WARWICK – With a few strokes of a pen, Gov. Daniel J. McKee has now made the state’s Rhode Island Promise program at the Community College of Rhode Island permanent.
McKee, in front of fellow state legislators and CCRI officials at CCRI’s Knight Campus, on Friday signed into law legislation that eliminates the sunset provision on the program, which provides up to two years of free tuition for eligible Rhode Islanders attending a state community college.
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The program, introduced in 2017 by then Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, was initially set to expire with the class entering CCRI in September. With McKee signing the bill into law, it put to bed questions as to whether Rhode Island Promise would remain with Raimondo now the U.S. secretary of commerce.
McKee in a statement Friday said the bill he signed into law makes a “significant investment” in accessible higher education for Rhode Island students. He also said the program helped remove barriers that many students faced in seeking higher education.
“Access to quality higher education supports our economy and our workforce, and enriches the lives of so many who call Rhode Island home,” McKee said.
According to data from McKee’s office, the college-going rate in Rhode Island increased by 8 percentage points between 2016 and 2018 – from 59% to 67% – after the first two years of the Rhode Island Promise program. CCRI President Meghan L. Hughes said in a statement that the program is allowing many more Rhode Islanders to go to college, graduate and either continue their education or enter the workforce.
“The program is a sound investment in our state’s economic future and provides our students with the opportunity to succeed,” Hughes said. “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.”
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
