Educational leaders are offering a financial plan to help high school students in Bridgeport and their families afford college.

Bridgeport's Brightest Scholarship is sponsored by the University of Bridgeport and Bridgeport Public Schools.

The four-year scholarship plan will reduce students' tuition to the university to $7,000 a year for commuters or $12,500 for residential students.

According to its website, the scholarship "centers around addressing complications students faced this year resulting from the rollout of the new FAFSA application".

Dr. Danielle Wilken, the university's president, says there is a chance some students may pay less than those tuition amounts.

"They are also eligible to apply and we will assist them with that process for other grants, other scholarships, other funding opportunities, so it could be even less than $7,000 per year per student," says Wilken.