Sec. 10a-168a. Minority teacher incentive program.
Sec. 10a-170w. Gear up for Connecticut futures account.
Sec. 10a-174. Debt-free community college program.
Sec. 10a-174d. Finish line scholars program.
Sec. 10a-168a. Minority teacher incentive program. (a) There is established a Connecticut minority teacher incentive program administered by the Office of Higher Education, of which the minority educator loan reimbursement grant program established pursuant to section 10a-168b shall be a component part.
(b) Within available appropriations, the program shall provide grants to minority students (1) in teacher education programs for their junior or senior year, or both such years, at any four-year institution of higher education, (2) completing the requirements of such a teacher education program as a graduate student, provided such student received a grant pursuant to this section for one year at the undergraduate level, or (3) enrolled in the alternate route to certification program administered through the Office of Higher Education or the Department of Education. No student shall receive a grant under the program for more than two years. Maximum grants shall not exceed five thousand dollars per year. The office shall ensure that at least ten per cent of the grant recipients are minority students who transfer from the Connecticut State Community College.
(c) The Office of Higher Education may accept gifts, grants and donations, from any source, public or private, for the Connecticut minority teacher incentive program.
(P.A. 98-168, S. 13, 26; 98-252, S. 65, 80; P.A. 00-220, S. 37, 43; P.A. 01-173, S. 37, 67; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 8, 54; P.A. 11-48, S. 268; 11-61, S. 109; P.A. 12-156, S. 56; P.A. 19-117, S. 263; P.A. 25-22, S. 101.)
History: P.A. 98-168 effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 98-252 removed the limitation on the program to students in “public” institutions of higher education, effective June 8, 1998; P.A. 00-220 amended Subsec. (b) to remove a cap on the number of students who may receive grants, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 01-173 amended Subsec. (e) to extend the use of funds to the fiscal years ending June 30, 2001, and June 30, 2002, and to reduce percentage from 5% to 2%, effective July 6, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 amended Subsec. (b) to designate portions of existing provisions as Subdivs. (1) and (3), to add Subdiv. (2) re graduate students and to make technical changes, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsecs. (a), (b) and (e) to replace “Department of Higher Education” and “department” with “Office of Financial and Academic Affairs for Higher Education” and “office”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-61 deleted former Subsec. (e) re use of up to 2% of appropriated funds for program administration, effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 12-156, “Office of Financial and Academic Affairs for Higher Education” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Office of Higher Education” in Subsecs. (a) and (b), effective June 15, 2012; P.A. 19-117 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “, of which the minority educator loan reimbursement grant program established pursuant to section 10a-168b shall be a component part”, amended Subsec. (b) by adding “or the Department of Education”, deleted former Subsecs. (c) and (d) re reimbursement of educational loans and combined dollar value of grants and loans, respectively, and added new Subsec. (c) re office may accept gifts, grants and donations for program, effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 25-22 replaced regional community-technical college with Connecticut State Community College in Subsec. (b), effective June 9, 2025.
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Sec. 10a-170w. Gear up for Connecticut futures account. (a) The Board of Regents for Higher Education may establish and administer an account to be known as the “gear up for Connecticut futures account”. The account shall be a separate and nonlapsing account. The account shall be used for scholarships pursuant to the federal GEAR UP program, 20 USC 1070a-21 et seq. The board may deposit state funds appropriated as a state match to the federally funded GEAR UP grant in the account.
(b) The Treasurer may invest in accordance with section 3-31a any moneys in the account not needed for current disbursement for scholarships. The interest derived from such investment shall be credited to the account.
(P.A. 02-88, S. 1; P.A. 11-48, S. 285; P.A. 25-110, S. 31.)
History: P.A. 02-88 effective July 1, 2002; pursuant to P.A. 11-48, “Board of Governors of Higher Education” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Board of Regents for Higher Education” in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 25-110 amended Subsec. (a) to delete reference to General Fund and make a technical change, effective July 1, 2025.
