AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP (Makes students in workforce-ready certificate programs at the community college of Rhode Island eligible to receive the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship.)

S2093

2026 -- S 2093
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP

Introduced By:
Senators Gu, DiPalma, Murray, Gallo, Vargas, Felag, Valverde, Urso,
Thompson, and Bell

Date Introduced:
January 16, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Finance
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Sections 16-107-4, 16-107-5 and 16-107-6 of the General Laws in Chapter
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16-107 entitled "Rhode Island Promise Scholarship" are hereby amended to read as follows:
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16-107-4. Definitions.
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When used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
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(1) “ADA” means the American with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq., as may
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be amended from time to time;
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(2) “FAFSA” means the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form;
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(3) “Mandatory fees and tuition” are the costs that every student is required to pay in order
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to enroll in classes, and does not include room and board, textbooks, program fees that may exist
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in some majors, course fees that may exist for some specific courses, meal plans, or travel;
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(4) “On track to graduate on time” means the standards determined by the community
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college of Rhode Island in establishing the expectation of a student to graduate with an
accredited
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certificate or
associate’s degree within two (2) years of enrollment (recognizing that some students,
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including students who require developmental education, are double majors, or are enrolled in
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certain professional programs may require an extended time period for
certificate or
degree
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completion);
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(5) “Reasonable accommodations” means any necessary modifications or adjustment to a
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facility, equipment, program, or manner of operation as required by the Americans with Disabilities
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Act (“ADA”) and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794, as may be

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amended from time to time;
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(6) “Recipient student” means a student attending the community college of Rhode Island
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who qualifies to receive the Rhode Island promise scholarship pursuant to § 16-107-6;
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(7) “Scholarship program” means the Rhode Island promise scholarship program that is
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established pursuant to § 16-107-3;
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(8) “State” means the state of Rhode Island; and
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(9) “Student with a disability” means any student otherwise eligible pursuant to § 16-107-
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6 who has a physical, developmental, or hidden disability or disabilities, as defined in § 42-87-1,
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that would create a hardship or other functional obstacles preventing participation in this program.
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16-107-5. Administration of scholarship program.
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(a) The financial aid office, in conjunction with the office of enrollment management or
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their respective equivalent offices, at the community college of Rhode Island, shall administer the
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scholarship program for state residents seeking
accredited certificates or
associate degrees who
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meet the eligibility requirements in this chapter.
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(b) An award of the scholarship program shall cover the cost of two (2) years of tuition and
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mandatory fees, less federal and all other financial aid monies available to the recipient student. No
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grant received by students from the College Crusade Scholarship Act as established in chapter 70
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of this title shall be considered federal or financial aid for the purposes of this chapter.
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(c) The scholarship program is limited to one award per student as required by § 16-107-
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6(a)(7).
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16-107-6. Eligibility for scholarship.
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(a) Beginning with the students who enroll at the community college of Rhode Island in
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the fall of 2017, to be considered for the scholarship, a student:
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(1) Must qualify for in-state tuition and fees pursuant to the residency policy adopted by
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the council on postsecondary education, as amended, supplemented, restated, or otherwise modified
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from time to time (“residency policy”); provided, that, the student must have satisfied the high
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school graduation/equivalency diploma condition prior to reaching nineteen (19) years of age;
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provided, further, that in addition to the option of meeting the requirement by receiving a high
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school equivalency diploma as described in the residency policy, the student can satisfy the
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condition by receiving other certificates or documents of equivalent nature from the state or its
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municipalities as recognized by applicable regulations promulgated by the council on elementary
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and secondary education;
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(2) Must be admitted to, and must enroll and attend the community college of Rhode Island
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on a full-time basis by the semester immediately following high school graduation or the semester

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immediately following receipt of a high school equivalency diploma;
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(3) Must complete the FAFSA and any required FAFSA verification, or for persons who
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are legally unable to complete the FAFSA must complete a comparable form created by the
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community college of Rhode Island, by the deadline prescribed by the community college of Rhode
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Island for each year in which the student seeks to receive funding under the scholarship program;
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(4) Must continue to be enrolled on a full-time basis;
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(5) Must maintain an average annual cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or
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greater, as determined by the community college of Rhode Island;
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(6) Must remain on track to graduate on time as determined by the community college of
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Rhode Island;
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(7) Must not have already received an award under this scholarship program; and
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(8) Must commit to live, work, or continue their education in Rhode Island after graduation.
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The community college of Rhode Island shall develop a policy that will secure this
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commitment from recipient students.
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(b) Notwithstanding the eligibility requirements under subsection (a) of this section
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(“specified conditions”):
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(1) In the case of a recipient student who has an approved medical or personal leave of
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absence or is unable to satisfy one or more specified conditions because of the student’s medical
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or personal circumstances, the student may continue to receive an award under the scholarship
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program upon resuming the student’s education so long as the student continues to meet all other
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applicable eligibility requirements;
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(2) In the case of a recipient student who is a member of the national guard or a member
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of a reserve unit of a branch of the United States military and is unable to satisfy one or more
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specified conditions because the student is or will be in basic or special military training, or is or
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will be participating in a deployment of the student’s guard or reserve unit, the student may continue
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to receive an award under the scholarship program upon completion of the student’s basic or special
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military training or deployment;
and
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(3) Any student with a disability, otherwise eligible for a scholarship pursuant to the
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provisions of this section, as of May 15, 2021, shall be entitled to access this program and shall be
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afforded all reasonable accommodations, as required by the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act of
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1973, including, but not limited to, enrolling on a part-time basis, attaining a high school
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diploma/GED by age twenty-one (21), and taking longer than two (2) years to graduate with an
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accredited certificate or
associate’s degree
;
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(4) Any student who enrolled in a postsecondary institution by the semester immediately

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following high school graduation or the semester immediately following receipt of a high school
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equivalency diploma and remained in the institution for only up to one semester may enroll and
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attend the community college of Rhode Island in the semester immediately following and qualify
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for the scholarship pursuant to this section; and
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(5) Any student may defer initial enrollment for one semester at the community college of
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Rhode Island for the semester immediately following high school graduation or the semester
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immediately following receipt of a high school equivalency diploma with an approved written
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request and reason and qualifies for the scholarship pursuant to this section
.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP
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This act would make students in workforce-ready certificate programs at the community
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college of Rhode Island eligible to receive the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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