Norwich — Marissa Fitzgerald has applied to nine colleges that cost as much as $62,000 a year.

“Then it kind of hit me. Like, my parents can’t pay for that and I can’t pay for that,” said Fitzgerald, 17, a senior from Bozrah at Norwich Free Academy. “Even families with parents with normal jobs, it’s really crazy. College should not cost that much.”

Fitzgerald and about a dozen other NFA students told their stories to U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Monday when he visited to hear student feedback about a package of legislation he hopes will make college education more affordable.

Blumenthal joined Senate Democrats this month in introducing the “Reducing Educational Debt Act.” The proposed legislation would make two years of community college free, adjust Pell Grants for inflation to prevent their loss of value and allow borrowers to refinance existing student loans at lower rates.

The level of outstanding student loans nationwide has reached $1.2 trillion — the highest debt other than home mortgages — and has reached the point that it denies students the ability to attend their college of choice, he said.

“We aren’t getting, as a nation, the talent that we need,” Blumenthal told the students. If cost inhibits young people from starting careers or attending the schools they want, society suffers as a whole, he said. Students also can't buy homes, start careers, start families or contribute the way they would otherwise, he said.

Blumenthal proposed two additional measures to reduce student loan debt. One would expand the existing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, to offer debt relief to teachers, police officers, public health workers and others who dedicate their careers to public service. The second would eliminate the tax penalty on low-income students who accept federal grants or scholarships.

Diaj Toussaint, 17, of Norwich, said he applied to the University of Connecticut and received a merit scholarship for full tuition and room and board for four years.

Carnegie Mellon University is his first choice, but he doesn’t know yet if he got in, he said. He has to to think about cost also.

“It’s just me and my mom working two low-wage jobs to try to figure out how I’m going to pay for college,” said Toussaint, who wants to study computer science and electrical engineering. He works 30 hours a week for Cross Sound Ferry in New London as a yard attendant; his mother's a supervisor for the ferry service.

Students at NFA said they also think about their younger siblings who will go to school after them and about managing student debt.

Meet Patel, 18, a senior from Norwich, said he applied mostly to state colleges. His parents both work at Foxwoods in the housekeeping department and neither speaks English, he said. Patel works at a Foxwoods outlet store.

“After four years at any college, if you take any loan, after six months they’re going to want a monthly payment,” said Patel, who wants to study electrical engineering. “Six months is not enough. We’re not going to have a permanent job.”

Students often have impressive choices among schools, but before they can look at that, they must take a hard look at finances, said David Klein, head of school at NFA.

"Whatever the solutions might be, I think they have to address the issue of equity and access for students to attend a college or university," he said. 

d.straszheim@theday.com

Twitter: @DStraszheim