Raimondo Increases Opportunity for College Students
| PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Governor Gina M. Raimondo today continued to highlight recent investments in education by focusing on increasing college access and affordability. The Rhode Island’s Promise scholarship will help students with proven academic performance to tackle the gap between their financial aid package and the actual costs of college.»My dad took advantage of the GI Bill and became the first person in our family to go to college. That enabled him to get a good job. One person going to college changed all of our lives,» said Raimondo. «Now more than ever, higher education can be the ladder to the middle class. Rhode Island’s Promise will open the door of opportunity for so many Rhode Islanders.»
«Rhode Island’s Promise enables Rhode Island campuses to provide meaningful financial aid packages that can make a strong impact on improving student success,» said Commissioner of Postsecondary Education Jim Purcell. This program restructures Rhode Island’s higher education grant program. For the first time, the University of Rhode Island (URI), Rhode Island College (RIC) and the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) will have greater flexibility in the amount of funding they are awarding in order to close the gap between what a student can pay and the cost of college. With the 4th highest average student debt in the country at $31,561, Rhode Island’s Promise is integral to helping Rhode Island students complete their academic studies and be prepared to compete in a 21st century economy. «URI is pleased to support Governor Raimondo’s steps to make higher education more affordable for all Rhode Islanders,» said URI President David M. Dooley. «This new initiative will go a long way toward helping students obtain the education they need to succeed in our increasingly competitive, global economy.» «RIC wholeheartedly supports Governor Raimondo’s efforts to make a college education more affordable for Rhode Islanders,» said President Nancy Carriuolo. «Rhode Island’s Promise, her most recent initiative, has already benefited more than 500 RIC students.» «A gap between a financial aid award and the amount needed to cover all costs of education is frequently a determining factor of whether students will pursue college.» said President Ray Di Pasquale. «Rhode Island’s Promise awards will fill this critical gap for thousands, allowing CCRI to double the number of students who receive enough aid to attend college at no cost to them.» For more information on Governor Raimondo’s education plan click here.
|