Demand equal access to higher education for undocumented students

The Connecticut State Legislature

Undocumented students cannot qualify for federal, or state financial aid, making affording college very difficult.

In CT, state colleges & universities set aside a percentage of tuition revenue to serve as institutional aid for students who have financial need. Institutional Aid is student generated funds ­funded by tuition dollars that all students pay, it’s not tax or state funded. Immigrant students contribute to these funds by paying tuition, but DO NOT have access to the pool of aid they help fund. This is NOT FAIR - if you pay into this pool of funds, you should have access to it!

Together, we can change this unfair system. RIGHT NOW, there is a bill, HB5031 consideration that would allow undocumented students to be able to apply for and access the institutional aid their own tuition dollars fund.

The time is now for Connecticut to pass legislation that equalizes access to student generated funds for all students regardless of immigration status.  

Now, more than ever, it is crucial for Connecticut to uphold the values of equality for all its residents, and for CT to support the dreams of all its students!

Please sign the petition and demand that our state legislators pass the legislation to equalize higher education for immigrant students!

The time is now for us to act. We can no longer wait. Our dreams can no longer wait.


To: The Connecticut State Legislature
From: [Your Name]

We, the undersigned, appeal to the Connecticut State Legislature to vote on and pass HB5031: AN ACT EQUALIZING ACCESS TO STUDENT GENERATED FINANCIAL AID.

This bill would equalize access to student-generated, institutional financial aid at Connecticut’s public universities and colleges to all in-state Connecticut resident students regardless of immigration status.

“Institutional aid” is student-generated funds that colleges set aside from tuition revenue in order to support students with demonstrated financial need. This aid is student funded, it is is funded by tuition dollars that all students pay; it’s not tax-or state-funded. CT state colleges & universities are required to set aside a percentage of tuition revenue for this aid. we believe all students who pay tuition should be be eligible to receive it. However, immigrant students who have grown up in CT and have graduated high school here are not eligible for this student-generated aid even though they contribute to this fund by paying tuition.

We call for the CT Legislature to support equal access to higher education for immigrant students by passing HB5031.