Community colleges offer great opportunities for students to continue their education after high school for a lower cost. In 2019, Connecticut established the Pledge to Advance Connecticut (PACT) to provide free tuition for students attending twelve different community colleges from the CT State Community College program. The list includes the Asnuntuck, Capital, Gateway, Housatonic, Manchester, Middlesex, Naugatuck Valley, Northwestern, Norwalk, Quinebaug, Three Rivers, and Tunxis campuses. PACT covers the tuition gap after students receive scholarships and financial aid. To qualify, students must take at least 12 credits per semester and be a full time student. Students must also be a first time college student, high school graduate (GED and homeschooled students qualify), complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and enroll in classes. To continue to receive aid, students must maintain good academic standing while attending school.
Senior Gabbie Franco who is graduating early is planning on attending community college next fall. Gabbie is going to be a full time student and will receive money from the PACT program. She wanted to attend community college because she wants to save money. Since she is graduating early, Gabbie doesn’t have all the credits required by four-year colleges, so community college will give her the required courses. Gabbie is planning on attending Gateway in New Haven, CT and is going to study psychology. Guidance secretary Karyn O’Beirn said, “It is a great alternative to other more expensive traditional courses. I think it is a great way to get general requirements without breaking the bank. “The CT State Community College program offers over 300 programs and has 18 total locations. Their mission states that they “believe all students should have affordable access to a CT State education.” Each year, they award more than $100 million to more than 30,000 students. CT State is a partner of the College Cost Transparency Initiative as well, which strives to educate students on the true cost of college. Their goal is to improve the clarity, accuracy, and understanding of student financial aid. February 14th is also community college application day.