Aviation School Financial Aid Legislation Passes in CT House

From CT House Democrats: State Representative Joe Gresko (D-Stratford), Rep. Laura Hoydick (R-Stratford) and Rep. Ben McGorty (R-Stratford) hailed House passage of legislation to increase access to financial aid for students at the state’s aviation maintenance programs including the Stratford Aviation School.

“The Stratford Aviation School produces highly skilled graduates who have jobs waiting for them, just the formula the state needs to keep jobs and workers here,” said Rep. Gresko. “By increasing access to financial aid, our goal is to make this a more attractive program to more students.”

The legislation (HB 7202) would classify aviation maintenance programs as postsecondary education programs for purposes of maintaining students' eligibility for federal Pell grants.

“This measure is critical to the aviation careers that are essential to our region,” said Rep. Hoydick. “The budget cuts and resulting tuition increases have caused a significant drop-off in enrollment at these aviation schools. By moving them into the state’s postsecondary educational programs within the technical high school system, as they are only open to high school graduates, the students will be eligible for grants and financial aid that they currently can’t get.”

“Our region depends heavily on aviation careers, and the availability and affordability of the highly-specialized training involved in perpetuating these careers is equally essential,” said Rep. McGorty. “This level of skill and instruction involved in the aviation schools has a more appropriate home in a college-level system. This move will also provide students with the ability to avail themselves of greater financial support, such as Pell Grants and resources otherwise not currently available to them.”

“Skilled aviation mechanics are in high-demand, but students were unable to pursue financial aid because of a technicality,” Rep. Gresko said. “This legislation will make the aviation maintenance program an affordable option.”

Because the programs are under the auspices of the state technical high school system, the aviation program is not currently considered post-secondary. The legislation would allow adult students in the program to pursue federal Pell Grants.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock