Chicago Residency
You don't have to live in Chicago for your child to apply, participate in the selection process, or even be selected, but you have to provide proof of city of Chicago residency by July 1, in order to enroll for the next school year.
Primary Address
If your student does not currently attend a CPS school, you must indicate your child's "primary address,” defined as your child’s regular, fixed nighttime residence on your application. Current CPS students’ addresses will populate based on the primary residence listed on their student profile in Aspen.
- You cannot use the address of a property that you own or rent if your child does not sleep there at night.
- You must use your student’s primary address at the time of applying. You cannot apply using an address where you plan to live in the future, or after the GoCPS application deadline.
- If you move after you submit your GoCPS application, you must update this address BEFORE the GoCPS application deadline or your new address will not be used in the initial selection process.
- In joint custody cases, the primary address is where the child sleeps a majority of the time. If a child sleeps equally between two addresses, either but only one of the addresses may be used.
- A child cannot be considered for schools using more than one address or submit more than one GoCPS application. If GoCPS applications are submitted for the same child with multiple addresses, the first GoCPS application processed will be used for the selection process.
Changing Your Student’s Address
- If you are a current CPS or charter student, you will update your new address with your current school. Your school will update your new address in Aspen, and the new address will sync with the GoCPS application.
- If you are currently enrolled at a non-CPS school, please update the address directly in the application itself if the deadline has not passed. If the application deadline has passed, please contact OAE via phone or email to update your address.
If you change your address after the GoCPS application deadline, and your child accepts an offer where your address was a selection factor, you will be required to provide proof of both the address on the GoCPS application, and the new address, at the time of your child’s registration.
Non-Resident Tier Determination
If you don’t have a Chicago address at the time you apply, your tier will be determined based on the median family income of the census tract in which you reside at when you submit your GoCPS application. If you live outside of the United States, your designated tier will be Tier 4. Learn about Tiers.
Proof of Address
Students have to provide proof of address when they register for the school. If a student moved to a different address after they submitted their GoCPS application, they must provide proof of address for both the address on the GoCPS application and the new address. All offers are contingent upon this proof.