Chicago Housing Authority Scholarship Program

The application for the 2026-2027 school year will be live January 30, 2026. Applicants will be notified of award status by July.

CHA encourages residents pursuing an undergraduate education to apply for the CHA Scholarship program. Awardees will receive $2,000 which can be used for tuition, books, or supplies.

Selection Criteria:

• Academic achievements and records
• Community involvement
• Essay

Who is eligible to apply?

To be eligible for this award, you must:

• Be a high school senior or be in your college undergraduate studies as a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior.
• Be pursuing your Undergraduate degree (such as a Certificate, Associates, or Bachelors). Advanced degree studies (such as Masters, Doctorate) are no longer eligible for program support.
• Plan to attend an accredited, non-profit, or for-profit, two- or four-year college/university in the United States in the fall of 2026.
• Be a current resident in either the Chicago Housing Authority’s Public Housing Program or the Chicago Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher Program; be currently listed on a CHA lease.
• Have a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale to apply; a minimum GPA of 2.5 is recommended.
• Have a household income that does not exceed HUD’s low-income limit (80% AMI) for Cook County, Illinois. CHA will verify. For more information, visit https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il.htm.
• No exceptions will be made.

Eligibility for the Program

• Be a high school senior or be a college undergraduate as a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior
• Be pursuing your undergraduate degree such as a Certificate, Associates or Bachelors. Advanced degree studies such as Masters or Doctorate are not eligible.
• Plan to attend a two-year or four-year college/university in the United States
• Be a current CHA resident and listed on a lease.
• Have a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale to apply; a minimum GPA of 2.5 is recommended

For residents interested in attending City Colleges of Chicago, visit our PiE program to learn how you can receive free tuition at all CCC campuses.  

Applying for the CHA Scholarship

1. Visit the Application to Check Your Eligibility

• Create a user ID and password.
• Complete the eligibility form to verify your eligibility for the scholarship.

Application portal

The application for the 2026-2027 school year will go live January 30th, 2026.

2. Begin Application

Application sections may include:

• Academic Scores and Information
• Clubs & Extracurricular Activities
• Honors & Awards
• Community Service & Volunteer Activities
• Work Experience
• Short Essay Prompts

3. Collect and Submit Your Documentation

For the scholarship, you will need to upload the following documents:

• ACT/SAT Test Scores: Optional.
• 2025-26 FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR): Optional.
• High School Transcript: Incoming College Freshmen only.
• College/University Transcript: Incoming College Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.