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Sec. 10a-173. *(See end of section for amended version and effective date.) Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program. (a) For the purposes of this section:
(1) “Family contribution” means the expected family contribution for educational costs as computed from a student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid;
(2) “Student aid index” means the index used to determine eligibility for financial aid as computed from a student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid;
(3) “Eligible student” means a student who is (A) a resident of the state, (B) enrolled at an institution of higher education in a course of study leading to such student's first associate or bachelor's degree, and (C) carrying, for a full-time student, twelve or more semester credit hours, or, for a part-time student, between six and eleven semester credit hours at such institution of higher education;
(4) “Independent institution of higher education” means a nonprofit institution established in this state (A) that has degree-granting authority in this state; (B) that has its main campus located in this state; (C) that is not included in the Connecticut system of public higher education; and (D) whose primary function is not the preparation of students for religious vocation;
(5) “Public institution of higher education” means the constituent units of the state system of higher education identified in subdivisions (1) and (2) of section 10a-1, except the Connecticut State Community College;
(6) “Eligible educational costs” means the tuition and required fees for an individual student that are published by each public or independent institution of higher education participating in the grant program established under this section, plus a fixed amount for required books and educational supplies as determined by the Office of Higher Education.
(b) The Office of Higher Education shall establish the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program to annually make need-based financial aid available for eligible educational costs to eligible students enrolled at Connecticut's public and independent institutions of higher education. Within available funds, the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program shall include a need and merit-based grant, a need-based grant and a Charter Oak grant. The need and merit-based grant shall be funded at not less than twenty per cent but not more than thirty per cent of available funds or ten million dollars, whichever is greater. The need-based grant shall be funded at up to eighty per cent of available funds. The Charter Oak grant shall be not less than one hundred thousand dollars of available funds. There shall be an administrative allowance based on one-quarter of one per cent of the available funds, but not less than one hundred thousand dollars annually. The Office of Higher Education shall disburse the funds appropriated or allocated for the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2024, and June 30, 2025, to make awards pursuant to subsection (c) of this section and allocate funds pursuant to subsections (d) and (f) of this section in accordance with a plan developed by the office, provided the office shall (1) disburse all funds allocated for the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program from the federal funds designated for the state pursuant to the provisions of Section 602 of Subtitle M of Title IX of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2, as amended from time to time, on or before December 31, 2024, and (2) in accordance with subsection (f) of section 4-89, reserve an amount of not more than fifteen million dollars from the amount appropriated for the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, for disbursement during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.
(c) The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship need and merit-based grant shall be available to any eligible student at any public or independent institution of higher education. The Office of Higher Education shall determine qualification for financial need based on family contribution prior to July 1, 2024, and, on and after July 1, 2024, based on student aid index and qualification for merit based on either previous high school academic achievement or performance on standardized academic aptitude tests. The Office of Higher Education shall make awards according to a sliding scale, annually determined by said office, up to a maximum family contribution or student aid index and based on available funds and the number of eligible students who qualify for an award. The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship need and merit-based grant shall be awarded in a higher amount than the need-based grant awarded pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, except for the academic year commencing July 1, 2024. Recipients of the need and merit-based grant shall not be eligible to receive an additional need-based award. The order of institutions of higher education provided by an eligible student on such student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid shall not affect the student's qualification for an award under this subsection. The institution of higher education in which an eligible student enrolls shall disburse sums awarded under the need and merit-based grant for payment of such student's eligible educational costs.
(d) The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship need-based grant shall be available to any eligible student at any public or independent institution of higher education. The amount of the annual funds to be allocated to each institution of higher education shall be determined by its actual full-time equivalent enrollment of eligible students with a family contribution or student aid index during the fall semester of the fiscal year two years prior to the grant year of an amount not greater than two hundred per cent of the maximum family contribution or student aid index eligible for a federal Pell grant award for the academic year one year prior to the grant year. Not later than July first, annually, each institution of higher education shall report such enrollment data to the Office of Higher Education. Not later than October first, annually, the Office of Higher Education shall (1) publish such enrollment data on its Internet web site, (2) notify each institution of higher education of the proportion of the annual funds that such institution of higher education will receive the following fiscal year, and (3) publish the proportions for each institution of higher education on its Internet web site. Not later than November first, annually, the Office of Higher Education shall notify each institution of higher education of the estimated amount of funds allocated to such institution for awards to eligible students during the following fiscal year. Participating institutions of higher education shall make awards (A) to eligible full-time students in an amount up to four thousand five hundred dollars, and (B) to eligible part-time students in an amount that is prorated according to the number of credits each student will earn for completing the course or courses in which such student is enrolled, such that a student enrolled in a course or courses earning (i) at least nine but less than twelve credits is eligible for up to seventy-five per cent of the maximum award, and (ii) at least six but less than nine credits is eligible for up to fifty per cent of the maximum award. Each participating institution of higher education shall expend all of the moneys received under the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program as direct financial assistance only for eligible educational costs.
