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Waterbury Promise asks legislature for $1.5 million to expand scholarships and coaching for city students
Summary
Waterbury Promise leaders, scholars and alumni asked the Appropriations Subcommittee to include $1.5 million in FY26 and FY27 in the biennial budget for a last‑dollar scholarship and wraparound college‑access services under Senate Bill 857.
Waterbury Promise — a nonprofit college‑access program serving Waterbury students — asked the legislature to include $1,500,000 in each of FY26 and FY27 to scale scholarships and student supports that the group says have improved persistence and retention.
Hetty (Hedy) Ayers, director of development and community engagement for Waterbury Promise, told the Appropriations Subcommittee the program now serves more than 600 scholars and expects to serve more than 800 by summer. Ayers asked lawmakers to include the funding request in the biennial budget to continue last‑dollar scholarships and one‑on‑one coaching.
Ayers said Waterbury Promise provides a "last dollar" scholarship of up to $5,000 per scholar, per year, and offers academic, social‑emotional and career supports. She told legislators the program has a program retention rate of 89% and a 90% college persistence rate among its participants.
Several scholars described how the scholarship and local coaching affected their choices. Jalen Perreault, now a freshman at the University of Connecticut, said, “This program didn't just give me financial aid. It gave me hope, opportunity, and the ability to focus on my dream of education rather than worrying about how to pay for it.” Smith Bernard, a Waterbury Promise alumnus and current UConn student, described internships and ambassador work the program provided that led to job and networking opportunities.
Ending
No committee vote occurred at the hearing. Waterbury Promise asked the committee to place the SB 857 funding request into the upcoming biennial budget and cited quantitative retention and scholarship data to support scaling the program.
