Making CT Affordable For College Grads

March 3, 2017

Representative Rojas, House chairman of the legislature’s Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, is urging passage of House Bill 5586, An Act Making Connecticut More Affordable For College Students.

The legislation establishes a tax credit against the personal income tax for recent graduates from an accredited institution of higher education with an associate, bachelor, master’s or doctoral degree who reside in the state of Connecticut within two years of graduation. They can claim this tax credit for 5 successive years.

“Having a highly educated work force is one of the state’s biggest assets in competing with other states for business growth and job creation. This legislation will help us keep our college graduates in Connecticut and give them a significant incentive to stay here and raise a family,” said Rojas (D-East Hartford, Manchester).

“I chose to attend school in Connecticut because I love it here and would like to be able to stay in the state after graduation,” said Chris Kantor, a student at Sacred Heart University. “This proposed tax credit would give me and a lot of my fellow classmates an added incentive and ability to work and live here affordably after college.”

“I have lived in Connecticut my whole life and would love to be able to begin my professional career here once I graduate from college,” said Nicholas Girard, a student at Yale University. “I would benefit greatly from a tax credit like the one proposed in this legislation. Having the extra income to help payoff student loans or to put away in savings would make a big difference.”

Rojas and his Democratic colleagues in the House of Representatives are also seeking to make Connecticut more affordable also for senior citizens. Legislation they have introduced would exempt Social Security benefits from the state income tax for seniors.

Watch this video of Rep. Rojas speaking at a press conference.