Education

It is crucial everyone has access to high-quality education at all levels. As a former teacher, Representative Larson knows the importance of education and is working to ensure every student has access to what they need to succeed.  

During Rep. Larson's time in the Connecticut State Senate, he worked with Dr. Ed Zigler, a visionary fighting for education and families. Rep. Larson's legislation creating a pilot for Family Resource Centers, which were eventually expanded across the state, was based on Dr. Zigler's model for "school-based or school-linked childcare and family support services designed to promote the optimal growth and development of children beginning at birth." Now, he continues this fight to ensure all students have the resources to thrive. 

Pre-Kindergarten: 

Research shows the best way to lay a strong foundation for learning is giving students access to pre-kindergarten. All students benefit from starting school earlier, but the impacts are particularly pronounced for lower-income students. Universal Pre-K is a necessary tool to lower the achievement gap and Rep. Larson voted for to give every 3–5-year-old access to this essential education in our Build Back Better legislation that the House passed in 2021. 

K-12: 

All of our children deserve a safe and quality education, and the future of our country depends on keeping up with global competition. Rep. Larson is fighting to ensure the federal government is supporting our children and their educators. 

Our schools, like much of our national infrastructure, are in desperate need of repair. It is estimated there is $46 billion in work that must be done to bring them up to adequacy. Rep. Larson fought and voted for more than $1.1 billion for Connecticut schools to help them reopen and rebuild stronger through the American Rescue Plan in 2021.  Additionally, in 2021, Rep. Larson also introduced the America Wins Act, a bill that would provide $30 billion over ten years for education infrastructure. 

In 2023, Rep. Larson helped pass $20 million in increases to Title 1 and state grants to special education services. While our Title 1 and IDEA programs continue to be underfunded, these increases over the previous year are a needed boost for our most vulnerable students which is why Congressman Larson supports President Biden’s FY2025 budget increase of $200 million for Title 1 schools and echoes the administration’s call for the Federal government to fulfill its obligation to fully fund IDEA.  

Above all, schools must be a safe and secure environment for students and teachers. Unfortunately, Congress has abdicated its responsibility to take action. Gun violence is a complex issue, but the answer is not allowing guns into our schools. For more information on Rep. Larson's gun violence prevention efforts, see here.   

College Education:  

The cost of college is skyrocketing, putting higher education out of reach for some and saddling others with decades of student debt. Rep. Larson has supported numerous pieces of legislation to forgive student debt. To date, President Biden has canceled $153 billion in student debt held by 4.3 million Americans and has make changes to the student loan programs that will help borrowers get out of debt faster to they can continue to build their lives.  

Rep. Larson helped pass an increase in the maximum Pell grant that goes to the neediest of students as well as ensured the Federal Work Study and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants were protected from Republican cuts. All of these programs help students with exceptional financial need achieve a college education.

Student Debt Resources:

Rep. Larson applauds the massive strides the Biden Administration has taken to cancel and forgive student debt, especially for those who have been in public services jobs for a decade or more. Rep. Larson is a supporter of the congressional resolution to cancel up to $50,000 in student debt and has been an outspoken advocate for loan forgiveness.  

As the Administration continues to fight to cancel student debt, many of the plans and options are in flux. Please visit StudentAid.gov for the most up to date information and to see if you qualify. 

Forgiving student debt is a good first step, but we must work to make college more affordable. In 2016, Rep. Larson first introduced the ACTION for National Service Act, which would give all students access to higher education. For every year of service an individual gives the country through a program like AmeriCorps, the person would receive funding equivalent to two years of state school tuition to be used for tuition payments or student loan repayment. ACTION has been reintroduced this Congress and can be found here. For more information about ACTION for National Service, see here.