Roberta B. Willis Need-Based Grant: Odds & Deadline

The Roberta B. Willis Need-Based Grant is the purely need-based half of Connecticut's Willis program, separate from the need-and-merit Willis Scholarship that requires class rank or test scores. It provides up to $4,500 a year for full-time study to Connecticut residents attending a Connecticut public or nonprofit private college, based on the student's Student Aid Index from the FAFSA. There is no application beyond the FAFSA: the college's financial aid office identifies eligible students and includes the grant in the aid package, and each college sets its own filing deadline. Because the state sets an SAI cutoff each year and colleges receive limited funds, filing the FAFSA early is the main thing a family can do. A senior who misses the merit Willis Scholarship's class rank or test score bar can still receive this grant on need alone.

Other deadlines near this one

How hard is the Roberta B. Willis Need-Based Grant to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award.

Odds: not published by the provider
Paperwork: ~2 hrs to file

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

Fewer rivalsOpen only to Connecticut residents
Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Roberta B. Willis Need-Based Grant?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

Must be a resident of Connecticut
Must attend a college in Connecticut (the award does not travel out of state)
Open to high school seniors

Confirm these before applying

Student Aid Index must be at or below the state's yearly cutoff

What the application takes

No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.

Deadline and application cycle

The next projected deadline is June 30, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual June 30 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site.

FAFSA opens: October 1, 2026
Filing deadline: June 30, 2027 (estimated)

Track the next deadline Apply on the official site

Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee. We use your student's information only to build their plan.

Common questions about the Roberta B. Willis Need-Based Grant

How much is the Roberta B. Willis Need-Based Grant worth?

The Roberta B. Willis Need-Based Grant awards up to $4,500 a year and is renewable in later years.

When is the Roberta B. Willis Need-Based Grant deadline?

The next projected deadline is June 30, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual June 30 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site.

Who is eligible for the Roberta B. Willis Need-Based Grant?

Key requirements: Must be a resident of Connecticut; Must attend a college in Connecticut (the award does not travel out of state); Open to high school seniors.

Does the Roberta B. Willis Need-Based Grant require an essay?

No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 2 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the Roberta B. Willis Need-Based Grant?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award. What is known: open only to Connecticut residents and open to a single grade level only. Plan on about 2 hrs of work.

Is the Roberta B. Willis Need-Based Grant free to apply?

Yes. The Roberta B. Willis Need-Based Grant is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.

Roberta B. Willis Need-Based Grant