WFSB Channel 3College scholarship program proposed for Hartford students

College scholarship program proposed for Hartford students

Hartford school officials want to embark on a program that would guarantee every high school graduate in Hartford the possibility of getting a scholarship to a college in Connecticut.

The Hartford Promise would likely be run by a private foundation through businesses and donors. It would be able to provide scholarships to every student who graduates, but depending on money, the number of students may have to be narrowed down.

David Medina, a spokesperson for the Hartford public schools, said finding business partners to fund the scholarships will be the hardest and most important part of the plan.

The district already has a deal with Travelers to finance High School, Inc. And it's going to take more deals like that to get the Hartford Promise up and running.

"We feel now is the time to implement something like this. We know it works, it's just a matter of working out the fine details," said Medina.

In a similar program set up in Michigan, school leaders say the scholarships helped draw more residents and business into the city.

Parents in Hartford hope the scholarship program will help give their kids, no matter how young, a promising future.

"We're all struggling, everybody. So any help we could get would be welcome," said Jennifer Harrison, of Hartford.

Maria Molina's 6-year-old daughter is still a long way away from college. But as a parent, struggling to afford a college tuition is never far from her mind.

"I think that the most important thing right now is for kids to grow up and do something with their lives," said Molina, of Hartford.

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