Connecticut’s leaders talk a lot about building a strong workforce in the state and improving the lives of residents. It’s time that we invest in one of the most evidence-based ways to achieve these goals: access to public higher education.

The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities are unaffordable for many in our state, especially given the tuition hikes of the past few years. The current undergraduate tuition and (some) fees for a Connecticut resident attending Central Connecticut State University full time is $6,525 per term – that is $13,050 per year. According to the latest U.S. Census data, the median household income in New Britain (where the CCSU campus is) is about $57,000.

What family can afford to put up more than 20% of their household income for four years? What student without family support can afford that bill, especially when the average monthly rent in the state is over $1,500?

There is a simple solution to this problem. In 2019, the state created the Pledge to Advance Connecticut (known then as PACT) to provide tuition relief for students at our public community colleges. This program should be expanded to students at the four Connecticut state universities.

The PACT program presently covers the remaining costs for students after applying their financial aid and scholarships, and it also provides $1,000 to help with basic needs. Retention rates for students in this program are 17% higher than those not in the program.

There is much debate about why higher education costs have skyrocketed. In Connecticut, we know that state support has not kept pace with inflation or the changing needs of our students. But pointing fingers isn’t going to help those CSCU students who are trying to balance full-time coursework with two or three part-time jobs. Expanding our tuition relief program will.

We know that people who earn four-year degrees (or higher) improve their lives. On average, they make significantly more money, volunteer in their communities, and vote more than those without higher education. This, in turn, leads to more tax revenue, a well-trained workforce, and strong communities for the state.

There is also a moral imperative to expanding access to higher education. The state universities serve the most vulnerable populations in the state, including the working class, immigrants, and veterans. As president of the CSU’s faculty union and a professor at CCSU, I’ve seen firsthand how students struggle to stay enrolled in college – not because they aren’t doing the work, but because they can’t pay the bill. They deserve access in order to pursue learning and education if they so choose, and they deserve the opportunity to pursue careers that require higher education. If we deny them these possibilities because of finances, we cannot also claim to care about equity.

Fewer than 40% of community college students go on to complete a four-year degree. If we expand the PACT program, we can help those students improve their economic mobility and follow their dreams.

Louise Williams is President of the CSU-AAUP.