FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 17, 2022
CONTACT: Amy Dowell | Amy@edreformnow.org
REPORT SHOWS HIGH LEVEL OF NEED IN CONNECTICUT COLLEGES
Several Schools Produce Low Rates of Completion
at Above Average Cost
May 17, 2022—A new report released today by Education Reform Now CT (ERN CT) revealed a significant level of institutional need in Connecticut four-year colleges, looking at six-year completion rates and average annual net prices to students from the lowest-income bracket. The key findings were that several four-year colleges fail to graduate large percentages of their student populations— for all students or specifically for students of color—while also charging low-income students higher-than-average out-of-pocket costs.
“In the short term, the findings in this report can help prospective students to better weigh their undergraduate options,” observed ERN CT Executive Director Amy Dowell. “In the longer-term, the findings shed light on a high-level of institutional need—one we hope our state’s leaders address as they make budgetary decisions.”
“Connecticut has made considerable efforts to reform labor agreements and consolidate services at public colleges over the years, in order to reduce institutional costs. Nevertheless, many colleges continue to contend with high costs of living, pandemic recovery, and a stagnant level of state investment,” Dowell said.
“Calls to prioritize workforce development ring hollow in the context of an ongoing statewide austerity campaign and stringent spending cap that is leaving many institutions in financial distress—and these burdens are being passed on to students.”
The report identifies three four-year schools—Central Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University, and the University of Bridgeport—as being on the ‘less for more list,’ which includes schools that combine low rates of completion and high prices to students from families making under $30,000.
The full report can be found here.
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About Education Reform Now CT:
The state chapter of a national organization, Education Reform Now CT is a 501(c)(3) that operates as a think tank and policy advocate, promoting great educational opportunities and achievement for all by increasing equity, protecting civil rights, and strengthening the social safety net.
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