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Co‑Chairs Senator Osten and Representative Walker, Ranking Members Senator Berthel and Representative Nuccio, and honorable members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit this written testimony on the Governor’s Proposed Revisions to the Budget for Fiscal Year 2025.
On behalf of BioCT, I am submitting testimony in support for increased funding for the Roberta Willis Scholarship Program. BioCT is the voice of Connecticut’s life science industry. BioCT’s mission is to catalyze and market the growth of Connecticut’s life sciences industry; fostering and promoting the state as nationally recognized for innovation and improving patient lives.
The general fund appropriation for the Roberta Willis Scholarship Program has not increased since 2010. Connecticut spends just $269 per enrolled student on state grant aid versus that of the national average at $1,058. This leaves Connecticut as the last in the region and 46th in the country in terms of the investment in student grant aid as a percentage of the state’s overall higher education spending at just 2%.
Connecticut ranks towards the bottom nationally in the percentage of young people that enroll in‑state for college and has made little progress in addressing the long‑standing equity gaps related to accessing a quality post‑secondary education. Post‑COVID, the percentage of high school students enrolling in college is on the decline and more steeply among low‑income students and students of color, exacerbating existing disparities.
It is imperative that we support student financial aid by increasing the general fund appropriation for need‑based financial aid under the Roberta Willis Scholarship Program, which awards need‑based scholarships to Connecticut residents attending college in Connecticut. Investing more in need‑based aid will support the state’s goals of having a highly trained workforce, retaining more young people, and promoting economic mobility.
We hope the Committee will support the Governor’s proposal to increase funding to the Roberta Willis Scholarship Program. This additional funding is anticipated to support scholarships to over 1,000 additional students allowing more opportunities for students and potentially expanding the pipeline for certain in‑demand degrees such as engineering and manufacturing.
Respectfully submitted,
Jodie Gillon
President & CEO, BioCT