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The legislative session is officially underway, and committees have begun holding meetings and public hearings. In this week's email, you can learn about the 2026 Connecticut Student Loan Reimbursement Program, find information on an opportunity for students from Chime Scholars Foundation, and more. If you have any questions, concerns, or if my office can be of assistance to you, please call my office at any time or email me at kaitlyn.shake@cga.ct.gov.
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| Higher Education and Employment Advancement Public Hearing for Graduate Student Loans |
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ATTENTION: Nurses, Teachers, Social Workers, Counselors, Physical Therapists, Public Health Workers, and any other profession that was excluded from qualifying for Federal Graduate Student Loans via the Federal Department of Education proposal. The Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee is proposing a solution with S.B. 8, which includes expanding and increasing our state's investment in the CHESLA program. Since the announcement from the federal Department of Education was made about changes to professional degrees, I have been advocating and working on ways we can take action at the state level, including with S.B. 8. This is your opportunity to make your voice heard and participate directly in the legislative process.
The Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, February 17, at 12:30 P.M. in Room 1E of the LOB and on Zoom. The public hearing can be viewed via YouTube Live and will be broadcast live on CT-N.com.Individuals who wish to testify must register using the Online Testimony Registration Form. The registration form must contain the name of the person who will be testifying. A unique email address must be provided for each person registered to speak. Registration will close on Monday, February 16, at 3:00 P.M. Speaker order of approved registrants will be listed in a randomized order and posted on the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee website on Monday, February 16, at 6:00 P.M. under Public Hearing Testimony.
Here is the link to view the Agenda:
Here is the link to sign up to submit your testimony and sign up to testify:
https://www.cga.ct.gov/aspx/CGATestimonySub/CGAtestimonysubmission.aspx?comm_code=HED
"As a Nurse, and product of public education and graduate of higher education institutions and legislator, I still believe everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue the education that they want and ability to achieve economic stability for themselves and for their families.
Where the federal DOE fails, our state can and should continue to support aspiring professionals that require advanced higher education degrees.
Here in Connecticut, we refuse to stand by and watch people's dreams crumble. Investing and expanding CHESLA creates a pathway towards protecting student’s graduate professional pursuits, their long-term economic security and Connecticut’s workforce."
- Rep. Kaitlyn Shake
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| Severe Cold Weather Protocol Extended |
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The governor has extended the state's Severe Cold Weather Protocol again, through Sunday, February 15th at noon, marking the longest activation of this protocol in more than a decade.
Forecasts now show that bitterly cold weather will persist even longer than expected, with well below normal temperatures continuing into the middle of next week. Overnight lows over the next 10 days are projected to fall into the single digits, with several nights dipping below zero.
Anyone in need of shelter or a warming center is urged to visit 211ct.org or call 2-1-1 to find available locations. Transportation can be provided if necessary.
Click HERE to learn more.
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| This Week in Committee Meetings |
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Committee have begun meetings and public hearings for the 2026 Legislative Session. This week, I was in meetings on Tuesday, 02/10, for all three of my committees.
First up, I had a Labor and Public Employee Committee meeting in the morning to discuss different concepts and vote on a few bills. Some of the concepts we discussed included recruitment and retention, increased support for volunteer fire departments, staffing issues, and workforce development. Our committee will work on developing these concepts into proposed bills that we will debate over the next few months.
In the afternoon, the Public Safety and Security Committee held a meeting to outline and discuss our concepts for the session. This session, our committee will continue to debate and discuss recruitment and retention in public safety career fields. During our next meeting, we will have the final round of raising concepts for this session.
Later in the day, the Human Services Committee held its first committee meeting of the legislative session. We first voted to draft a proposed bill concerning healthcare affordability in Connecticut. During our meeting, we also raised numerous concepts we hope to address this session. |
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| Connecticut Student Loan Reimbursement Program Reopens |
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Governor Ned Lamont announced that the Connecticut Student Loan Reimbursement Program has opened a new grant round and is now accepting applications for student loan payments that were made during the 2025 calendar year.
Since launching its first grant round in January 2025, the program has awarded more than $2.2 million in reimbursements to borrowers statewide.
Eligible applicants can apply for reimbursement grants of up to $5,000 per year, with a maximum reimbursement of $20,000 over four years. Under the program, a new grant round launches each year, providing reimbursements for payments made during the preceding calendar year.
