Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10a-19m: Student loan reimbursement program.

(a) On or before January 1, 2025, the Commissioner of Higher Education shall establish, within available appropriations, a program to reimburse certain persons for student loan payments. The Office of Higher Education may approve the participation of any person in the student loan reimbursement program who (1) (A) attended a public or independent institution of higher education in the state and graduated with a degree, (B) holds an occupational or professional license or certification issued pursuant to title 20, (C) is granted a hardship waiver by the commissioner, pursuant to a waiver application submitted by such person in the form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, or (D) was enrolled in the practical nurse education program at Stone Academy during the period commencing November 1, 2021, and ending February 28, 2023, and such person (i) did not complete such program, (ii) has not participated in a (I) teach-out, as defined in section 10a-22m, or (II) proctored comprehensive predictor examination administered by an institution of higher education identified by the Office of Higher Education, and (iii) submits evidence that (I) such person filed a closed school loan discharge application not later than six months prior to applying for the student loan reimbursement program, and (II) such person's student loan was not discharged as a result of such application; (2) is a resident of the state, as defined in section 12-701, and has been a resident of the state for not less than five years, as determined by the commissioner; (3) has (A) a federal adjusted gross income of not more than one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars and files a return under the federal income tax as an unmarried individual or a married individual filing separately, or (B) a federal adjusted gross income of not more than one hundred seventy-five thousand dollars and files a return under the federal income tax as a head of household, a married individual filing jointly or a surviving spouse, as defined in Section 2(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time; and (4) has a student loan.

(b) Persons who qualify under subsection (a) of this section may apply to the Office of Higher Education to participate in the student loan reimbursement program at such time and in such manner as the commissioner of said office prescribes. The commissioner shall post on said office's Internet web site the (1) qualifications for a hardship waiver described in subparagraph (C) of subdivision (1) of said subsection, and (2) forms required to apply for the student loan reimbursement program and a hardship waiver. The application for the student loan reimbursement program shall include, but not be limited to, an option for a person to disclose such person's demographic information.

(c) (1) The Commissioner of Higher Education shall award grants to persons approved to participate in the student loan reimbursement program on a first-come, first-served basis, provided such person meets the requirements of this subsection.

(2) (A) Each participant in the program shall complete not less than fifty volunteer hours for each year of participation in the student loan reimbursement program. Volunteer hours shall be completed by volunteering for (i) a nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time, (ii) a municipal government in the state, or (iii) the armed forces of the United States. Volunteer hours shall be unpaid, except hours for military service may be paid, and volunteer hours may be applied for two years after completing such hours. For purposes of this section, “volunteer hours” shall include, but need not be limited to, (I) with respect to nonprofit organizations, service on the board of directors of a nonprofit organization or volunteering for a religious organization, (II) volunteering as a firefighter or emergency medical services personnel, as defined in section 19a-175, for a nonprofit organization or a municipal government, (III) military service, and (IV) hours of unpaid work completed as a student for any certificate or degree program that requires the completion of such hours as a part of such program. A participant may combine the volunteer hours for one or more organizations to fulfill the requirement of this subdivision.

(B) The Commissioner of Higher Education shall grant a hardship waiver for volunteer hours (i) for each participant who applies for such hardship waiver and has a medical condition or disability that prevents such participant from completing volunteer hours pursuant to the written determination of such participant's treating health care provider, and (ii) automatically for each participant who was approved for the program pursuant to subparagraph (D) of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section.

(3) Each participant in the program shall annually submit to the Office of Higher Education, in the manner prescribed by the commissioner, (A) a statement from a student loan servicer that includes the amounts for the outstanding loan balance for such student loan and the total of the year-to-date payments made on such student loan, (B) a form documenting the number of volunteer hours completed by such participant that is (i) signed by such participant's supervisor or other employee of the nonprofit organization or municipal government for which such participant volunteered, and (ii) notarized, provided a participant may submit other documentation, as prescribed by the office, to show completion of military service or unpaid student work hours, and (C) for volunteer hours at a nonprofit organization, including, but not limited to, a religious organization, evidence of current certification from the Internal Revenue Service that such nonprofit organization is exempt from taxation pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time.

(4) The Office of Higher Education shall reimburse each program participant who meets the requirements of this section for student loan payments paid by such participant during the preceding calendar year, but in an amount of not more than five thousand dollars, annually, provided no person shall participate in the student loan reimbursement program for more than four years or receive more than twenty thousand dollars in aggregate reimbursement for student loan payments.

(d) The Office of Higher Education may use up to two and one-half per cent of the funds appropriated for purposes of this section, annually, for program administration, promotion and recruitment activities.

(e) Not later than July 1, 2026, and each January and July thereafter, the Commissioner of Higher Education shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education and employment advancement and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies on the operation and effectiveness of the program and any recommendations to expand the program.