Opinion: How CT scholarships help students turn aspiration into impact – Hartford Courant
Daily e-Edition
Evening e-Edition
Sign up for email newsletters
Sign up for email newsletters
Daily e-Edition
Evening e-Edition
Trending:
In today’s economy, post-secondary education is often a prerequisite for opportunity — but for many Connecticut students, financial barriers still stand in the way of their dreams. That’s why scholarship programs such as the Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority’s are essential.
CHESLA’s mission goes far beyond issuing loans. It is about investing in students with the drive to not only improve their own lives, but to serve their communities in the process. Each scholarship awarded is a commitment to a student’s potential, and to the future of our state.
Take Chelsea St. Cloud, for example. Now entering her second year at Sacred Heart University, she’s majoring in biochemistry on a pre-med track, aspiring to become a pediatric surgeon. Her passion for medicine is rooted in service—from volunteering with patients at Norwalk Hospital to mentoring children with disabilities and supporting local food banks. “I want to be part of the solution to healthcare inequities,” Chelsea said, “by making sure people, especially children, get access to the services they need.”
Or consider Daria Aligwara, a first-year student at Goodwin University and an adult learner whose return to school is about more than a degree — it’s about impact. Just two courses away from applying to a nursing program, she is preparing to specialize in mental health, focusing on single mothers and children affected by domestic violence. “I want to advocate for them,” Daria explained. “I want to work in the community, use my knowledge to help connect people to the resources they don’t always know are available.”
Chelsea and Daria are two of 183 CHESLA undergraduate scholarship recipients this year — students from 61 Connecticut communities attending 17 of our state’s 34 post-secondary institutions. In total, CHESLA awarded $532,500 in undergraduate scholarships this year alone. CHESLA also provides certificate and opportunity scholarships with CHESLA historically disbursing $11.9 million in scholarship funds and impacting over 6,100 residents. That’s more than financial support. It’s an investment in our health care workforce. It’s a commitment to community resilience. And it’s a vote of confidence in the power of Connecticut students to create meaningful change.
If we want to retain talent, reduce inequities, and ensure a brighter future for our state, we must continue to support—and expand—programs like CHESLA’s. Because when we help Connecticut students achieve their educational goals, we’re not just opening doors for them. We’re opening doors for all Connecticut residents.
Jeanette W. Weldon, executive director of the Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority
Copyright © 2025 Hartford Courant
