The case for free community college

March 3, 2020

On Tuesday, March 3, legislators have heard public testimony on two bills claiming to fund free community college for Connecticut students, but only one, HB 5353, will actually get us there.

To understand the gulf between the proposals before the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee is to know the affordability crisis that has plagued recent graduates across our state.

I wrote about HB 5353 and the push for free college in our state in The Hartford Courant this morning. You can read my take by clicking the link below.

Last year, my colleagues and I in the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee sought to address this crisis head-on and created the framework for free tuition for first-time, full-time community-technical college students. As our four-year public and private colleges and universities work to ensure that credits earned at community colleges can be transferred, our plan could cut the cost of a four-year degree in half. This initiative eventually became law through the passage of our biennial budget last summer; however, the integrity of this program is currently under threat.... Click here to read the full piece.