Senate Bill #79 (2021)
AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION
Removes the requirement that the scholarship program cease with the enrollment of the high school graduating class of 2021 at the community college of Rhode Island.
View latest version |
View original version
View status on official RI website
Subscribe to email updates
-
2021-01-26: Introduced, referred to Senate Education
-
2021-03-11: Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/17/2021)
[Show]
-
2021-03-17: Committee recommended measure be held for further study
-
2021-04-02: Scheduled for consideration (04/07/2021)
[Show]
-
2021-04-07: Committee recommends passage
-
2021-04-08: Placed on Senate Calendar (04/13/2021)
[Show]
-
2021-04-13: Senate read and passed
-
2021-04-14: Referred to House Finance
-
2021-05-07: Scheduled for consideration
-
2021-05-07: Scheduled for consideration (05/11/2021)
[Show]
-
2021-05-07: Proposed Substitute
-
2021-05-11: Committee recommends passage of Sub A
-
2021-05-14: Placed on House Calendar (05/18/2021)
[Show]
-
2021-05-18: House passed Sub A
-
2021-05-19: Placed on Senate Calendar (05/25/2021)
[Show]
-
2021-05-25: Senate passed Sub A in concurrence
-
2021-05-25: Transmitted to Governor
-
2021-05-28: Signed by Governor
Changes since original draft
2021 – S 0079- 2021 – S 0079 SUBSTITUTE A
- ========
LC001153- LC001153/SUB A
- ========
- S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
- IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
- JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021
- ____________
- A N A C T
- RELATING TO EDUCATION
- Introduced By: Senators Ruggerio, McCaffrey, Goodwin, Gallo, Cano, Pearson,
- Sosnowski, Euer, DiPalma, and Ciccone
- Date Introduced: January 26, 2021
- Referred To: Senate Education
- It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 16-107-3 and 16-107-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-107 entitled "Rhode Island Promise Scholarship" are hereby amended to read as follows:- SECTION 1. Sections 16-107-3, 16-107-4 and 16-107-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-107 entitled "Rhode Island Promise Scholarship" are hereby amended to read as follows:
- 16-107-3. Establishment of scholarship program.
Beginningwith the high school graduatingclass of 2017, it is herebyestablished the Rhode Island promise scholarship program that will end with the high school graduating class of 2021. The general assembly shall annually appropriate the funds necessary to implement the purposes of this chapter. Additional funds beyond the scholarships may be appropriated to support and advance the Rhode Island promise scholarship program. In addition to appropriation by the general assembly, charitable donations may be accepted into the scholarship program.- Beginning with the high school graduating class of 2017, it there is hereby established the Rhode Island promise scholarship program that will end with the high school graduating class of 2021. The general assembly shall annually appropriate the funds necessary to implement the purposes of this chapter. Additional funds beyond the scholarships may be appropriated to support and advance the Rhode Island promise scholarship program. In addition to appropriation by the general assembly, charitable donations may be accepted into the scholarship program.
- 16-107-4. Definitions.
- When used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
- (1) "FAFSA" means the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form;
- (2) "Mandatory fees and tuition" are the costs that every student is required to pay in order to enroll in classes, and does not include room and board, textbooks, program fees that may exist in some majors, course fees that may exist for some specific courses, meal plans, or travel;
- (3) "On track to graduate on time" means the standards determined by the community college of Rhode Island in establishing the expectation of a student to graduate with an associate's degree within two (2) years of enrollment (recognizing that some students, including students who require developmental education, are double majors, or are enrolled in certain professional programs may require an extended time period for degree completion);
- (4) "Scholarship program" means the Rhode Island promise scholarship program that is established pursuant to § 16-107-3;
- (5) "Recipient student" means a student attending the community college of Rhode Island who qualifies to receive the Rhode Island promise scholarship pursuant to § 16-107-6; and
- (6) "State" means the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.;
- (7) "Student with a disability" means any student otherwise eligible pursuant to § 16-107- 6 who has a physical, developmental or hidden disability or disabilities, as defined in § 42-87-1, that would create a hardship or other functional obstacles preventing participation in this program;
- (8) "ADA" means the American with Disabilities Act 42 U.S.C. § 12101, as may be amended from time to time; and
- (9) "Reasonable accommodations" means any necessary modifications or adjustment to a facility, equipment,programor manner of operationas requiredbythe Americanswith Disabilities Act ("ADA") and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as may be amended from time to time.
- 16-107-6. Eligibility for scholarship.
