As of Friday, the deadline for priority financial aid, 1,100 members of the high school class of 2017 had registered under the governor's Rhode Island Promise program for free tuition at the Community College of Rhode Island. There's still time to
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As of Friday, the deadline for priority financial aid, 1,100 members of the high school class of 2017 had registered under the governor’s Rhode Island Promise program for free tuition at the Community College of Rhode Island.
There’s still time to register for the program before classes start on Sept. 5, said Patrick Stone, CCRI director of marketing and communications.
Enrollment under the program, which is limited to June Rhode Island high school graduates enrolling as full-time CCRI students is what was projected. Nonetheless, with the state budget not gaining approval until August and the prospect of the program uncertain, the enrollment effort started late.
“It was a mad house,” Stone said of the most recent registration session. He believes parents and their children “caught wind” of the free tuition and hastily made the decision to attend CCRI. In some cases, students who had already made plans to attend another institution changed their plans to take advantage of the free tuition. In many cases students not considering higher education, decided now was the time to advance their studies.
To remain eligible for the program, students must complete 30 credits in the first year and have a grade point average of 2.5.
The projected cost of Rhode Island Promise is $2.75 million in the first year. The state scholarship kicks in after other financial aid like Pell Grants are applied.
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richardcorrente
According to the CCRI website the annual tuition is approximately $2,500. If that is accurate, the 1,100 applicants have already exceeded the projected cost of $2.75 million.
This "free" education is going to cost the Rhode Island taxpayer a fortune! I predict it will be the most expensive part of our taxes.
Happy September everyone.
Rick Corrente
The Taxpayers Mayor
Tuesday, August 29, 2017 Report this
CrickeeRaven
What a fool the fake "mayor" continues to be by proving yet again his failure to grasp basic facts.
$2.75 million is barely a sliver of the state's $9.2 billion budget (nowhere near the "most expensive part" of it), and 1,100 times $2,500 is exactly $2.75 million.
He will certainly continue to embarrass himself in his future comments.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017 Report this
Justanidiot
wen ken eyes get a free edumacation? eyes wasn't lucky enuf to be borned in 1999 so eyes guess i am sheets out of luck
Wednesday, August 30, 2017 Report this
richardcorrente
Dear CrickeeRaven,
I compared the present amount spent (as of Friday, August 25th) on this "free" education, with the amount the State of R.I. projected to spend for the entire year. Let's face it. It is going to go WAY over budget.
For some odd reason, you compared it to the entire state budget. Why? I don't know. But you're right. It is a sliver of the total budget even though that is not at all what I was talking about. I still predict that in the future, it will be the most expensive part of the state budget.
Happy September CrickeeRaven.
Happy September everyone.
Wednesday, August 30, 2017 Report this