(e) Participating institutions of higher education shall annually provide the Office of Higher Education with data and reports on all eligible students who applied for financial aid, including, but not limited to, students receiving a Roberta B. Willis Scholarship grant, in a form and at a time determined by said office. If an institution of higher education fails to submit information to the Office of Higher Education as directed, such institution shall be prohibited from participating in the scholarship program in the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which such institution failed to submit such information. Each participating institution of higher education shall maintain, for a period of not less than three years, records substantiating the reported number of eligible students and documentation utilized by the institution of higher education in determining qualification of the student grant recipients. Such records shall be subject to audit or review. For the academic year commencing July 1, 2024, the Office of Higher Education shall (1) not require participating institutions of higher education to reduce the amount of a need-based grant awarded to an eligible student based on the initial qualifications determined from such student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid, even if the United States Department of Education subsequently revises such qualifications, and (2) deem a participating institution of higher education to be in compliance with this section if such initial qualifications qualified an eligible student for the need-based grant that such student was awarded. Funds not obligated by an institution of higher education shall be returned by May first in the fiscal year the grant was made to the Office of Higher Education for reallocation. Financial aid provided to eligible students under this program shall be designated as a grant from the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program.
(f) The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship Charter Oak grant shall be available to any eligible student enrolled in Charter Oak State College. The Office of Higher Education shall allocate any funds to Charter Oak State College to be used to provide grants for eligible educational costs to eligible students who demonstrate substantial financial need and who are matriculated in a degree program at Charter Oak State College. Individual awards shall not exceed a student's calculated eligible educational costs. Financial aid provided to eligible students under this program shall be designated as a grant from the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program.
(g) In administering the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program, the Office of Higher Education shall develop and utilize fiscal procedures designed to ensure accountability of the public funds expended. Such procedures shall include provisions for compliance reviews that shall be conducted by the Office of Higher Education on any institution of higher education that participates in the program. Commencing with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, and biennially thereafter, each such institution of higher education shall submit the results of an audit done by an independent certified public accountant for each year of participation in the program. Any institution of higher education determined by the Office of Higher Education not to be in substantial compliance with the provisions of the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program shall be ineligible to receive funds under the program for the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the institution of higher education was determined not to be in substantial compliance. Funding shall be restored when the Office of Higher Education determines that the institution of higher education has returned to substantial compliance.
(P.A. 13-247, S. 182; P.A. 16-15, S. 1; 16-179, S. 1; P.A. 18-103, S. 5; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 198; P.A. 23-208, S. 11; P.A. 24-81, S. 50, 53; P.A. 25-22, S. 102; 25-168, S. 262.)
*Note: On and after July 1, 2026, this section, as amended by section 263 of public act 25-168, is to read as follows:
“Sec. 10a-173. Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program. (a) For the purposes of this section:
(1) “Student aid index” means the index used to determine eligibility for financial aid as computed from a student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid;
(2) “Eligible student” means a student who is (A) a resident of the state, (B) enrolled at an institution of higher education in a course of study leading to such student's first associate or bachelor's degree, and (C) carrying, for a full-time student, twelve or more semester credit hours, or, for a part-time student, between six and eleven semester credit hours at such institution of higher education;
(3) “Independent institution of higher education” means a nonprofit institution established in this state (A) that has degree-granting authority in this state; (B) that has its main campus located in this state; (C) that is not included in the Connecticut system of public higher education; and (D) whose primary function is not the preparation of students for religious vocation;
(4) “Public institution of higher education” means the constituent units of the state system of higher education identified in subdivisions (1) and (2) of section 10a-1, except the Connecticut State Community College; and
(5) “Eligible educational costs” means the tuition and required fees for an individual student that are published by each public or independent institution of higher education participating in the scholarship program established under this section, plus a fixed amount for required books and educational supplies as determined by the Office of Higher Education.
(b) The Office of Higher Education shall establish the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program to annually make need-based financial aid available for eligible educational costs to eligible students enrolled at Connecticut's public and independent institutions of higher education. Within available funds, the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program shall include a need and merit-based grant and a need-based grant. The need and merit-based grant shall be funded at not less than twenty per cent but not more than thirty per cent of available funds or ten million dollars, whichever is greater. The need-based grant shall be funded at up to eighty per cent of available funds. The Charter Oak grant shall be not less than one hundred thousand dollars of available funds. There shall be an administrative allowance based on one-quarter of one per cent of the available funds, but not less than one hundred thousand dollars annually.
