Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) has announced that the Board of Regents for Higher Education is allocating $3 million in one-time funding to create the Pledge to Advance Connecticut (PACT), a program enabling free community college coursework for qualified students during the fall semester.
To qualify, students must either be a graduate of a public or private Connecticut high school ”“ GED and homeschooled students can also participate ”“ and be a first-time college attendee willing to attend community college on a full-time basis ”“ defined as 12 or more credits for the semester.
“With the economic effects of the pandemic lingering, the opportunity for individuals to access a community college education is more imperative than ever,” said David Levinson, CSCU interim president. “The Board of Regents”™ action today is an important, albeit temporary, step to get the tuition and fee-free community college program up and running for the fall semester.”
CSCU added that additional state funding would be required for PACT to be continued into the spring semester and beyond.
