In a recent CT Mirror op-ed, two leaders from Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) urge lawmakers to reconsider sweeping federal changes to graduate education funding.
Dr. Rabia Hos, dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, and Dr. Jonathan Wharton, professor of political science and urban affairs, warn that provisions in the newly passed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (H.R.1) could jeopardize affordable access to graduate programs in Connecticut.
The bill proposes eliminating the Graduate PLUS Loan Program, capping borrowing limits, and imposing repayment penalties on universities for “unrecoverable” loans. These changes, Hos and Wharton argue, would disproportionately hurt public institutions like Southern, where nearly half of graduate students are students of color and more than 40% are the first in their families to attend college.
“Connecticut cannot afford to let shortsighted federal policy undermine the pipeline of skilled professionals we need,” they write, noting the state’s reliance on graduate-trained workers in fields like education, healthcare, and mental health.
Read the full op‑ed: H.R. 1 cuts — Lawmakers must protect graduate education in Connecticut.
