While Connecticut’s community colleges are not free to attend, qualifying students can graduate without tuition-related debt through the state’s Pledge to Advance Connecticut initiative. The program will cover all tuition and mandatory fees for some of the state’s poorest students.
But when officials increase tuition as they have in recent years, that not only increases direct costs for roughly two-thirds of all community college students — those outside of the PACT — but also could force those in the program to cover a greater share of related costs, involving books, computers and transportation.
PACT offers “last-dollar” financial assistance, meaning the state covers the remainder of a qualifying students’ tuition and mandatory fees after they’ve accepted most other available financial assistance. Students aren’t required to take loans, since the goal of PACT is to help them graduate debt-free.
In the spring 2024 semester, 31% of Connecticut community college students have 100% of their tuition covered through a combination of federal grants, other scholarships and PACT assistance, according to a spokesperson for the Board of Regents for Higher Education, which oversees the system. Another 53% are not eligible for the program. That means about 16% of students are eligible but not participating.
Here’s what to know about the program, which the legislature first enacted in 2019.
Who is eligible for PACT?
Originally the program was limited to full-time students, and only those pursuing their first degree or certificate. But legislators voted in 2022 to expand it to include many part-timers. And last year, recognizing that some people might need training in multiple fields as the job market changes, lawmakers removed the provision limiting PACT only to students pursuing their first degree or certificate.
To qualify now, a student must be a Connecticut resident who graduated from an in-state high school, either public or private. Students must also be enrolled in at least six credits per semester, be working toward a degree or certificate, and be making “satisfactory academic progress.” That definition has various thresholds, but basically requires that students have a minimum 2.0 GPA and a 67% completion pace, meaning they’ve passed roughly two out of every three classes taken.
Before receiving tuition assistance through PACT, students must first file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, which many colleges and universities require before granting institutional aid.
Prospective students can find more information about PACT on the Connecticut State Community College website.
What financial aid options must students accept before qualifying for PACT?
Generally, all students who participate in PACT are eligible for Pell grants, a federal subsidy for students with exceptional financial need and — in most cases — who have not yet earned their first bachelor’s degree. According to a January update from educationdata.org, the maximum Pell grant this academic year is $6,895 and the average for Connecticut recipients is $4,466. Community college tuition and mandatory fees total $4,972 this academic year.
What happens if a student’s Pell Grant and scholarships exceed the cost of tuition and mandatory fees?
The state will pay the difference back to PACT participants, with the idea that students will use it to help cover other education-related expenses — like books, computers, course-related equipment, or even transportation and child care.
And with a 5% increase bumping tuition and mandatory fees to $5,218 this fall, even PACT students could have less to spend on ancillary costs, unless their Pell grant or scholarship assistance also grows.
How is PACT funded, and what happens if that funding runs out?
The Connecticut General Assembly allocates PACT funding, and its budget for the current fiscal year is $15 million.
PACT is not an entitlement program, meaning the state is not required to increase its funding if money runs out. Funding has never been exhausted in the program’s brief history. But if that occurs in the future, a spokesperson for the Board of Regents said awards would be made on a first-come, first-served basis, and the state would “consider partial awards” depending on the amount of money left.
