The bill, identified as Substitute Senate Bill No. 203 (File No. 203), aims to regulate the admissions process in public or independent institutions of higher education as defined in section 10a-173 of the general statutes. It prohibits these institutions from considering a prospective student's familial relationship to a graduate of or donor to the institution when making admissions decisions. This means that any connections a prospective student may have with alumni or donors cannot be used as a factor in determining their eligibility for admission.
Furthermore, if an institution includes a question about familial relationships to graduates or donors on their application forms, the bill mandates that the institution must remove or redact the prospective student's response to this question from the application materials that the admissions office reviews. This ensures that such information does not influence the admissions process. The bill is set to become effective on July 1, 2024. The fiscal impact statement accompanying the bill indicates that there is no anticipated fiscal impact on the state or municipal governments. The bill received a Joint Favorable Substitute report from the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee with a vote of 18 in favor and 4 against on March 14, 2024.