Senshay Lofton woke up at 5 a.m. last month to help load boxes into her family’s car and then watched as her mom, dad and older sister drove past the bungalows of the city’s Southwest Side toward the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

“I didn’t cry,” says the slight 17-year-old with long thin braids. Like many sending someone off to college, Senshay felt that mix of feelings; some “it’s a big change” sadness, along with a dose of happiness and pride. “She made it through,” Senshay says.

Senshay then walked through Little Village to Farragut Career Academy. It was the first week of her senior year. She thought she’d spend the next months stressing about getting in — and especially paying for — college.

That changed last week.

Current seniors at Farragut and four other Chicago publ

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