HAMDEN, Conn. — There is a statewide effort to lower costs for Connecticut college students and make higher education more affordable as enrollment rates nationwide drop.
At Southern Connecticut State University, about 43% of students are on what is called a federal Pell Grant to help pay for their degrees.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro said there's now more money for that grant with a new focus on lowering the cost of education for Connecticut families.
Across the state, 44,000 students receive federal Pell Grants for college costs.
A Pell Grant is awarded to undergraduate students who have exceptional financial needs and have not already earned any degrees. At Southern Connecticut State University, 53% of students that apply for the Pell Grant are accepted.
This year, there's more than $24 billion for federal student aid programs in the 2023 budget, an increase of $34 million.
This increases the Pell Grant by $500 this year per student, boosting the maximum aid per student up to around $7,400.
This is a way students can reach their academic goals more affordably.
"College always made my family nervous simply due to the financial liability," said one SCSU student.
"No student should feel as if they can’t try something new," said another student.
Across the country, college enrollment is down about 3.5%. DeLauro said student loan debt is a reason more students are opting out of class.
"Today, sadly, the average college senior graduates with nearly $30,000 in debt and the total student debt nationwide sits at $1.7 trillion and it is growing. That is unacceptable," said DeLauro.
This increase in federal funding comes as Connecticut State Colleges and Universities are also planning for more financial help for their students across 17 institutions by expanding money for their existing financial aid programs.
DeLauro is hopeful to keep increasing money for the Pell Grant to keep up with inflation and said she's hopeful several lawsuits blocking President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan will be dismissed.
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