UConn gets massive donation to help student housing. Here's what it targets and how.

Yahoo

25-06-2025

Few people living in Connecticut haven't heard of the struggle UConn students can face when it comes to housing.
Now, a push to encourage more University of Connecticut students to live in downtown Hartford has drawn another round of corporate support, as a major insurer based in the city has donated $500,000 for housing scholarships.
The Hartford made the gift to the UConn Foundation to help offset the cost of room and board for qualifying students in a $28 million residence hall on Pratt Street. Plans call for the residence hall to open for the fall semester of 2026, an expansion in UConn's downtown presence that began in 2017 with the opening of the Hartford regional campus on Front Street.
''We are proud to continue our partnership with UConn Hartford – an institution that shares our commitment to the city we call home,' Claire Burns, chief marketing and communications officer at The Hartford, said, in a statement. 'By supporting housing scholarships for students, we are removing financial barriers and providing students with greater access to opportunities. This gift not only supports students in their academic journey but also contributes to a more active and connected community.'
The student residence, which will create 50 suites for up to 200 students, is also aimed at bringing more vibrancy to the downtown area and foot traffic for restaurants, bars and shops.
Downtown has struggled with the loss of office workers who only travel to office part of the week, if at all. The addition of more than 3,000 rentals in and around downtown has offset some of the loss of office workers but certainly not all.
The Hartford's gift follows a $500,000 donation last year by the insurance giant Travelers Cos. also aimed at making housing more affordable to students who meet financial parameters.
UConn said aid for room and board addresses a pressing need on the Hartford campus where 86% of those enrolled received some form of financial help last year. Nearly 60% received Pell Grants, which are awarded to neediest students, according to UConn.
In a survey, 70% of students at UConn Hartford said they would like student housing, but it would need to be affordable because many live with their parents.
Mark Overmyer-Velázquez, UConn Hartford's campus dean and chief administrative officer, thanked The Hartford for its commitment to the new, downtown housing initiative.
'This investment in our students is also an investment in Hartford's future,' Overmyer-Velázquez said, in a statement. 'Together we are helping to create a more vibrant, dynamic downtown where students can live, learn, and contribute to the city's growth.'
This is The Hartford's second major gift to UConn, focused on the downtown campus.
In 2021, the property-casualty insurer gave $1 million to create The Hartford Scholars Program. The program provided financial support and mentoring for 50 UConn Hartford students.
The $28 million Hartford project involves the conversion of an annex in the office building at 242 Trumbull St., a 4-story structure which has its entrance off Pratt Street.
In the meantime, this fall UConn will offer temporary student housing in apartments downtown at the former, now converted, office building at 525 Main St., across from city hall. The decision will help address demand for downtown housing but also a dormitory crunch on UConn's main campus in Storrs.
In the last academic year, about 275 first-years and sophomores at the UConn Hartford campus took up the option of living on the Storrs campus. But the housing crunch on the Storrs campus meant eliminating the option for those enrolled in Hartford.
About 1,500 undergraduates were enrolled at Hartford as of the fall of 2024.
UConn noted that it continues to expand in Hartford. A café will open in the Hartford Times building, the centerpiece of the Hartford campus. In addition, UConn recently opened research space in the same block as PeoplesBank Arena, the former XL Center.
Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at [e-mail].