NEWS

Law would enshrine 2 free years at CCRI

By JOHN HOWELL
Posted 2/4/21

By JOHN HOWELL Hardly three months ago, Community College of Rhode Island President Meghan Hughes feared legislators would scuttle the Rhode Island Promise Program. Now, with the introduction of legislation by the House and Senate leadership, the program

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NEWS

Law would enshrine 2 free years at CCRI

Posted

Hardly three months ago, Community College of Rhode Island President Meghan Hughes feared legislators would scuttle the Rhode Island Promise Program. Now, with the introduction of legislation by the House and Senate leadership, the program is being viewed as a means of turning around the state’s economy and building a strong Rhode Island future.

Last week, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio introduced legislation to permanently enact the Rhode Island Promise program. An initiative of Gov. Gina Raimondo, the program provides up to two years of free tuition for eligible Rhode Islanders at CCRI.

The program is currently set to expire with the class entering CCRI in September 2021. The bill from Ruggerio and Shekarchi would remove the sunset provision altogether, making the program permanent.

“This is the greatest thing they could do for Rhode Island citizens, the economy and for families,” said an excited Tim DelGudice, chair of the Postsecondary Education Council, in an interview. He called the Promise program a “game changer” that has already positively impacted the state’s active workforce.

Relating his own experience, DelGiudice underscored the importance of education and providing the means to access it.

He didn’t complete his associate degree until he was 30 years old, and it was another 10 years before he graduated from Providence College.

“The best investment we can make to help individuals achieve their goals is to give them the access to a college education, which is the pathway to a brighter future,” Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) said in a statement.

Last year, Hughes, fearing the General Assembly would end the program, appealed for at least another year of funding. The program is presently costing about $7 million a year. Now, should the leadership’s bill be approved – perhaps in time for Gov. Gina Raimondo to sign it before leaving for Washington – two years of free CCRI tuition is enshrined in law.

“We know that the promise of free college tuition is a powerful message, one that resonates with high school students and their families, many of whom doubted college could be part of their future. By making Rhode Island Promise permanent, current high school students, and even today’s middle schoolers, will see a path to a postsecondary degree. With this degree, Rhode Islanders will have the opportunity to build a better life for their families and Rhode Island employers will have a more robust and well-prepared workforce,” Hughes said in a statement.

CCRI spokeswoman Amy Kempe said that as of fall 2019, 2,599 students were enrolled through the program, That number dropped to 2,271 in the fall of 2020, which she attributed to the pandemic and the college’s transition to distance learning. She pointed out that the Promise is “a last dollar scholarship,” meaning that state funding doesn’t come into play until federal funding such as Pell grants have been applied.

She believes the word “free” has been a powerful message to individuals and families who previously dismissed the thought of higher education. Many of these people are eligible for Pell grants.

DelGiudice said that the mere Promise application process, requiring completion of FAFSA forms, “opens the flood gates to aid and grants.” DelGiudice is hopeful the program could eventually be expanded to Rhode Island College and that someday it might encompass the tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders who have earned some college credits but not enough to complete degree requirements.

Noting that the program has improved graduation rates, Ruggerio said in a statement: “Removing barriers to higher education, particularly its high cost, supports families, helps Rhode Islanders land better jobs, makes our workforce more attractive to employers and strengthens our economy. Rhode Island Promise is a great program that has proven itself effective, and we strongly support making it a permanent resource for students.”

Hughes said the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship Program works.

“It provides our students with the opportunity to succeed. It is a powerful, effective policy for our state and our economy. I believe now, more than ever, Rhode Island families need the security of knowing that, no matter their economic situation, their children have a path forward to a quality degree and, with it, a brighter future,” she said.

CCRI, RI Promise

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