R.I. Makes Community College Free

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island has become the fourth state in the country to make community college tuition-free.

Lawmakers approved the four-year pilot program at the Community College of Rhode Island called the Promise Scholarship Thursday as part of passing the state budget. The scholarship will cover the cost of tuition and fees for new students regardless of their income. The applicants must also be Rhode Island residents.

The state budget includes $2.8 million for the initiative in its first year. Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo proposed to make two years tuition-free at the state’s public four-year colleges along with the community college, but that proposal was rejected.

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