College-bound low-income Connecticut graduates in 2020 will have access to additional scholarships under a partnership between the state and the College Board.
Gov. Ned Lamont and state Department of Education Commissioner Dianna R. Wentzell announced the partnership will yield a supplemental pool of scholarship funds available to students from low-income households starting with the class of 2020.
As of June 1, students who join the national College Board Opportunity Scholarships program are eligible for an additional $40,000 in scholarships annually, authorities said.
Based in New York City, the nonprofit College Board says it aims to link students to college success and opportunity.
The College Board said it has committed $25 million over five years to the new program and has already awarded over $1 million in scholarships to more than 1,000 students nationwide, including 15 in Connecticut.
Unlike most scholarship programs, College Board Opportunity Scholarships don’t require an essay or application, and it does not have a minimum GPA or SAT score requirement.
Rather, it rewards students’ actions on their way to college, making it open to all students. The more actions students take, the more chances they have to earn a scholarship. Connecticut students who meet the criteria for the additional scholarships will be entered in the overall opportunity scholarships drawings and the drawings for the additional Connecticut scholarships.
The scholarships can be used at any accredited two-year or four-year college and are open to all students, regardless of citizenship status.
