposed in January by President Barack Obama, who called for free community college for qualified students. That plan is seen as less likely to become reality, since it would probably require support from Obama's Republican opponents in Congress.
Yet other Illinois colleges also are rolling out programs that they say will expand access to higher education at free or extremely reduced cost.
Last fall, City Colleges of Chicago announced the Star Scholarship program to pay for tuition, fees and books for freshmen from Chicago Public Schools who have a 3.0 grade-point average or better and are ready for college-level courses.
Illinois Central College in Peoria and Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg also offer free tuition for qualified students.
Proponents say the trend reflects the new reality that some college education is a necessity in the modern economy -- though not necessarily a traditional, four-year college degree.
Representatives of manufacturing and other businesses took part in planning to create the Harper program because, they said, they need committed students who can learn needed skills in two years then get to work.
"They may not be the brightest students, but if they work hard, they can be recognized for it," said Warren Young, CEO of Acme Industries in Elk Grove Village. Every employer, he said, is looking for workers with people skills who will work hard and learn quickly.
Mike Alagna, retired chief operating officer of Nation Pizza in Schaumburg, said businesspeople pushed for "real world" conditions, such as requiring those who qualify for Harper's free tuition program to miss no more than seven days of school their senior years in high school.
Proponents say the scholarships offer a rare opportunity to get financial help for college that's not based on economic need or academic or athletic achievement.
"This offers a lot of kids the ability to go to college, work hard, be persistent and do some community service," Alagna said. "They have a chance to be successful in life."
The challenge for any such program is how to pay for it. McHenry County College offered a similar free ride program several years ago using $3.5 million in pledged donations from three donors. But officials said so many students took advantage of it that the college couldn't afford to continue and dropped the program after one year, spokeswoman Christina Haggerty said.
"Our advice to any institution looking at this type of funded program is to project the interest and reception to it the best that they can," Haggerty said. "Also, try to ensure that there are funds and a strong support structure for students in place so that the program is sustainable over the long-term."
Three high school districts -- Township High School District 211 based in Palatine, Township High School District 214 based in Arlington Heights and Barrington Community Unit District 220 -- graduate about 6,500 students a year eligible to go to Harper. But officials expect only 3 to 5 percent to meet all the requirements for the scholarships.
Private school students are not eligible for the program, though officials say they are open to adding them later after working out the logistics.
Harper officials estimate their program will cost $600,000 to $900,000 per year, and they'll need an endowment of $10 million to get it going.
For that purpose, Harper's board of trustees has set aside $5 million in savings from the school's general fund, which is filled roughly equally by property taxes and tuition, plus $1 million in pledged donations. The rest will have to come from donations, both corporate and individual.
Officials say the scholarships will not require any increase in property taxes or tuition, which will increase 2.8 percent to almost $3,900 next year. Scholarship students still will have to pay for books and fees, and must first apply for state and financial aid.
One reason the program is affordable, organizers said, is that only 3 to 5 percent of incoming freshmen are expected to meet the strict criteria for eligibility.
They must maintain a 2.3 out of a 4.0 (or 3.3 out of a 5.0) grade-point average in high school, perform community service, graduate on time with their class and be ready for college courses without remedial classes. In college, they must take at least 15 credit hours of classes each semester, plus volunteer 10 hours of community service per semester, while getting a 2.5 GPA by their final semester, with no Ds or Fs.
The program will begin with freshmen starting high school this fall, with the first scholarships awarded to college freshmen in 2019, so the Harper College Educational Foundation has four years to raise the necessary funds.
Ender said a similar program has worked well at Cumberland County College, which he previously headed in southern New Jersey, with about 500 scholarships paid out since being initiated in 2002.
Tanya Williams, a single mom whose son Tyler enters Palatine High School next year, said the Harper program was a huge relief, because she wouldn't be able to afford tuition on what she makes as a bus driver and massage therapist.
"It means so much to us," she said. "They're going to take away a big financial burden. It's really a blessing to get an opportunity like that."
rmccoppin@tribpub.com
