UConn halts free tuition program amid surging budget deficits

Citing gaping deficits caused by the pandemic and a lack of philanthropic support, the University of Connecticut announced Wednesday it is discontinuing a program to offer free tuition for all low-income students whose families make less than $50,000.

The program – called the “Connecticut Commitment” – will cost the university $700,000 this year for 260 students to attend tuition-free. The program was expected to cost $5 million by the time it was rolled out over four years but given the lagging economy, UConn President Thomas Katsouleas said he expected need for program to exceed those projections.

The state’s flagship university was unable to raise even the $5 million, however.

“[We] cannot say with certainty that we will be able to raise the private dollars necessary to fund it beyond the first cohort of students. Neither I nor anyone else at UConn wants to make a promise we may not be able to adequately fund as planned,” Katsouleas said. “Consideration was given to potentially funding the programs through some avenue other than philanthropy. And while that might may have been a viable possibility and another time, it’s not an option in this budget environment.

Read more: https://ctmirror.org/2020/10/28/uconn-halts-free-tuition-program-amid-surging-budget-deficits/