Graduating Seniors: Did you apply for the Robert Byrd or the Capital Scholarship?

Sharing news concerning scholarhsips is one part of my job I enjoy doing.  Private community scholarships assist families in lowing the cost of a post secondary education. 

Sadly this post is to sharing information concerning cuts in state scholarship programs.

The following is information that was fowarded to us from the CT Student Financial Aid Office.  All students who have applied to the following scholarship will be receiving a letter, but thought I would let parents of graduating seniors know of changes to these scholarship programs.

NOTICE CONCERNING STATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS
FOR THE 2011-2012 ACADEMIC YEAR

Mark E. French, Associate Director, Student Financial Aid (860) 947-1856
State of Connecticut Department of Education

ROBERT C. BYRD HONORS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

On April 15th President Obama signed into law the 2011 fiscal year spending bill, also known as the Continuing Resolution (CR), which eliminated funding for this program.  As such, we will be unable to make any awards to new students for the 2011-2012 academic year.  An email has been sent to all 2011-2012 student applicants notifying them of this fact.

Capital Scholarship Program 2011-2012

To all students who applied this year to the Capital Scholarship Program:

Connecticut General Assembly has passed legislation that for the next two years will prevent any new Capitol Scholarships from being awarded. Regrettably, this means that you will not be eligible to receive a Capitol Scholarship for the upcoming year.

Should the General Assembly reinstate this program for future years, you may be considered for an award provided you submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the April 30th deadline. To be eligible, if funds are made available in the future, you must remain a Connecticut resident and demonstrate financial need as determined by the program parameters. Eligibility is limited to a maximum of four years of undergraduate study.

We realize that many students who do not receive a Capitol Scholarship may need some financial assistance. We encourage you to contact the financial aid office at the institution where you plan to enroll to determine if you qualify for aid from other sources.

We regret the elimination of funding for this award. If you should have any questions, feel free to contact us.  Please accept our best wishes for success in your educational endeavors.