2021 -- H 5826
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021
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AN ACT
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP
Introduced By: Representatives Biah, Baginski, Alzate, Hull, Diaz, Williams, Amore,
Henries, McNamara, and Batista
Date Introduced: February 24, 2021
Referred To: House Education
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 16-107-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-107 entitled "Rhode
2 Island Promise Scholarship" is hereby amended to read as follows:
3 16-107-6. Eligibility for scholarship.
4 (a) Beginning with the students who enroll at the community college of Rhode Island in
5 the fall of 2017 and ending with students who enroll at the community college of Rhode Island in
6 the fall of 2021, to be considered for the scholarship, a student:
7 (1) Must qualify for in-state tuition and fees pursuant to the residency policy adopted by
8 the council on postsecondary education, as amended, supplemented, restated, or otherwise modified
9 from time to time ("residency policy"); provided, that, the student must have satisfied the high
10 school graduation/equivalency diploma condition prior to reaching nineteen (19) years of age;
11 provided, further, that in addition to the option of meeting the requirement by receiving a high
12 school equivalency diploma as described in the residency policy, the student can satisfy the
13 condition by receiving other certificates or documents of equivalent nature from the state or its
14 municipalities as recognized by applicable regulations promulgated by the council on elementary
15 and secondary education;
16 (2) Must be admitted to, and must enroll and attend the community college of Rhode Island
17 on a full-time basis by the semester immediately following high school graduation or the semester
18 immediately following receipt of a high school equivalency diploma;
19 (3) Must complete the FAFSA and any required FAFSA verification by or for persons who
 1 are legally unable to complete the FAFSA must complete a comparable form created by the
2 community college of Rhode Island by the deadline prescribed by the community college of Rhode
3 Island for each year in which the student seeks to receive funding under the scholarship program;
4 (4) Must continue to be enrolled on a full-time basis;
5 (5) Must maintain an average annual cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or
6 greater, as determined by the community college of Rhode Island;
7 (6) Must remain on track to graduate on time as determined by the community college of
8 Rhode Island;
9 (7) Must not have already received an award under this scholarship program; and
10 (8) Must commit to live, work, or continue their education in Rhode Island after graduation.
11 The community college of Rhode Island shall develop a policy that will secure this
12 commitment from recipient students.
13 (b) Notwithstanding the eligibility requirements under subsection (a) of this section
14 ("specified conditions"):
15 (i) In the case of a recipient student who has an approved medical or personal leave of
16 absence or is unable to satisfy one or more specified conditions because of the student's medical or
17 personal circumstances, the student may continue to receive an award under the scholarship
18 program upon resuming the student's education so long as the student continues to meet all other
19 applicable eligibility requirements; and
20 (ii) In the case of a recipient student who is a member of the national guard or a member
21 of a reserve unit of a branch of the United States military and is unable to satisfy one or more
22 specified conditions because the student is or will be in basic or special military training, or is or
23 will be participating in a deployment of the student's guard or reserve unit, the student may continue
24 to receive an award under the scholarship program upon completion of the student's basic or special
25 military training or deployment.
26 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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 EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
AN ACT
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP
***
1 This act would allow students who are legally unable to complete the FAFSA to complete
2 a comparable form created by the community college of Rhode Island to receive funding under the
3 Rhode Island Promise Scholarship.
4 This act would take effect upon passage.
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Statutes affected:
5826: 16-107-6