I still remember how I felt when the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision was made official in June 2022. As an undergraduate student at a Texas university, I knew things were about to change for the worse and wanted to continue to access reproductive health care safely and affordably.  After the Supreme Court eliminated the federal right to abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson, young people have a heightened sense of awareness about their reproductive rights in the states in which they attend college. A 2024 poll found 71% of current and prospective college students evaluated a state’s reproductive health policies when choosing a college to attend. Connecticut’s reproductive health policies were a key factor in my decision to move north to pursue my graduate education. Nimisha Srikanth  Currently, college students find it difficult and uncomfortable to access reproductive healthcare on campus. Some barriers include limited access to campus health centers, discrimination from healthcare professionals, and high costs of services. Because of these barriers, students travel off-campus to access reproductive healthcare, including birth control, vaginal infection treatment, and emergency contraception. Low-income students disproportionately search for off-campus reproductive health care compared to high-income students. Additionally, students who choose to become parents while obtaining higher education need more access to prenatal care and support during and post-pregnancy. Everyone deserves access to care so they can pursue their educational dreams.  Post Dobbs, college students across the United States are leading on ways to increase access to reproductive health care on their campuses. Students on 110 campuses in 27 states worked with their colleges to install vending machines that sell emergency contraception, condoms, and other reproductive health products. Students have also successfully advocated for some public colleges to provide abortion medications to students on campus in California, Massachusetts, and New York.  In Connecticut, college students are advocating for improved reproductive health care on campus. Students at Wesleyan University successfully secured university coverage of abortion services and free emergency contraception. Connecticut was the final state in the United States to allow the sale of over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as emergency contraception, in vending machines. While Connecticut legalized the sale of OTC medications through vending machines in 2023 through Public Act 23-52, the regulation is still in progress, and students and colleges must wait to install these machines.  In 2023, University of Connecticut students initiated an effort with State Representative Kate Farrar (D-West Hartford, Newington) to pass Public Act 23-41. This act required public universities with residential campuses to establish plans to provide reproductive health care services by a licensed health care provider and update them as needed. After submitting their plans, UConn and the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) systems are continuing to work on addressing their students’ reproductive health needs on their campuses.  As a next step, the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity, and Opportunity (CWCSEO) is hosting an important convening with students, healthcare providers, campus administrators, advocacy organizations, and legislators to learn and develop tangible actions to improve reproductive healthcare access. The goal is to bring student needs for reproductive healthcare into focus and develop concrete actions on how to move ahead to protect young people’s rights and improve their ability to access and afford reproductive healthcare on campus.  Connecticut is determined to be a leader in reproductive healthcare access, including for college students. As a Connecticut college student myself, I am excited to see my new state forge ahead in protecting young people’s freedoms and reproductive rights. Colleges in Connecticut have the unique opportunity to enhance the present and futures of their young people, and I can’t wait to see what change we can create together. Nimisha Sirikanth is a graduate student at Yale University.