Rose Supporting Tuition Assistance Bill

MILFORD, CT - From The Connecticut House Democrats: State Representative Kim Rose (D-Milford) joined colleagues to roll out House Bill #5371, An Act Establishing The Free 2 Start Scholarship Program And The Free 2 Finish Scholarship Program which promises state aid to help qualified Connecticut students start and complete their college careers at community colleges and state universities, thereby improving college graduation rates and preparing our state workforce for the thousands of new jobs needed in the near future.

If approved, the scholarship would take effect in the fall of 2019, and Connecticut would become one of several states in America – following recent efforts in New York, Rhode Island, and others – to provide a state-sponsored higher education scholarship for qualified students.

“One of main hindrances for students attempting to seek a degree is the prohibitive cost and subsequent debt they are left with when they finish their studies,” Rep. Rose said. “This bill will help employed graduates to contribute to the economy by alleviating their monthly outlays.”

Similar to New York State’s “Excelsior Scholarship Program” and Rhode Island’s “RI Promise,” Connecticut’s ‘Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish’ college scholarship program is a so-called “last dollar” program which does not supplant existing institutional awards or other aid, it simply fills in the missing funding gaps.

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, from 2009-2015, 74% of Connecticut students completed their four-year public college degree within six years (the fifth-best completion rate in the country), but only 34% of students completed their 2-year community college degree within six years – placing Connecticut 33rd out of 50 states.

The ‘Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish’ program has two main components:

Free 2 Start

• State aid for tuition and required fees for the first two academic years at a regional community-technical college
• Must be a full-time undergraduate student (30 or more semester credit hours in an academic year) in good academic standing
• Must meet specific annual family income guidelines (i.e. $48,060 for a family of two, $60,480 for a family of three, $72,900 for a family of four)
• Must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and accept all financial aid (including scholarships, grants, waivers and institutional aid)
• State provides a minimum benefit of $1,000 per year.

Free 2 Finish

• State aid for tuition and required fees to complete an associate’s or bachelor’s degree at a Connecticut public university
• Eligible students must have graduated from a Connecticut high school
• Like Free 2 Start, must be a full-time undergraduate student in good academic standing
• Like Free 2 Start, must meet specific annual family income guidelines
• Like Free 2 Start, must complete the FAFSA form and accept all financial aid
• Like Free 2 Start, state provides a minimum benefit of $1,000 per year
• Students must participate in a volunteer-based mentorship and counseling program

“I am looking forward to working this session to move this bill forward and hope that it gains the support to pass,” Rep. Rose added. “This would be a great investment in Connecticut’s future.”

Rep. Rose is co-chair of the Women’s Caucus, House vice chair of the legislature’s Housing Committee, Assistant Majority Whip and a member of the Internship and Veterans Affairs Committees.

Photo courtesy of Connecticut House of Democrats