Eligible applicants may qualify if they:
- Are Connecticut residents and meet program residency requirements
- Made qualifying student loan payments during the 2025 calendar year
- Earned a degree from a Connecticut institution of higher education or completed a state-approved program required for professional licensure or certification
- Meet income limits of $125,000 for single filers or $175,000 for married filers
- Completed required community service or qualify for a hardship waiver in certain circumstances
Applications must be submitted online through the CT Scholars portal, where applicants need to complete an application and upload required documentation. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis through December 2026 or until funds are exhausted.
Click here for application instructions. Questions regarding the program and the application process can be directed to OHE.SLRP@ct.gov.
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| Chime Scholars Foundation Scholarship Opportunity |
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Chime Scholars Foundation (CSF) has opened applications for the 2026-2027 academic year. Aspiring scholars can apply for scholarships of up to $20,000 to support their education, paving the way for greater career opportunities and higher earnings. The scholarship program is open to students of all backgrounds and stages of life, and it supports a wide range of educational pathways, including traditional college degrees, apprenticeships, trade schools, and technical certifications.
Since 2022, CSF has provided $7 million in scholarship funding to over 1,000 students nationwide. Just last year, CSF awarded more than $3 million in scholarships to 800 students for the 2025-2026 academic year. CSF helps unlock educational opportunities for students across communities.
Applications for the CSF scholarship program are open through March 31. For more information and to apply, visit the Chime Scholars Foundation website. |
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Access Health CT Special Enrollment
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Access Health CT will offer a Special Enrollment Period for eligible customers to enroll in health coverage with the new state subsidy, starting Feb. 1st. The Special Enrollment Period end date will be determined.
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Customers who qualify for this Special Enrollment Period include:
- Households with an annual income between 100% and 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), who are not already enrolled in the Covered CT Program. These customers will receive a state subsidy to replace 100% of the expired federal enhanced premium tax credit amounts.
- Households with an annual income over 400% and up to 500% FPL. These customers will receive a state subsidy to replace 50% of the expired federal enhanced premium tax credit amounts.
Eligible customers who have already enrolled or plan to enroll in a 2026 health plan will see a credit applied to their carrier bill.
It’s important to note that while customers will not see the state subsidy amount in AHCT’s online system until all updates have been made in the coming weeks, all eligible customers will soon receive a notice in the mail from AHCT with the amount of their state subsidy.
Insurance companies will send consumers updated premium bills with the credit for the state subsidy amount. This manual process will begin soon, in advance of the system updates to be implemented in the coming weeks.
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The Connecticut Office of the Treasurer recently announced the enactment of the ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Age Adjustment Act, and expanded eligibility for an ABLE savings account. Now, Connecticut residents whose qualifying disability began before age 46 are eligible to open an ABLE account. An ABLE account is a tax-advantaged investment account that people with disabilities can use to build savings, which later can be accessed help cover expenses related to living with a disability. Money in an ABLE account does not affect eligibility for critical benefits like Medicaid and SSI.
Click here to learn more and open an account. |
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| Stratford Community Updates |
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| View the calendar below for the weekly Stratford Eats schedule of community meals, food pantries, and other food resources in the Stratford community. |
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The Stratford Library is bringing She Thrives presented by Live Girl to the community. SHE THRIVES supports high school girls as they explore their identity, build confidence, and strengthen leadership and social-emotional skills. Through group mentoring and supportive conversations, participants develop resilience, meaningful connections, and the tools to thrive in school, relationships, and future opportunities. If you have or are a high school young lady interested in joining this 10 week program starting February 10th click the link below to register.
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| Stratford Community Services is offering a Leaders in Training Spring Cohort. This program is a hands-on opportunity for Stratford youth ages 13–18 to build real-world skills, give back to the community, and grow their confidence along the way. |
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| Stratford PAL is hosting a family open skate with Stratford Police Officers and PAL Hockey program coaches on February 15th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:20 p.m. at Sports Center of CT, Shelton Rinks. |
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| The Alliance for Community Engagement will hold a recruitment event for early learning professionals on February 18th from 1 to 4 p.m. at their office at 1070 Park Ave in Bridgeport. Visit alliancect.org/event/alliance-recruitment-event/ for more information. |
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| The Mayor's Ball for All will take place on February 28th, from 1 to 5 p.m. at The Baldwin Center. This is an inaugural community celebration to bring community members together to celebrate new beginnings. This is a free event, open to all members of the Stratford community. |
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Yours in service,
Kaitlyn Shake
State Representative |
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