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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6563
January Session, 2023
AN ACT INCREASING THE AGE OF ELIGIBILITY FOR THE
POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION FUNDING PROGRAM OFFERED BY
THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND
ESTABLISHING A PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE FOR THE POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION OF
ADOPTED YOUTH..
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) (a) As used in this section: 1
(1) "Department" means the Department of Children and Families; 2
(2) "Postsecondary education program" means any program that 3
leads to an academic degree or certification in a vocation or employment 4
training; and 5
(3) "Postsecondary education funding program" means the program 6
set forth in department policy 28-1 under which it funds the 7
postsecondary education of a youth who is committed to the 8
department, remains committed at the age of eighteen and meets the 9
requirements established by the department in its policies and 10
regulations. 11
(b) The Commissioner of Children and Families shall amend the 12
department policies and regulations regarding the postsecondary 13
education funding program to (1) increase the age until which a youth 14
can qualify for funding from the department under the postsecondary 15 Substitute Bill No. 6563
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education funding program from twenty-one to twenty-six years of age, 16
(2) increase the age until which a youth who is enrolled in a 17
postsecondary education program and continues to meet the 18
requirements established by the department is eligible for funding to 19
complete such postsecondary education program under the 20
postsecondary education funding program from twenty-three to 21
twenty-eight years of age, and (3) require any youth who is eligible for 22
funding under the postsecondary education funding program to 23
complete for each year such youth is enrolled in a postsecondary 24
education program, as a condition to receiving such funding, the Free 25
Application for Federal Student Aid and applications for any 26
appropriate scholarships and grants, including, but not limited to, 27
through any scholarship application portal administered by the 28
provider of such postsecondary education program. Nothing in this 29
section shall be construed to require the department to continue 30
providing case management services for any youth who begins 31
receiving funding under the postsecondary education funding program 32
when such youth is older than twenty-one years of age. 33
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) (a) Not later than January 1, 2024, 34
the Commissioner of Children and Families shall establish a pilot 35
program to provide financial assistance for the postsecondary education 36
of any youth who (1) is adopted by a state resident through another 37
state's foster care program on or after January 1, 2005, (2) completes the 38
Free Application for Federal Student Aid for each year such youth is 39
enrolled in a postsecondary education program, as defined in section 1 40
of this act, and (3) meets and continues to meet the postsecondary 41
education assistance program requirements set forth in the Department 42
of Children and Families policy 25-2, except the requirement that such 43
youth be adopted through the department's foster care program. A 44
youth who qualifies for financial assistance pursuant to this subsection 45
may apply to the department in the form and manner prescribed by the 46
commissioner. The commissioner shall approve a youth's application to 47
receive such financial assistance until the completion of such youth's 48
postsecondary education program, within the limits of available 49 Substitute Bill No. 6563
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funding and on a first-come, first-served basis. The amount of financial 50
assistance provided by the commissioner to a youth pursuant to this 51
subsection (A) shall include the cost of tuition, fees, room and board and 52
books, but may not exceed the maximum cost of attendance at a state 53
university within the Connecticut State University System for an in-54
state, full-time residential student, and (B) may be paid on a semester, 55
trimester or quarterly basis as required by the postsecondary education 56
program in which such youth is enrolled. 57
(b) Not later than January 1, 2025, the Commissioner of Children and 58
Families shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of 59
section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of 60
the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children, 61
higher education and employment advancement, and appropriations 62
and the budgets of the state agencies concerning the pilot program 63
established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Such report shall 64
include, but need not be limited to, the (1) number of youth who 65
received financial assistance, (2) amount of such financial assistance, 66
and (3) feasibility of making such pilot program permanent. 67
Sec. 3. (Effective July 1, 2023) The sum of one hundred fifty thousand 68
dollars is appropriated to the Department of Children and Families from 69
the General Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, for the pilot 70
program established pursuant to section 2 of this act. 71
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2023 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2023 New section
Sec. 3 July 1, 2023 New section
KID Joint Favorable Subst.