- (a) Beginning with the students who enroll at the community college of Rhode Island in the fall of 2017 and ending with students who enroll at the community college of Rhode Island in the fall of 2021, to be considered for the scholarship, a student:
- (1) Must qualify for in-state tuition and fees pursuant to the residency policy adopted by thecouncilonpostsecondaryeducation,asamended,supplemented,restated,orotherwisemodified from time to time ("residency policy"); provided, that, the student must have satisfied the high school graduation/equivalency diploma condition prior to reaching nineteen (19) years of age; provided, further, that in addition to the option of meeting the requirement by receiving a high school equivalency diploma as described in the residency policy, the student can satisfy the condition by receiving other certificates or documents of equivalent nature from the state or its municipalities as recognized by applicable regulations promulgated by the council on elementary and secondary education;
- (2) Must be admitted to, and must enroll and attend the communitycollege of Rhode Island on a full-time basis by the semester immediately following high school graduation or the semester immediately following receipt of a high school equivalency diploma;
- (3) Must complete the FAFSA and any required FAFSA verification by the deadline prescribed by the community college of Rhode Island for each year in which the student seeks to receive funding under the scholarship program;
- (4) Must continue to be enrolled on a full-time basis;
- (5) Must maintain an average annual cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or greater, as determined by the community college of Rhode Island;
- (6) Must remain on track to graduate on time as determined by the community college of Rhode Island;
- (7) Must not have already received an award under this scholarship program; and
- (8)Mustcommit tolive,work,orcontinuetheireducationinRhodeIslandaftergraduation.
- The community college of Rhode Island shall develop a policy that will secure this commitment from recipient students.
- (b) Notwithstanding the eligibility requirements under subsection (a) of this section ("specified conditions"):
- (i) In the case of a recipient student who has an approved medical or personal leave of absence or is unable to satisfy one or more specified conditions because of the student's medical or personal circumstances, the student may continue to receive an award under the scholarship program upon resuming the student's education so long as the student continues to meet all other applicable eligibility requirements; and
(ii) In the case of a recipient student who is a member of the national guard or a member of a reserve unit of a branch of the United States military and is unable to satisfy one or more specified conditions because the student is or will be in basic or special military training, or is or will beparticipatinginadeployment ofthestudent's guardorreserveunit,thestudent maycontinue to receive an award under the scholarship programupon completion ofthestudent's basic orspecial military training or deployment. SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======== LC001153 ======== EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF- (ii) In the case of a recipient student who is a member of the national guard or a member of a reserve unit of a branch of the United States military and is unable to satisfy one or more specified conditions because the student is or will be in basic or special military training, or is or will beparticipatinginadeployment ofthestudent's guardorreserveunit,thestudent maycontinue to receive an award under the scholarship programupon completion ofthestudent's basic or special military training or deployment.; and
- (iii) Any student with a disability, otherwise eligible for a scholarship pursuant to the provisions of this section, as of May 15, 2021, shall be entitled to access this program and shall be afforded all reasonable accommodations, as required by the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, including, but not limited to, enrolling on a part-time basis, attaining a high school diploma/GED by age twenty-one (21), and taking longer than two (2) years to graduate with an associate's degree.
- SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======== LC001153/SUB A ========
- EXPLANATION
- BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
- OF
- A N A C T
- RELATING TO EDUCATION
- ***
This act would remove the requirement that the scholarship program cease with the enrollment of the high school graduating class of 2021 at the community college of Rhode Island. This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC001153 ========- This act would remove the requirement that the scholarship program cease with the enrollment of the high school graduating class of 2021 at the community college of Rhode Island. The act would also provide for students with disabilities to be afforded reasonable accommodations.
- This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC001153/SUB A ========
Votes
NOTE: Electronic voting records are unofficial and may not be accurate. For an official vote tally, check the
House or Senate Journal from the day of the vote.
Floor vote for PASSAGE
IN CONCURRENCE
February 26, 2019 at 4:35pm
Yeas: 68 /
Nays: 0 /
Not voting: 7 /
Recused: 0
April 13, 2021 at 5:13pm
Yeas: 33 /
Nays: 2 /
Not voting: 3 /
Recused: 0
April 13, 2021 at 5:13pm
Yeas: 33 /
Nays: 2 /
Not voting: 3 /
Recused: 0
Floor vote for Passage
In Concurrence
May 25, 2021 at 4:50pm
Yeas: 33 /
Nays: 4 /
Not voting: 1 /
Recused: 0