To the children of Chicago Public Schools teachers: The embarrassment that can come with being the teacher’s kid may well be worth it.



Children of any CPS staffer admitted to the highly-selective University of Chicago will go tuition-free, the university and the mayor’s office announced on Friday. The child does not have to be a CPS graduate.

The scholarship is worth more than $200,000 over four years, with tuition at the Hyde Park campus this year at $51,000. The university will foot the bill.

But getting into U of C is no small feat. The admission rate in recent years has hovered around 8 percent.

The new Chicago Public Schools Educators Award Scholarship is open to any CPS employee, including teachers, counselors, nurses, teaching assistants, lunchroom workers, clerks and custodians. It will start for students admitted for the 2018-2019 school year.

“This scholarship recognizes the contribution and sacrifice of our faculty who educate, inspire and help mentor Chicago’s youth,” CPS Chief Education Officer Janice Jackson said in a statement.

The new scholarship builds on one that has existed at U of C for more than 30 years. The children of Chicago firefighters and police officer, as well as U of C police officers, have long been eligible for a free ride if they’re admitted. There are currently 36 UChicago students or admitted students with first responder scholarships and hundreds have been extended over the years, the school said.

The university also offers a full ride to select CPS students, free programming for students and staff in navigating the college admissions process and a program to help prepare CPS high schoolers as they seek admission to top-tier colleges.

Kate Grossman is a senior editor for WBEZ. Follow her at @KateGrossman1 or @wbezeducation.