Zoey’s UIC story: Support from all angles

Zoey Zhang's voice cracks when she describes how anxious and lonely she felt during her first few weeks at the University of Illinois Chicago - a big difference from Richard J. Daley Community College, where she made friends and found her place quickly.

At first, she kept to herself.

Her advisor knew her reserved demeanor was due to more than the challenging pre-dental course weighing on the transfer student's mind and suggested she connect with a Peer Success Coach.

Something shifted when Zhang saw Aislinn Delgado's smiling face on the program's website. Delgado was a senior, an expert at navigating UIC and even on the same pre-dental track as Zhang. During their first meeting, Delgado eased Zhang's mind about the course and invited her to join the pre-dental club.

Finally, Zhang let her shoulders relax. No longer feeling alone, she was on her way to making UIC feel like home.

To attract and welcome transfer students with similar stories, the University of Illinois System works hard to ensure academic, financial and social support exists for any situation.

For Zhang and others, the support starts long before their first class.

Aspire grant's no-cost promise

Before Zhang started her journey, she and her parents knew they could rely on the financial support of UIC's new Aspire grant. Launched in fall 2025, Aspire offers eligible families with an annual income lower than $75,000 a life-changing opportunity: a degree for $0 in tuition and fees.

"Aspire allows me to focus on my studies instead of worrying about tuition," Zhang said. "It gives me more time and energy to devote to my education and prepare for my long-term goals."

For UIC's Kiely Fletcher, sharing the reality of Aspire means answering "yes" to one question - "Wait. I don't pay anything?" - over and over again.

"I love the 'aha' moment when I assure students and families there's no bill and no catch," the UIC vice provost of enrollment management said. "One of the best parts of my job is seeing people realize that the education they thought wasn't possible most certainly is."

So far, UIC has enrolled 3,589 inaugural Aspire recipients: 2,798 first-year students and 791 transfer students. While it may take time for new students to adjust, they're never alone - and their ranks are growing.

This academic year proves it. UIC first-year student enrollment increased by 22% while the number of transfer students increased by 15%. This growth extends across the system's three campuses, which saw a 9% increase in first-year students and a 10% increase in transfer students, pushing total enrollment past 100,000 for the first time.

To help all students thrive, UIC offers robust academic and social resources - including the Peer Success Coaching so crucial for Zhang.

Peer guidance that feels personal

Zhang found a good match in Delgado. She'd been in Zhang's shoes. She'd been the new student at a new school.

"Starting at UIC was a big transition because I went to a very small high school, less than 300 students," Delgado said. "At first, I didn't see any familiar faces. I felt pretty alone."

But soon, Delgado found her place. The Flames Leadership Network pairs first-year students with transition coaches who help students feel welcome and find their footing - navigating an urban campus, making social connections, accessing academic resources and developing good study habits.

As a sophomore, Delgado shifted into pay-it-forward mode as a Peer Success Coach, sharing still-fresh advice from her freshman year. Just ask James Lynn, executive director of UIC's Academic Center for Excellence, why peer coaching is so successful.

"The coaching is authentic because it's based on a peer's lived experience and recent perspective," Lynn said. "Students hear from someone who understands what it's like to find your place in a new setting, someone who's already worked through those challenges.

"It's clear the program is filling a need."

Transformation: Circles of support

While Delgado's support helped Zhang turn an important corner, the freshman's network outside UIC also helped her get where she is today. Making new friends. Tackling tough classes. Looking forward to dental school. And her family is there when she needs them.

"My family always supports me, especially when I'm stressed," Zhang said. "They give me suggestions from their experiences that make me think in other ways about the problems I'm facing."

She credits her Daley College connections - advisors and professors who helped her plan for her transfer and her career - and friends who encouraged her to join student government, develop leadership skills and meet more people.

"My Daley friends also helped me adapt when I started at UIC," Zhang said. "Through their encouragement, I was able to be more confident and more active in school activities, and most importantly, have a sense of belonging where I study."

The transfer path: A bridge to big dreams

For Zhang and many others, transfers turn hope into reality. Starting at a community college. Transferring seamlessly to a best-in-class U of I System university. Transforming careers and communities with degrees and the confidence to succeed.

Learn more about the transfer guarantee, which grants admission to our universities to eligible students from any community college or university in the country.

- Laura Mabry, University of Illinois System