(c) The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship need and merit-based grant shall be available to any eligible student at any public or independent institution of higher education. The Office of Higher Education shall determine qualification for financial need based on family contribution prior to July 1, 2024, and, on and after July 1, 2024, based on student aid index and qualification for merit based on either previous high school academic achievement or performance on standardized academic aptitude tests. The Office of Higher Education shall make awards according to a sliding scale, annually determined by said office, up to a maximum family contribution or student aid index and based on available funds and the number of eligible students who qualify for an award. The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship need and merit-based grant shall be awarded in a higher amount than the need-based grant awarded pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, except for the academic year commencing July 1, 2024. Recipients of the need and merit-based grant shall not be eligible to receive an additional need-based award. The order of institutions of higher education provided by an eligible student on such student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid shall not affect the student's qualification for an award under this subsection. The institution of higher education in which an eligible student enrolls shall disburse sums awarded under the need and merit-based grant for payment of such student's eligible educational costs.
(d) The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship need-based grant shall be available to any eligible student at any public or independent institution of higher education. The amount of the annual funds to be allocated to each institution of higher education shall be determined by its actual full-time equivalent enrollment of eligible students with a student aid index during the fall semester of the fiscal year two years prior to the grant year of an amount not greater than two hundred per cent of the maximum student aid index eligible for a federal Pell grant award for the academic year one year prior to the grant year. Not later than July first, annually, each institution of higher education shall report such enrollment data to the Office of Higher Education. Not later than October first, annually, the Office of Higher Education shall (1) publish such enrollment data on its Internet web site, (2) notify each institution of higher education of the proportion of the annual funds that such institution of higher education will receive the following fiscal year, and (3) publish the proportions for each institution of higher education on its Internet web site. Not later than November first, annually, the Office of Higher Education shall notify each institution of higher education of the estimated amount of funds allocated to such institution for awards to eligible students during the following fiscal year. Participating institutions of higher education shall make awards (A) to eligible full-time students in an amount up to four thousand five hundred dollars, and (B) to eligible part-time students in an amount that is prorated according to the number of credits each student will earn for completing the course or courses in which such student is enrolled, such that a student enrolled in a course or courses earning (i) at least nine but less than twelve credits is eligible for up to seventy-five per cent of the maximum award, and (ii) at least six but less than nine credits is eligible for up to fifty per cent of the maximum award. Each participating institution of higher education shall expend all of the moneys received under the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program as direct financial assistance only for eligible educational costs.
(e) Participating institutions of higher education shall annually provide the Office of Higher Education with data and reports on all eligible students who applied for financial aid, including, but not limited to, students receiving a Roberta B. Willis Scholarship grant, in a form and at a time determined by said office. If an institution of higher education fails to submit information to the Office of Higher Education as directed, such institution shall be prohibited from participating in the scholarship program in the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which such institution failed to submit such information. Each participating institution of higher education shall maintain, for a period of not less than three years, records substantiating the reported number of eligible students and documentation utilized by the institution of higher education in determining qualification of the student grant recipients. Such records shall be subject to audit or review. Funds not obligated by an institution of higher education shall be returned by May first in the fiscal year the grant was made to the Office of Higher Education for reallocation. Financial aid provided to eligible students under this program shall be designated as a grant from the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program.
(f) In administering the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program, the Office of Higher Education shall develop and utilize fiscal procedures designed to ensure accountability of the public funds expended. Such procedures shall include provisions for compliance reviews that shall be conducted by the Office of Higher Education on any institution of higher education that participates in the program. Commencing with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, and biennially thereafter, each such institution of higher education shall submit the results of an audit done by an independent certified public accountant for each year of participation in the program. Any institution of higher education determined by the Office of Higher Education not to be in substantial compliance with the provisions of the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program shall be ineligible to receive funds under the program for the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the institution of higher education was determined not to be in substantial compliance. Funding shall be restored when the Office of Higher Education determines that the institution of higher education has returned to substantial compliance.”
(P.A. 13-247, S. 182; P.A. 16-15, S. 1; 16-179, S. 1; P.A. 18-103, S. 5; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 198; P.A. 23-208, S. 11; P.A. 24-81, S. 50, 53; P.A. 25-22, S. 102; 25-168, S. 262, 263.)
