The Connecticut Board of Regents has approved the “Pledge to Advance Connecticut,” or PACT plan. It's the next step in making community college free for full-time students. Participants must be Connecticut high school graduates and full-time students attending college for the first time.
They must also fill out a FAFSA and accept all federal grants. The program is designed to help students bridge the gap by covering what federal aid can’t.
Bethel state Senator Will Haskell says it's true that nothing is free, this requires an investment by the state. But he says the investment will not only pay off for students, but Connecticut’s workforce. Haskell added that tuition costs will not be the thing that holds people back from earning a degree.
Lawmakers are expected to come up a funding source for the program during the next legislative session. The plan is to pay for the initial $6.5 million investment with funds from ILotto, a yet-to-be-launched program to purchase lottery tickets via cell phone.
Registration for the PACT program will begin in July.
Enrollment has gone down at 10 of Connecticut’s 12 community colleges as the high price of higher education has forced students to enter the workforce or leave the state. Early estimates suggest the PACT program will attract 1,000 additional students to Connecticut’s community colleges.
