AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND HOPE SCHOLARSHIP PILOT PROGRAM ACT (Removes the sunset provision of the Rhode Island hope pilot scholarship program, making it a permanent scholarship program and renames the program as the Rhode Island hope scholarship program.)

S2807

2026 -- S 2807
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND HOPE SCHOLARSHIP PILOT
PROGRAM ACT

Introduced By:
Senators Pearson, Gallo, Acosta, Tikoian, Lauria, Kallman, Euer, and
Zurier

Date Introduced:
March 04, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Finance
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. The title of chapter 113 of title 16 entitled "Rhode Island Hope Scholarship
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Pilot Program Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: "Rhode Island Hope Scholarship Program
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Act".
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SECTION 2. Sections 16-113-7 and 16-113-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-113
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entitled "Rhode Island Hope Scholarship Pilot Program Act" are hereby amended to read as
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follows:
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16-113-7. Reporting and disbursement.
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(a) On or before November 10, 2023, and on or before November 10 and May 10
thereafter

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for every year
through and including calendar year 2030

thereafter
, Rhode Island college shall
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submit a report to the director of the office of management and budget, the state budget officer, the
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house fiscal advisor, the senate fiscal advisor, the commissioner of postsecondary education, and
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the chair of the council on postsecondary education, detailing the following:
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(1) The number of students eligible to participate in the scholarship program;
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(2) The amount of federal and institutional financial aid anticipated to be received by
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recipient students;
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(3) The aggregate tuition and mandatory fee costs attributable to recipient students;
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(4) The resulting total cost of the scholarship program to the state; and
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(5) The report shall contain such data for both the current fiscal year and the most up-to-

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date forecast for the following fiscal year. Data reported shall be subdivided by student-year cohort
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and shall be accompanied by a written explanation detailing the estimating methodology utilized
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and any impact(s) the forecasted data may present to institutional capacity, operational costs, and
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the tuition/fee revenue base of the institution.
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(b) On or before July 1, 2030, Rhode Island college and the commissioner of postsecondary
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education shall submit a report evaluating the program based on all cohorts to the governor, speaker
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of the house, and the president of the senate. This evaluation shall include the following:
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(1) The number of students who started in each cohort;
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(2) The number of students in each cohort who have attained a degree or certification in an
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on-time manner;
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(3) The number of students in each cohort who have not attained a degree or certification
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in an on-time manner and an analysis of why that has happened;
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(4) The number of students in each cohort who began the program but have been unable to
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continue or complete the program and an analysis of why that has happened;
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(5) The costs of the program and the costs of continuing the program;
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(6) Suggestions for ways to increase the success of the program;
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(7) Recommendations as to modifying, continuing, expanding, curtailing, or discontinuing
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the program
; provided that, on and after July 1, 2026, the program shall be deemed a continuing
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scholarship program
; and
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(8) Any such other recommendations or information as Rhode Island college and the
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commissioner of postsecondary education deem appropriate to include in the evaluation.
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(c) The office of management and budget, in consultation with the office of the
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postsecondary commissioner, shall oversee the apportionment and disbursement of all funds
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appropriated for the purpose of the scholarship program.
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(d) Effective July 1, 2026, the "Rhode Island hope scholarship program" and all references
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to the "Rhode Island hope scholarship pilot program" shall be construed to mean and refer to the
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"Rhode Island hope scholarship program."
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16-113-10.
Funding of and sunset of pilot program
Funding of Rhode Island hope
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scholarship program.
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The Rhode Island hope scholarship pilot program shall be funded from July 1, 2023,
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through and including June 30, 2030

and every year thereafter
.
There shall be no further funding
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of the pilot program without further action of the general assembly.
Any
final
reports due pursuant
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to this chapter shall be filed pursuant to the dates set forth herein.

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SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND HOPE SCHOLARSHIP PILOT
PROGRAM ACT
***
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This act would remove the sunset provision of the Rhode Island hope pilot scholarship
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program, making it a permanent scholarship program. This act would also rename the program as
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the Rhode Island hope scholarship program.
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This act would take effect on take effect on July 1, 2026.
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