Institutional Aid: 

Letter of Support

Official Letter of support for SB 475, Institutional Aid Bill.



Over 30 diverse organizations have signed on in support!
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Dear Board of Regents,



We would like to ask for your support in extending access to institutional aid at Connecticut state universities and community colleges to undocumented immigrant students who are long-time residents of Connecticut. In particular, we ask that the Board of Regents exercise its undisputed rule-making authority to direct Connecticut’s state universities and colleges to expand access to institutional aid for all students without regard to immigration status; and put in place a financial aid application that employs the same needs analysis as the FAFSA but does not require a citizenship or a green card.



Many undocumented Connecticut high school students hope to pursue higher education. Unfortunately, many are unable to achieve this dream because they are ineligible for all federal and state need-based financial aid.  The 2011 legislation that granted in-state tuition rates to undocumented students was an important first step toward increasing access to higher education, but many immigrant students and their families are still unable to afford the high cost of tuition. Unfortunately, many are ineligible, under current Board of Regents regulations and practices, for need-based state financial aid. Therefore, higher education remains effectively unavailable to them. The Board is empowered to amend its regulations determining aid eligibility, and can issue policies under Conn Gen. Stat. §10a-6 and §10a-161 that influence how financial aid is distributed.



 

  We see firsthand the difference that an education can make in a student’s life, and we consider it our duty to expand higher education access for all Connecticut high school students.  Extending institutional aid to undocumented students is an investment in the future of Connecticut.  A realistic path to college for these students will result in improved high school graduation rates and increased college matriculation.  In the long term, the higher incomes of these students will lead to increased tax revenues and lower expenditures on state health and welfare programs.



In the period from now until the date when Congress enacts comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship, we cannot afford to sit idly by and do nothing about the lack of access to higher education for Connecticut students.  Each year, hundreds of undocumented students graduate from Connecticut high schools with hopes of college attendance, we must do what we can to help them now and not wait any longer.

These simple policy changes will not only help ensure a more prosperous Connecticut economy, but also make a meaningful difference in the lives of many current and future students in CT.



We hope that the Board of Regents will act swiftly to address this urgent problem.

       Yours truly,

     


 

Institutional Aid:  Our Supporters!

Letter of Support

 

CT Students for a DREAM has collected support from dozens of community groups, educators, and legislators in support of institutional aid! See below! Now is the time!

Interested in adding your support? See the side panel or email info@ct4adream.org

 

Overview:

Community Organizations: 55

Student Clubs / Student Govts: 23

University / College Profs or Administrators: 38

High School Educators: 3

Legislators: 16

 

Non Profit Community Organizations

·         ACLU of CT                              

·         African American Affairs Commission                         

·         AFT Connecticut                       

·         Apostle Immigrant Services                               

·         Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission, Mui Mui Hin-McCormick          

·         Association of Religious Communities - Danbury                     

·         Bill Mefford, Director of Civil and Human Rights, General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church                      

·         Bill of Rights Defense Committee                     

·         Brazilian Immigrant Center         Meghan Vesel          

·         Center for Latino Progress (Hartford) (ED: Yanil Teron)                       

·         Center for Youth Leadership, Brien McMahon High School, Norwalk                          

·         City of New Haven (John DeStefano, Jr., Mayor / Sean Matteson, Chief of Staff)                               

·         Comunidad Inmigrante de East Haven                           

·         Connecticut AFL-CIO                            

·         Connecticut Center for a New Economy (CCNE) (Renae Reese, Executive Director)                           ·         Connecticut Citizens Action Group                               

·         Connecticut Coalition to Stop Indefinite Detention                                

·         Connecticut Education Association (Conn. NEA affiliate)

·         Connecticut Immigrant Rights Alliance (CIRA)             

·         Connecticut Students for a Dream                     

·         CT Organized Students                          

·         CT Young Democrats    

·         DOMUS, Michael Duggan, Executive Director              

·         EXCEL Bridgeport (Maria Zambrano, Executive Director)                                

·         Immigration Rights Task Force of the Unitarian Society of New Haven                        

·         Immigration Task Force of New York Annual Conference of United Methodist Church          

·         Institute of Latina/o, Caribbean & Latin American Studies, UCONN                            

·         International Institute of CT (IICONN) (Angela Zurowski, Executive Director)                        

·         IRIS - Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services                       

·         Jamaican Renaissance Society, Bridgeport                    

·         Junta for Progressive Accion (Sandra Trevino, Executive Director)                              

·         Latino Advocacy Foundation                            

·         Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission (LPRAC)                        

·         Local 32BJ, SEIU, Matt O'Connor         

·         MECha de Yale                         

·         National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC)                         

·         Neighbors Link Stamford, Catalina Horak

·         New Haven REACH

·         New Haven Peoples Center        Joelle Fishman         

·         Oficina Católica de Justicia Social de La Arquidiócesis de Hartford                              ,

·         People of Faith CT                     

·         RYASAP (Robert Francis, Executive Director)                          

·         SEIU 1199NE/Connecticut                                

·         SEIU Local 1973 (Congress of Conn. Community Colleges)                             

·         Seminarians for a Democratic Society                           

·         Social Justice Council of Unitarian Universalist Church in Meriden       Angie Swanger         

·         Somos CT                      

·         Spanish Community of Wallingford                              

·         The Brazilian Alliance of CT (Abigail Amorin Executive Director)                               

·         The Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, Bishop Jim Curry                     

·         The Immigration Task Force of the New York Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church   

·         The NASPA Region 1 Latino/a Knowledge Community Professional Development Team                    

·         Unidad Latina en Accion, John Lugo                

·         UNITE HERE                            

·         United Action Connecticut (UACT)       

             

                               

University Student Organizations:

·         Asian Student Club, NCC

·         Dance club of NCC                                ,

·         Hay Motivo Club of NCC

·         Marketing Club of NCC

·         Soccer club of NCC                               

·         Spanish Club of NCC    

·         Student Government of NCC

·         Student Work Assembly, NCC                          

·         Theater Club of NCC

·         Colada Club of CCSU                           

·         College Dems of CCSU

·         Latin American Student Organization (LASO) of CCSU                        

·         Muslim Organization of CCSU  

·         Youth for Socialist Action of CCSU      

·         MEChA de Yale                        

·         Stop the Raids at Trinity College                                    

·         Yale Democrats                                        

·         Associated Student Government, University of Connecticut, West Hartford Campus

·         Social Work Student Organization, UConn School of Social Work

·         Muslim Student Association, University of Connecticut, West Hartford Campus

·         Pre-Med Society, University of Connecticut, West Hartford Campus

·         Students without Borders, UConn Storrs

 

Connecticut State University System

·         Alba Skar, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Spanish, Chair of World Languages & Literature, Western Connecticut State University                  

·         Carina A. Bandhauer, PhD, Associate Professor of Sociology, Department of Social Sciences, Western Connecticut State University

·         Gregory E. Jackson, Jr. PhD, Visiting Instructor of Latin American History, Western Connecticut State University

·         Joshua Rosenthal, Ph.D. Professors of Latin American History, Department of History, Western Connecticut State University

·         Patricia W. Ivry, MSW, LCSW, Professor, Department of Social Work, Western Connecticut State University                           

·         Professor Jesse Turner, Director of the CCSU Literacy Center, Save Our School National Steering Committee HB 219  

·         R. Averell Manes, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science and Conflict Studies, Western Connecticut State University

 

Connecticut Community College System

·         Robert Emigh, ESL Professor, Student World Assembly Advisor, Norwalk Community College

 

University of Connecticut

·         Mark Overmyer-Veláquez, Director, Institute of Latina/o, Caribbean & Latin American Studies and Associate Professor of History (mark.velazquez@uconn.edu)

·         Chris Vials, Assistant Professor of English

·         Oskar R. Harmon, Professor of Economics Manisha Desai, Associate Professor of Sociology and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

·         Sharon M. Harris, Director UConn Humanities Institute and Professor of English

·         Fiona Somerset, Professor of English and Medieval Studies Margaret Breen, Professor of English and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

