Senate Passes Legislation Impacting Thousands of CT Students

Today, State Senator Derek Slap, Senate Chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee, led passage of Senate Bill 5 – An Act Concerning Higher Education Affordability and Accountability. This legislation is a top priority of the Senate Democrats and takes aim at college affordability by ensuring that the state’s Roberta B. Willis scholarship foundation which provides financial relief on a needs-basis for Connecticut students attending four-year colleges and universities in Connecticut, excluding community colleges, functions as intended. The legislation passed unanimously and now heads to the House.

Currently, Roberta B. Willis Scholarships are on average between $4,500 and $5,200. These scholarships are intended to help incentivize Connecticut’s students to stay in-state in their pursuit of higher education.

The program’s funding was supplemented by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars which have expired, and the Appropriations Committee budget included an additional $16.5 million to replenish expiring funds so that no students will lose funding.

A hallmark of the bill is the requirement for the Office of Higher Education to notify institutions by November 1 of each year of the amount of funds allocated to each institution for need-based grants for the following fiscal year. This means that institutions can notify students of their full aid package at the time of admission, which will help students weigh the benefits of enrolling in-state accurately.

With the future of federal funding for financial aid programs in question, this legislation seeks to invest in Connecticut students, schools and our workforce.

Currently, Connecticut’s investment into needs-based scholarships is among the lowest in the country. According to a NASSGAP survey, forty-three other states spend a greater percentage of state funding for higher education on student aid than Connecticut does. Connecticut also loses 40-percent of its young adults to colleges and universities in other states.

“The cost of higher education continues to grow, and our underfunded state scholarship program encourages students to seek education elsewhere,” said Senate President Martin Looney. “By investing in our students and giving them timely notice of the amount of their Roberta Willis grants, we are allowing Connecticut students to stay in this state to receive their education, enter the workforce, grow our economy and enjoy the high quality life we have built here in Connecticut.”

“Today we are taking a big step to make higher education more affordable for families,” said Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff. “In Connecticut, we know that a highly skilled workforce is the lifeblood of a strong economy. This legislation ensures not only that we are retaining talent, but that we are providing some relief to hardworking students and their families when it comes to the rising cost of higher education.”

“It is critical that we increase state support for the scholarship program and ensure high school seniors are notified of their award before they decide where to attend college,” said Sen. Derek Slap. “By passing this bill we increase the likelihood students can afford college – and can stay in Connecticut for their education.”

Over the last several years Democrat led legislation has expanded access to higher education through debt-free community college, Connecticut Automatic Admission Program (CAAP) and expanding access to lower interest CHESLA loans.