History: P.A. 13-247 effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 16-15 amended Subsecs. (a)(2) and (h) by replacing “bachelor” with “bachelor's”, effective May 6, 2016; P.A. 16-179 renamed “Governor's Scholarship program” as “Roberta B. Willis Scholarship program”, amended Subsec. (c) by deleting reference to performance incentive pool, adding provision re need and merit-based grant funded at not more than 30 per cent of available appropriations, deleting provision re minimum allocation of annual appropriation to independent institutions of higher education for fiscal years ending June 30, 2014, and June 30, 2015, and adding provision re additional allocation to regional community-technical colleges, amended Subsec. (d) by adding provision re order of institutions provided by student on Free Application for Federal Student Aid not affecting eligibility for award, amended Subsec. (e) by deleting provisions re eligibility based on family contribution, adding provisions re determination of annual appropriation amount allocated to each institution based on enrollment of certain undergraduate students with family contribution, adding provisions re report and publishing of enrollment data and notice and publishing of proportion of annual appropriation each institution will receive, deleting provision re participating institutions making awards and adding provision re same, and deleting provision re expending moneys based on sliding scale and maximum award amounts determined by Office of Higher Education, amended Subsec. (f) by adding “or review” and replacing “February fifteenth” with “May first”, deleted former Subsec. (h) re incentive pool, redesignated existing Subsec. (i) re administering program as Subsec. (h) and amended same by replacing “audits” with “reviews”, and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 18-103 amended Subsec. (a)(4) to replace reference to Sec. 10a-1(1) to (4) with reference to Sec. 10a-1(1) and (2), effective July 1, 2018; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (c) by allowing $350,000 administrative allowance for fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 23-208 amended Subsec. (a) by defining “student aid index” in new Subdiv. (2), redesignating existing Subdivs. (2) to (5) as Subdivs. (3) to (6), redefining “full-time or part-time undergraduate student” and changing the term to “eligible student” in Subdiv. (3) and redefining “public institution of higher education” in Subdiv. (5) and “eligible educational costs” in Subdiv. (6), removed references to the Governor's Scholarship program and prior award programs and made technical changes in Subsec. (b), amended former Subsec. (c) by adding the provisions to Subsec. (b), changing “appropriations” to “funds”, adding $10,000,000 as a cap for the need and merit-based grant, deleting Subdivs. (1) and (2) re administrative allowance amounts during prior fiscal years, removing 2.5 per cent additional allowance for regional community-technical colleges and requiring all appropriated and allocated funds be used for academic years commencing in 2023 and 2024 and use of all ARPA funds by December 31, 2024, redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) to (h) as Subsecs. (c) to (g), designated existing provisions in Subsec. (d) re publishing online proportions received by each institution of higher education as Subdiv. (3) and changed “eligibility” to “qualification”, added references to eligible student and student aid index and made technical changes throughout, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 24-81 amended Subsec. (b) by including fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, replacing “for the academic years commencing July 1, 2023, and July 1 2024” with “in accordance with a plan developed by the office”, designating existing provisions re disbursement of American Rescue Plan Act funds as Subdiv. (1), adding Subdiv. (2) re reservation of $15,000,000, and making technical changes, effective May 30, 2024, and amended Subsec. (c) by adding “, except for the academic year commencing July 1, 2024” and amended Subsec. (e) by adding Subdiv. (1) re not reducing need-based grant award to eligible students and Subdiv. (2) re deeming participating institutions in compliance with section, effective July 1, 2024; P.A. 25-22 replaced reference to regional community-technical colleges with Connecticut State Community College in Subsec. (a)(5), effective June 9, 2025; P.A. 25-168 added provision re notification of estimated amount not later than November 1 in Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 2025, amended Subsec. (a) by deleting the definition for “family contribution”, redesignating existing Subdivs. (2) to (6) as Subdivs. (1) to (5) and replacing “grant” with “scholarship” in redesignated Subdiv. (5), amended Subsec. (b) by deleting reference to the Charter Oak grant and provisions re disbursement of funds for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2024, and June 30, 2025, amended Subsec. (d) by deleting references to family contribution and adding provision re notification of estimated amount not later than November 1, deleted provisions re qualifications during academic year commencing July 1, 2024, in Subsec. (e), deleted former Subsec. (f) re the Charter Oak grant and redesignated existing Subsec. (g) as Subsec. (f), effective July 1, 2026.
