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Conn. Senate Bill Enables Undocumented Students To Qualify For Financial Aid

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Paying for college could get a little easier for some students in Connecticut. The state Senate passed a bill on Wednesday that would let undocumented students apply for financial aid programs administered by their college.

Currently, undocumented students who went to high school for two years in Connecticut pay in-state tuition, but they still have trouble affording school because they can’t apply for federal or private loans.

The bill that passed the senate would let undocumented students apply for financial aid at public colleges and universities. Senator Dante Bartolomeo (D-Meriden) says up to 18 percent of the tuition paid by undocumented students goes toward financial aid that they can’t apply for.

Senate Republicans opposed the bill. They said it would take financial aid away from legal residents during tough economic times, when everybody’s struggling to pay for college.

Six other states in the country, including Texas, have similar laws. Connecticut would be the first state in New England to adopt the law. The bill now goes to the House.

Cassandra Basler, a former senior editor at WSHU, came to the station by way of Columbia Journalism School in New York City. When she's not reporting on wealth and poverty, she's writing about food and family.