College is expensive. Incredibly, unreasonably, expensive. We’ve noted this before, and we aren’t alone. One of the biggest concerns we often hear from parents concerns these costs, and the desire to offset them somehow. Fortunately, there are many scholarship options available. Most come from the federal government or colleges themselves, but a number of states also provide excellent scholarship opportunities. In this article, we’re going to look at one state that does exactly that for its residents: Connecticut. Connecticut is not a particularly large state, but it does have a vibrant community, and offers a number of economic support to residents pursuing higher education. In this article, we’ll go through each of these, and explain how you can take advantage of scholarships from them. Let’s jump right in!
Roberta B Willis Scholarship – Need and Merit Based
This award is given to students based on their Student Aid Index, as calculated by the federal government, and their academic merit. This money goes to residents of CT who are attending a public or private non-profit college or university in the state (which notably includes Yale). Both high school seniors and current undergraduate students may apply for this award.
This scholarship has the following eligibility requirements:
- Be in the top 20th percentile of your high school class
- Have an SAT score of 1200 or higher or an ACT score of 25 or higher
- You must have an SAI under the cutoff; this cutoff is set by the office of higher education each year
- You must be a resident of Connecticut
In order to apply for this scholarship, you must complete the FAFSA by February 15, and have an application submitted on your behalf by your high school counselor. This award is for up to $5,250 per year for a four year degree program, or up to $4,650 a year for a two year program.
Roberta B Willis Scholarship – Need Based
This scholarship is related to the one above, but is based solely on financial need, without an additional merit component. It is only for CT residents who attend a four year in-state public or private nonprofit school. The award amount is up to $4,500. This program does not have an application, all you need to do to be considered is to submit the FAFSA by your school’s filing deadline. Contact your college’s financial aid office to learn what their specific filing deadlines are.
Minority Teacher Incentive Program
This program is for current juniors and seniors attending a public college in Connecticut who are part of a teacher certification program and who are minority students. They may be nominated by their dean to receive this award. This award grants up to $5,000 per year for two years. In addition, it offers up to $2,500 of loan reimbursement funding per year for up to four years you spend teaching in a public school in Connecticut. This teaching is not mandatory, but it is incentivized by this program.
Nominations are due by October 15; you need to contact your dean if you want them to nominate you.
Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority (CHESLA) Undergraduate Scholarship
This scholarship is both need and merit based. It is available to residents of Connecticut who are enrolled in an eligible state or nonprofit college. In order to be eligible for this scholarship, you must:
- Be eligible for a Pell Grant
- Have a GPA of at least 2.5
- Be enrolled at least half time in an undergraduate program
- Not be in default on any CHESLA loans
Scholarship applications open on March 1. Applications are submitted through their site. You must also have completed the FAFSA before you apply for this scholarship. Awards are for $1,500 for part-time students or $3,000 for full time students. There is a limited amount of aid available, and it is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Student Loan Reimbursement Program
This is an interesting financial aid program, as it is not a scholarship meant for current students, but instead a mechanism available to all Connecticut residents. Note that you must have lived in CT for at least five years prior to applying for this scholarship. Applications for this must be submitted online. Applications require:
- A CT personal income tax return
- A college diploma
- Proof of 50 hours of volunteer work
- Proof of an outstanding student loan balance
- Proof that you made payments towards that balance in the previous year
There is a limited amount of funding for this annually, and it is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Awards are for up to $5,000 per year, with a maximum award of $20,000 over four years.
Mary Ann Hadley Award
This is a last-dollar scholarship for students of all income levels, and is intended to allow for tuition-free attendance at a Connecticut community college. You must be a CT resident and have graduated high school or have a GED to be eligible. You must complete the FAFSA, and accept any grant funding offered by the government (but need not accept loans).
You may be enrolled part-time or full-time, but must be taking at least 6 credits to qualify for this aid. Applications for this must be submitted online through your community college campus. Applications should be submitted by July 15 for priority consideration.
Private Scholarships
The state-funded awards are generally the most generous, and are usually the easiest to apply to as well. That said, many private scholarships exist for Connecticut residents as well. These can be searched for on many different scholarship sites. These are generally small local awards; a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to students in a very particular niche, but they can add up, or help with the many incidental costs associated with a college education.
We are going to put some warnings on this, namely you should never pay for one of these services, or to apply to a scholarship; these are always scams. If you want a good place to begin looking, we recommend your high school guidance counselor. They should have a collection of scholarships for your town or county, ones meant for students in your situation.
Final Thoughts
Staying in-state for college is a well-known way to get much lower tuition rates, as they are often tens of thousands of dollars cheaper than their private counterparts, or the high fees out-of-state students face at public universities. As this article has shown, however, there are other scholarship benefits to staying in-state, especially since Connecticut allows many of their scholarships to also go towards private nonprofit colleges, including Yale.
Of course, getting into college is a challenge all its own, especially as acceptance rates continue to fall. If you want help building a college list that maximizes your chances of success, or in perfecting your applications to these schools, then schedule a free consultation with us today. We have a long experience working with students of all backgrounds, and are always happy to hear from you.
