UConn Announces Recruiting Initiative With CT Alliance Districts

HARTFORD/TOLLAND COUNTY, CT — The University of Connecticut is launching an initiative to recruit students in the state's Alliance Districts.

The goal, UConn officials said it to connect "talented" Alliance District students with information on the many academic and financial resources available to them as potential undergraduates. The UConn Alliance Pathway was introduced Thursday by Gov. Ned Lamont and UConn President Thomas Katsouleas as the governor announced higher education initiatives developed to strengthen his Workforce Strategic Plan.

"This is a great opportunity for the students," Vernon Superintendent of Schools Joseph Macary told Patch. "We definitely welcome partnerships like this with UConn and I am eager to learn more about the new program."

Under the UConn Alliance Pathway program, guidance counselors in the 33 local and regional Connecticut school systems known as the Alliance Districts will be asked to notify UConn, starting in the fall of 2022, about students who start their senior year in the top 10 percent of their class, plus the top 10 percent of those whose family incomes qualify them for free or reduced-price meals.

"We are excited about this new initiative," said Jim Farrell, communications director for the Manchester public school system. "It's especially important that we make sure we are supporting students from underrepresented racial and ethnic populations, and those who come from low-income families. This partnership with UConn will definitely help."

The 33 districts comprise more than 200,000 students in more than 400 schools, including more than 14,300 high school seniors. Many of those seniors are high-achieving students with significant potential for college success, despite coming from traditionally underserved families or communities.

Windsor Locks Superintendent of Schools Shawn Parkhurst said his system is all in.

"As the Superintendent of Windsor Locks, I am thrilled of the opportunity this creates for our students," he said. "We have amazing students who, through our mastery-based learning approach, have learned that effort creates achievement and that their voice and advocacy matter. This is another way that our students can be showcased for their unique talents and abilities as a premier university program within the state of Connecticut. I am exciting that our students will be able to consider this post high school opportunity."

More details are available at:

• https://today.uconn.edu/2021/02/uconn-launches-program-to-connect-with-talented-alliance-district-students/

UConn officials said, that, with the students’ consent, the university make available details about applying and the potential for being offered admission, the range of support available, such as access to in-person and virtual application events and how to submit application fee waivers and other details.

"The Alliance Pathway will greatly enhance our ability to identify, recruit, and support these very talented and deserving students from across the state of Connecticut. We're very excited for this initiative and to be part of the work force development efforts under way statewide," Katsouleas said.