·         Cathy J. Schlund-Vials, Director, Asian and Asian American Studies Institute and Associate Professor of English

·         Kathryn Strother Ratcliff, Assistant Professor and Associate Head of Sociology

·         Mary Gallucci, Adjunct Professor of English

·         Jeffrey Shoulson, Director, Center for Judaic Studies and Professor of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages

·         Jane Anna Gordon, Associate Professor of Political Science and Africana Studies

·         Brad Simpson, Associate Professor of History and Asian Studies

·         Yvette Schacher, Adjunct Professor of English and American Studies

·         Brendan Kane, Associate Director, UConn Humanities Institute and Associate Professor of History

·         Alexis Boylan, Associate Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Art and Art History

·         Samuel Martinez, Associate Professor of Anthropology and El Instituto

·          Ingrid Semaan, Director, Women’s Studies (Stamford) and Professor of Sociology and  Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

·         Sebastian Wogenstein, Associate Professor of Literatures, Cultures and Languages

·         Laura Bunyan, Assistant Professor in Residence of Sociology

·         Martha J. Cutter, Professor of English and African American Studies

·         Mary Cygan, Associate Professor of History

·         Ariel Mae Lambe, Assistant Professor of History

·         Marita McComiskey, Assistant Professor in Residence, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies

·         Shayla C. Nunnally, Associate Professor of Political Science & Africana Studies Institute

·         Richard Watnick, Associate Professor of Mathematics

·         Robert J. Hasenfratz, Professor and Head of Department of English

·         Morgne Cramer, Associate Professor of English

·         Kim Price-Glynn, Associate Professor of Sociology and Urban and Community Studies

·         Diana I. Rios, Associate Professor of Communication and El Instituto

·         Ricardo Salazar Rey, Assistant Professor of History

·         Sarah Willen, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Human Rights

·         Lawrence B. Goodheart Professor of History

·         Joel Blatt, Professor of History

·         Fred Lee, Assistant Professor of Political Science

 

Other Educators

·         Constanza Cabello; Professional Development Co-Coordinator, NASPA Region 1 Latino/a Knowledge Community; Assistant Director, Office of Multicultural Affairs, University of Massachusetts Lowell                

·         Intercultural Center at Roger Williams University, Dr. Ande Diaz         

·         Norma Salcedo, M.S.Ed, Residence Hall Director, Dept of Residence Education, University of Connecticut; The NASPA Region 1 Latino/a Knowledge Community Professional Development Team                   

·         Sarah M. Childs, Assistant Director, ALANA Student Center, University of Vermont; The NASPA Region 1 Latino/a Knowledge Community Professional Development Team       

·         Steve Hess, Assistant Professors of Political Science, The College of Public and International Affairs, The University of Bridgeport

·         Jennifer L. Parzych, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, School Counseling, Mercy College, NY, CT School Counsellor Association (CSCA) President-Elect

·         Stacy Brugnolo, English Dept, Danbury High School

·         Kimberly D’Auria, Family and Consumer Sciences, Danbury High School

·         Jose Rojas, ELL Teacher, Danbury High School

 

 

CT Legislators

• Sen Andres Ayala, 23rd District

• Rep Juan Candelaria, 95th District

• Rep Roland Lemar, 96th District

• Rep Mary Mushinsky, 85th District

• Rep James M Albis, 99th District

• Rep Matthew Lesser, 100th District

• Rep Geoff Luxemberg, 12th District

• Rep Tim Larson, 11th District

• Rep Jonathan Steinberg, 136th District

• Rep Kim Rose, 118th District

• Rep Patricia Dillon, 92th District

• Rep Philip J Miller, 36th District

• Rep Greg Haddad, 54th District

• Rep Elizabeth Ritter, 38th District

• Rep Angel Arce, 4th District

• Rep Rick Lopes, 24th District

• Representative Toni Walker,

• Senator Anthony Musto,

• Representative Kevin Ryan

• Representative Minnie Gonzalez

 

Read the Organizational, Educators, University Staff Letter of Support

Read the Legislator Letter of Support