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Sec. 10a-174. Debt-free community college program. (a) As used in this section:
(1) “Award” means the greater of: (A) The unpaid portion, if any, of a qualifying student's eligible institutional costs after subtracting his or her financial aid, or (B) a minimum award of five hundred dollars for a full-time student or three hundred dollars for a part-time student;
(2) “Eligible institutional costs” means the tuition and required fees incurred each semester by an individual student that are established by the Board of Regents for Higher Education for the Connecticut State Community College;
(3) “Financial aid” means the sum of all scholarships, grants and federal, state and institutional aid received by a qualifying student. “Financial aid” does not include any federal, state or private student loans received by a qualifying student;
(4) “Qualifying student” means any person who (A) graduated from a public or nonpublic high school, (B) enrolls as a full-time or part-time student for the fall semester of 2020, or any semester thereafter, at the Connecticut State Community College in a program leading to a degree or certificate, (C) is classified as an in-state student pursuant to section 10a-29, (D) is making satisfactory academic progress while enrolled at the Connecticut State Community College, (E) has completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and (F) has accepted all available financial aid or is a transition program student;
(5) “Full-time student” means a student who is enrolled at the Connecticut State Community College and (A) is carrying twelve or more credit hours in a semester, or (B) has a learning disability documented with the Connecticut State Community College in which he or she is enrolled and is enrolled in the maximum number of credit hours that is feasible for such student to attempt in a semester, as determined by such student's academic advisor;
(6) “Semester” means the fall or spring semester of an academic year. “Semester” does not include a summer semester or session;
(7) “Part-time student” means a student who is enrolled at the Connecticut State Community College and is carrying not less than six but fewer than twelve credit hours in a semester; and
(8) “Transition program student” means any person who (A) is a resident of this state, (B) has not graduated from high school, (C) is enrolled in a transition program pursuant to such person's individualized education program, and (D) enrolls in one or more courses at the Connecticut State Community College.
(b) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall (1) establish a debt-free community college program to make awards to qualifying students each semester, (2) adopt rules, procedures and forms necessary to implement the debt-free community college program, and (3) submit a report outlining such rules, procedures and forms, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education. Awards made to qualifying students pursuant to the debt-free community college program shall be designated as the “Mary Ann Handley Award”.
(c) For the fall semester of 2020, and each semester thereafter, the Board of Regents for Higher Education shall make awards to qualifying students within available appropriations. An award shall be available to a qualifying student for the first seventy-two credit hours earned by the qualifying student at the Connecticut State Community College, provided the qualifying student meets and continues to meet the requirements of this section. The board shall not use an award to supplant any financial aid, including, but not limited to, state or institutional aid, otherwise available to a qualifying student.
(d) Not later than November 1, 2024, and March 1, 2025, and each semester thereafter, the Board of Regents for Higher Education shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education and employment advancement and appropriations and the budgets of the state agencies regarding the debt-free community college program, including, but not limited to, (1) the number of qualifying students enrolled at the Connecticut State Community College during each semester, (2) the number of qualifying students receiving minimum awards and the number of qualifying students receiving awards for the unpaid portion of eligible institutional costs, (3) the average number of credit hours the qualifying students enrolled in each semester and the average number of credit hours the qualifying students completed each semester, (4) the average amount of the award made to qualifying students under this section for the unpaid portion of eligible institutional costs, and (5) the completion rates of qualifying students receiving awards under this section by degree or certificate program.
(P.A. 19-117, S. 362; P.A. 22-118, S. 119; P.A. 23-141, S. 1; 23-204, S. 134; P.A. 24-81, S. 75; P.A. 25-22, S. 103.)
History: P.A. 19-117 effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 22-118 redefined “award” in Subdiv. (1), “qualifying student” in Subdiv. (4), added Subdiv. (7) defining “part-time student”, amended Subsec. (c) to change 36 months to 48 months, amended Subsec. (d)(1) by removing “full-time” and designating existing provisions re continuing to meet the requirements of the section and total leaves of absence not exceeding 6 months as Subparas. (A) and (B), amended Subsec. (d)(2) by removing “full-time” and amended Subsec. (e) by adding “and the budgets of the state agencies”, effective July 1, 2022; P.A. 23-141 amended Subsec. (e) by replacing “March 1, 2021, and October 1, 2021” with “November 1, 2023, and March 1, 2024”, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 23-204 redefined “qualifying student” in Subsec. (a)(4), deleted “Not later than January 1, 2020, the” in Subsec. (b), “during the first forty-eight months that such student is enrolled” in Subsec. (c) and former Subsec. (d) re students taking a medical or personal leave of absence or being called to active duty and redesignated existing Subsec. (e) as Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 2024; P.A. 24-81 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by replacing $250 with $500 and $150 with $300 for minimum awards for full-time and part-time students, respectively, amended Subsec. (a)(4) by deleting “in the state” in Subpara. (A) and adding “or is a transition program student” in Subpara. (F), added Subsec. (a)(8) defining “transition program student”, amended Subsec. (b) by requiring awards to be designated as the “Mary Ann Handley Award” and amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “March 1, 2021, and October 1, 2021” with “November 1, 2024, and March 1, 2025”, effective July 1, 2024; P.A. 25-22 replaced references to regional community-technical college with Connecticut State Community College throughout, effective June 9, 2025.
