Mark Ojakian, president of Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, this week announced efforts to help mitigate the impact of the federal government shutdown on students at the system's 17 schools, which includes Three Rivers Community Colleges in Norwich.

In a letter, he asked campus heads to suspend tuition payments for impacted students until after the shutdown ends.

"First, there is a high likelihood that students who are federal employees or dependents thereof will face cash flow problems as a result of missed paychecks," Ojakian wrote. He added that the closure of the IRS could make filing for financial aid more difficult.

While Pell Grant and Direct Loan funding is not currently impacted, Ojakian expressed concern that it could be hard for students to confirm eligibility.

He also asked administrators to "address the cost of books, transportation, or other social service needs that impact their enrollment and success." Ojakian said colleges should ask students to sign a document saying the shutdown is financially impacting them, and that they will resume payment once the government reopens.