Rhode Island Senate Bill S0070

Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/1/23
• Refer: 2/1/23

Caption

The College Crusade Scholarship

Impact

By clarifying the classification of the College Crusade Scholarship, this legislation seeks to enhance access to educational funding for students in Rhode Island, particularly those who might benefit from both the College Crusade program and the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship. This dual support can help alleviate the financial burdens of higher education, promoting increased enrollment and retention rates among students from low-income backgrounds. Overall, the bill reflects a commitment to supporting educational opportunities and could potentially increase the number of post-secondary graduates in the state.

Summary

S0070, titled The College Crusade Scholarship, proposes amendments to the existing Rhode Island educational statutes to redefine how scholarships from the College Crusade program are treated concerning state financial aid provisions. Specifically, the bill stipulates that any scholarships received directly from the College Crusade Scholarship Program should not count as federal or state financial aid when calculating eligibility for the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship. This adjustment is aimed at ensuring participants in the College Crusade can still qualify for additional state funding without having their scholarships deducted from their total aid packages.

Contention

While the text of the bill does not reveal any explicit points of contention, amendments to financial aid structures often raise concerns among various stakeholders. Critics might argue that changes could complicate funding mechanisms or create disparities in how different student groups access financial support. Additionally, there could be discussions regarding the long-term sustainability of such scholarship programs and their impact on the overall budget of the state education system. Ensuring that the benefits of the College Crusade do not overshadow or hinder the funding available for the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship might also be a point of debate in legislative discussions.