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Sec. 10a-174d. Finish line scholars program. (a) As used in this section:
(1) “Award” means the greater of: (A) The unpaid portion, if any, of a qualifying student's eligible institutional costs after subtracting such student's financial aid, or (B) a minimum award of five hundred dollars for a full-time student or three hundred dollars for a part-time student;
(2) “Eligible institutional costs” means the tuition and required fees incurred each semester by an individual student that are established by the Board of Regents for Higher Education for the Connecticut State University System and Charter Oak State College;
(3) “Financial aid” means the sum of all scholarships, grants and federal, state and institutional aid received by a qualifying student. “Financial aid” does not include any federal, state or private student loans received by a qualifying student;
(4) “Qualifying student” means any person who (A) participated in the debt-free community college program, established pursuant to section 10a-174, and completed not fewer than sixty credits through said program at the Connecticut State Community College, (B) enrolls as a full-time or part-time student for the fall semester of 2026, or any semester thereafter, at a state university within the Connecticut State University System or Charter Oak State College in a program leading to a bachelor's degree, (C) is classified as an in-state student pursuant to section 10a-29, (D) made satisfactory academic progress while enrolled at the Connecticut State Community College and continues to make satisfactory academic progress while enrolled at such state university or Charter Oak State College, (E) has completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and (F) has accepted all available financial aid;
(5) “Full-time student” means a student who is enrolled at a state university within the Connecticut State University System or Charter Oak State College and (A) is carrying twelve or more credit hours in a semester, or (B) has a learning disability documented with such university in which he or she is enrolled and is enrolled in the maximum number of credit hours that is feasible for such student to attempt in a semester, as determined by such student's academic advisor;
(6) “Semester” means the fall or spring semester of an academic year. “Semester” does not include a summer semester or session; and
(7) “Part-time student” means a student who is enrolled at a state university within the Connecticut State University System or Charter Oak State College and is carrying not less than six but fewer than twelve credit hours in a semester.
(b) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall (1) establish a finish line scholars program to make awards to qualifying students each semester, (2) adopt rules, procedures and forms necessary to implement the finish line scholars program, and (3) submit a report outlining such rules, procedures and forms, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education.
(c) For the fall semester of 2026, and each semester thereafter, the Board of Regents for Higher Education shall make awards to qualifying students within available appropriations. An award shall be available to a qualifying student for the first seventy-two credit hours earned by the qualifying student at a state university within the Connecticut State University System or Charter Oak State College, as applicable, or until such qualifying student earns a bachelor's degree, whichever is earlier, provided the qualifying student meets and continues to meet the requirements of this section. The board shall not use an award to supplant any financial aid, including, but not limited to, state or institutional aid, otherwise available to a qualifying student.
(d) Not later than November 1, 2026, and March 1, 2027, and each semester thereafter, the Board of Regents for Higher Education shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education and employment advancement and appropriations and the budgets of the state agencies regarding the finish line scholars program, including, but not limited to, (1) the number of qualifying students enrolled at a state university within the Connecticut State University System and Charter Oak State College during each semester, (2) the number of qualifying students receiving minimum awards and the number of qualifying students receiving awards for the unpaid portion of eligible institutional costs, (3) the average number of credit hours the qualifying students enrolled in each semester and the average number of credit hours the qualifying students completed each semester, (4) the average amount of the award made to qualifying students under this section for the unpaid portion of eligible institutional costs, and (5) the degree completion rates of qualifying students receiving awards under this section by subject area.
(P.A. 25-168, S. 69.)
History: P.A. 25-168 effective July 1, 2025.
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