For nurses, teachers and those in mental health or social services, there’s a proposal to help them with their crushing college loan debt.
Under House Bill 6901 people in those fields could have their student loan payments reimbursed for up to $20,000 over four years.
“We're trying to increase economic participation in terms of people being able to buy that first home, buy that first car, you know, keep people in the state of Connecticut. We want to increase our tax base,” said Rep. Eleni Kavros DeGraw, D – Avon.
The $10-million pilot program would be limited to those who attended a state college or university, currently live in Connecticut and meet other requirements including income limits.
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“We know that we have critical shortages in professions like teaching, nursing, social services, child care and those are all professions that are traditionally held by women, and a lot of Black and brown women, in addition. So we want to make sure that we are addressing that need as well because we know that women are holding the majority of this debt,” said Kavros DeGraw.
The public will get a chance to sound off on the plan on Tuesday, with a public hearing scheduled with the Appropriations Committee.
Already people are weighing in, including staff from Connecticut Children’s.
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In written testimony, Sarah Matney, Chief Nursing Officer, and Howard Sovronsky, Chief Behavioral Health Officer, said the idea, “is one piece of the puzzle which may help incentivize the next generation of nurses and behavioral health professionals.”
While the proposal would be run by the Office of Higher Education, its executive director Timothy Larson wrote that the agency does not support the bill currently because Governor Lamont’s proposed budget does not include money for the project.
When it comes to jobs in high demand like teachers, Larson added: “In recent years, under Governor Lamont’s leadership, Connecticut has made significant financial commitments to stimulate workforce development in these areas, and the Governor’s most recent proposed budget also includes important initiatives to address these needs.”
To potentially receive state help, people would also have to volunteer at least 50 hours a year for a nonprofit organization.
We also reached out to state republicans for comment but have not yet heard back.
