State Sen. Carlo Leone, D-Stamford, left, co-chairman of the General Law Committee and Sen. Edwin A. Gomes, D-Bridgeport this morning joined Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff in announcing support for helping college become more affordable. During a news conference in the Capitol complex, they highlighted bills that would:
* Put caps on how much UConn and the Board of Regents would be allowed to spend on administrative expenses.
*Require UConn to submit annual reports on how its financial aid is awarded.
* Make loan refinancing programs available for parents and students through the Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority whether or not their loan originated with the CHESLA.
“We in Connecticut and the nation as a whole are facing a college affordability crisis,” Looney told reporters. “It gets worse every year. The struggles that families undergo to send their sons and daughters to college is something that is becoming more and more burdensome.”
Leone said soaring costs is forcing younger state residents “to put their lives on hold” paying off student loans at times of their lives when previous generations were starting families and buying homes. “Education is the foundation for the future,” he said. “It is also the equalizer to give everyone a fair chance at better opportunities in life. And if we take that away by not addressing this issue, then we’re going to be short-selling ourselves as well as our future generations.”