Saint Augustine College is an independent and the first-of-its-kind bilingual institution of higher education located in Chicago, Illinois. The only bilingual college in the Midwest, the school was founded in 1980 by the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago with the aim of making the American system of higher education available to a widely diverse student population with special focus on students of Hispanic descent. In addition, it is also the mission of the college to promote and strengthen ethnic identity, reinforce cultural interaction, and span cultural, educational and socio-economic gaps.
The bilingual setting for an institution of higher education is unique in Illinois and in the rest of the U.S. but was achieved as a result of the commendable efforts of the Spanish Episcopal Services, an educational agency created under the auspices of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago by Father Carlos A. Plazas, Ph.D. in 1970. This agency spent 10 years of community work, researching and observing the community to come up with the guidelines for a bilingual college – a dream that was realized in 1980.
Today, St. Augustine College has approximately 910 enrolled students taking up any of its 11 degree programs for its associate’s and bachelor’s levels. In addition to its main campus in Chicago, the college, which is named after educator and philosopher Bishop Augustine of Hippo, also maintains two satellite campuses.
Cost of tuition at Saint Augustine College is US$320 per semester credit hour plus mandatory fees that vary depending on the course enrolled in. To insure that students are able to pay for their cost of tuition and mandatory fees, the college extends financial aid in the form of federal grants, loans, scholarships and work-study programs.
For more information on admissions, college majors, degrees offered, online programs, athletics, school rankings, tuition, scholarships and financial aid options, please contact Saint Augustine College.