PROVIDENCE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee on Tuesday highlighted a proposal in his fiscal year 2027 budget that would make the Hope Scholarship at Rhode Island College permanent.
The Hope Scholarship pilot program, launched in 2023, provides in-state students with tuition-free junior and senior years at RIC. The program has supported 568 students since its inception, and it has saved in-state students approximately $4.8 million this academic year.
"What the Hope Scholarship is about is helping provide opportunities to bring career paths that can help young people enter into a career where they are skilled and productive," Mckee said during an event at the college's Donovan Dining Center.
McKee was joined by college leaders, including President Jack R. Warner, state officials and several students who have received the scholarship to voice their support for his proposal, which is part of his Affordability for All agenda that includes initiatives aimed at reducing college costs through the state budget.
Dante DiGregorio, a political science major from Smithfield in the class of 2026, said the scholarship is vital to allowing promising students to stay in school.
“My mom taught me that you show up. You show up even when it's hard. Even when you're tired. Even when no one's watching. Rhode Island showed up for me,” DiGregorio said. “Now I'm asking you, I'm asking all of us, to show up for the next kid. The one working in their parent's shop. The one who's $200 away from dropping out. The one who just needs a little breathing room to become who they're meant to be. Make the Hope Scholarship permanent. The return is real. I am proof.”
Victoria Adu-Gyamfi, a scholarship recipient who graduated in 2025 and now works as a nurse at Rhode Island Hospital, also spoke in favor of McKee's proposal.
“The Hope Scholarship truly became my saving grace. It eased a significant portion of my financial burden and allowed me to shift my focus back to where it needed to be, on my education and my clinical growth,” she said. “Instead of constantly worrying about how I would afford to get to clinical or pay for essential materials, I was able to be more present, more prepared and more confident in my role as a student nurse. That support made a lasting difference in my ability to succeed and complete my program.”
The event was emceed by Brendan Kirby, a 2004 RIC graduate, and included remarks from state leaders and college officials.
“The powerful stories of the students who spoke today … are the most powerful argument in favor of continuing this scholarship,” Warner said. “We are profoundly grateful to Governor McKee and the General Assembly for investing in these students, which we believe is a long-term investment in the economic health of Rhode Island. The Hope Scholarship is truly a win-win-win for students, our college and our state.”
To receive the Hope Scholarship, students must live in Rhode Island; enroll at RIC full time as a first-time student; complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid; maintain a 2.5 GPA; declare a major by the beginning of junior year; stay on track to graduate in four years while meeting credit requirements; and commit to living, working, or continuing their education in Rhode Island after graduating.
“We want to make sure that our people in the state of Rhode Island have a pathway to a good career, and you do that by creating opportunities in school," McKee said. "The Hope Scholarship provides those opportunities. We want to raise incomes throughout the state of Rhode Island and every household in the state of Rhode Island. You do that through education. That’s what raises income."
Following a long period of enrollment decline, Rhode Island College welcomed its
largest freshman class in 15 years at the start of the 2025-26 academic year, which Warner largely credited to the Hope Scholarship.
“I would say the majority of it is attributable to [the Hope Scholarship] because we are seeing about a 23% increase in Rhode Islanders” among the incoming class, Warner said.
The scholarship enables students to complete a bachelor’s degree for $25,000 or less.
Under McKee’s budget proposal, funding for the Hope Scholarship would continue beyond the state-funded pilot phase, currently slated to end July 1, 2030.
The proposal is subject to review and approval by the General Assembly as part of the annual budget process. Lawmakers are expected to consider the plan in the coming months as hearings on the fiscal 2027 budget continue.
“Students should not be saddled with debt in order to gain the skills to earn a living in Rhode Island,” McKee said. “The Hope Scholarship rewards hardworking Rhode Island students by making a college degree more affordable – or for some students, by making a college degree attainable.”
Veer Mudambi is the special projects editor for the Providence Business News. He can be reached at Mudambi@PBN.com.
