Does the nearly 50 percent year-over-year increase in Community College of Rhode Island first-time, full-time students prove that Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s Rhode Island Promise Scholarship was a good idea?

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GOV. GINA M. Raimondo signed the paid sick leave bill passed by the General Assembly in a special session this month, as well as a bill that makes public certain 38 Studios investigation documents. But she vetoed the bill that would have more easily granted disability pensions to firefighters. / PBN FILE PHOTO / MICHAEL SALERNO
IS THE RHODE ISLAND PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP program championed by Gov. Gina M. Raimondo a sign that cost has been an impediment to people attending college, as she argued when promoting the program? / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

The Community College of Rhode Island was surprised by the success of the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship, as it saw a nearly 50 percent increase in the enrollment of first-time, full-time students. The jump comes after only a one-month period to accept applications and with no extra marketing money, according to the school. And thankfully, a drop-off in enrollment in recent years gives the school the capacity to handle the extra students, so the increase in costs to handle the larger enrollment is not a major expense.

Is the jump in enrollment a sign that Gov. Gina M. Raimondo was right to fight for the program during the legislation session? And should it embolden her to push next year for the original program, which included two years of tuition for students at Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island?

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Does the nearly 50 percent year-over-year increase in Community College of Rhode Island first-time, full-time students prove that Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s Rhode Island Promise Scholarship was a good idea?

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