Woonsocket Radio News Room

 

Governor McKee Announces Budget Amendment to Extend Hope Scholarship at Rhode Island College Program provides last-dollar tuition support to in-state students at RIC for junior and senior years  


PROVIDENCE, RI – Governor Dan McKee today filed a budget amendment to extend Rhode Island College’s (RIC) Hope Scholarship program for an additional two years through July 1, 2030. Proposed by Governor McKee and approved by the General Assembly in 2023, the Hope Scholarship provides last-dollar tuition support to RIC in-state students for their junior and senior years.

“Supporting students and giving them the financial flexibility to pursue higher education and career pathways is at the core of Hope Scholarship,” said Governor Dan McKee. “I’m proud to extend this opportunity for Rhode Island College students to build a bright future right here in the Ocean State.”
 
"The Hope Scholarship is already making a tremendous impact for the 243 students who are able to continue their education this year tuition-free. It empowers them to focus exclusively on their academic success, without the stress or distractions of student loans or working too many hours,” said Dr. Jack Warner, president of RIC. “The proposed extension of this transformative program will enable the state to accrue a real return on investment, as the education level of our workforce increases, and the economic mobility of our graduates rises."
 
The Hope Scholarship launched in 2023 as a pilot program. It is open to in-state juniors and seniors at RIC who maintain a 2.5 GPA or higher and are on track to graduate or earn an approved certificate in a total of four years. Without the Governor’s budget amendment, the pilot program is slated to end with the final cohort graduating high school in May 2025.

As of April 2024, 243 RIC juniors and seniors have benefitted from the scholarship in the 2023-2024 academic year, which has saved an estimated $2,149,595.50 in tuition and fees during that span.

“That a college education leads to a better quality of life and a wider variety of career opportunities is unquestionable,” said Shannon Gilkey, Ed.D., Rhode Island Postsecondary Commissioner. “This is another example how the state of Rhode Island, led by the McKee administration, continues to prioritize and address the affordability of higher education facing Rhode Islanders and a belief that any Rhode Islander should have the ability to earn a college degree.”  

The Hope Scholarship is designed to address affordability issues and increase the percentage of students who earn their bachelor’s degree. This is beneficial for each student receiving a degree as it promises greater lifelong earnings, better overall health, and increased civic engagement. It is also a benefit to the state as a whole, as RIC is one of the leading producers of nurses, teachers, and social workers in Rhode Island.

 

 

Columbia University is giving anti-Israel student protestors a deadline to break up their encampment or risk suspension through next school year. President Minouche [[ me-knew ]] Shafik [[ shaw-feek ]] says administrators and student organizers have had constructive conversations since last week but rejected their demands to divest from Israel. Students have until 2 p.m. New York time to break up their encampment.        At least five people are dead after tornadoes tore through four states over the weekend. A four-month-old baby was one of four people killed in Oklahoma. Another person lost their life in Iowa due to storm-related injuries. The fatal tornadoes over the weekend led to massive destruction in some towns, including Sulphur, Oklahoma, and Minden, Iowa.        Speaker Mike Johnson continues to face threats for his removal from some conservatives in his party. Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene on Sunday said Johnson's days as speaker are "numbered" after he backed additional military aid for Ukraine. Greene last month filed a motion to remove Johnson, but it's not clear if or when she'll call the motion to a vote on the House floor. Two Republicans have already backed the effort, but Democrats have signaled they would vote to save Johnson's job.        The first trial in a pandemic relief funds fraud case is set to start today in Minneapolis. Seven defendants are charged with wire fraud and money laundering. They all had ties to a Minnesota business that enrolled in federal meal programs to feed needy children in April 2020. The defendants are accused of receiving more than 40 million dollars in federal reimbursements for claiming to serve over 18 million meals to children across Minnesota.        A truck driver who says he was fired over a CBD elixir will have his case heard before the Supreme Court. Douglas Horn, who worked as a trucker for 14 years, tried a product called "Dixie X" that was advertised to contain no THC in 2012. He failed his drug test weeks later. Horn filed the lawsuit in the Western District of New York in 2015, alleging the companies involved in making and distributing Dixie X violated the Controlled Substances Act.        "Challengers" tops the box office on its opening weekend. The R-rated drama about a love triangle in the world of competitive tennis earned an estimated 15-million-dollars. "Unsung Hero," a drama about the Christian rock group For King & Country, was second with an estimated seven-point-seven-million-dollars. "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" remains in the top five, placing third with seven-point-two million-dollars.        

Old News Archives