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    Connecticut House GOP

    State Representative

    Ben McGorty
    Connecticut House Republicans

    Fighting for Connecticut's families and businesses with common-sense solutions.

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    May 24, 2017

    McGorty, Stratford Legislators Stand Up for Stratford Aviation Students

    McGorty, Stratford Legislators Stand Up for Stratford Aviation Students
    This article was archived from the previous WordPress site. Formatting and media should be close, but may not match the original post perfectly.

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    State Representatives Ben McGorty (R-Stratford), Laura Hoydick (R-Stratford) and Joe Gresko (D-Stratford), hailed House passage of legislation to increase access to financial aid for students at the state’s aviation maintenance programs including the Stratford Aviation School.

    “Our region depends heavily on aviation careers, and the availability and affordability of the highly-specialized training involved in perpetuating these careers is equally essential,” said Rep. McGorty.  “This level of skill and instruction involved in the aviation schools has a more appropriate home in a college-level system.  This move will also provide students with the ability to avail themselves of greater financial support, such as Pell Grants and resources otherwise not currently available to them.”

    “This measure is critical to the aviation careers that are essential to our region,” said Rep. Hoydick.  “The budget cuts and resulting tuition increases have caused a significant drop-off in enrollment at these aviation schools.  By moving them into the state’s  postsecondary educational programs within the technical high school system, as they are only open to high school graduates, the students will be eligible for grants and financial aid that they currently can’t get.”

    “The Stratford Aviation School produces highly skilled graduates who have jobs waiting for them, just the formula the state needs to keep jobs and workers here,” said Rep. Gresko. “By increasing access to financial aid, our goal is to make this a more attractive program to more students.”

    The legislation (HB 7202) would classify aviation maintenance programs as postsecondary education programs for purposes of maintaining students’ eligibility for federal Pell grants.

    Because the programs are under the auspices of the state technical high school system, the aviation program is not currently considered post-secondary.  The legislation would allow adult students in the program to pursue federal Pell Grants.

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