DANBURY, Connecticut – Ambitious Danbury High School students who fulfill three requirements, including the completion of early college classes at Western Connecticut State University, will be eligible for scholarship support that covers WestConn tuition and fees for four years.
The new initiative, Pathways to Success, begins in Fall 2027 and will provide DHS students with access to a last-dollar scholarship that pays remaining tuition and fees after applicable federal and state financial aid. To qualify, students must:
- Complete at least six concurrent enrollment/early college credits
- Earn a minimum 3.0 GPA, and
- Meet WestConn’s admission requirements.
The initiative is funded through an initial $400,000 investment from the WCSU Foundation, the nonprofit that supports WestConn projects not included in the university budget.
“Pathways to Success reflects a shared commitment between WestConn, its foundation, and Danbury Public Schools to expand access, increase affordability and create stronger pathways to college completion for local students,” said Maria Veilleux, Director of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the WCSU Foundation. “The foundation board enthusiastically supported the proposal, based on the potential benefit to Danbury students and to WestConn.”
Dr. Jesse Bernal, WestConn president, said the partners have been working on the project for several months.
“From the beginning there has been a shared vision among WestConn, our foundation and DHS leaders that talented students in our own community should be able to see a clear, affordable pathway from high school to college and ultimately to earning their degree,” Bernal said. “This can be transformative for our community.”
Through WestConn’s concurrent enrollment program, Danbury High School students can begin earning university credit while still completing their high school education. Those credits give students an opportunity to enter WestConn with credits that can be applied toward their degree even before high school graduation.
“This is about creating a pathway, not simply providing a scholarship,” said Dr. Stephen Hegedus, WestConn provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “A student can reduce the time and cost associated with earning their degree, and now have an additional financial commitment from the university to help them reach graduation. That is the kind of pathway that can change the trajectory of a student and a family.”
CollegeNET’s Social Mobility Index ranked WestConn No. 1 for social mobility among Connecticut institutions, reflecting the university’s role in creating educational and economic opportunities for the students and communities it serves.
Pathways to Success builds upon that mission by addressing one of the most significant obstacles students and families face when considering higher education: affordability.
“Social mobility is not simply something we want to be recognized for — it is something we have to continue creating,” said Melissa Stephens, WestConn associate vice president and executive director of Strategic Initiatives. “When we give students an opportunity to start college early, save time, reduce costs and see an affordable path all the way through graduation, we are creating the conditions for greater degree attainment and greater opportunity.”
Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.