Requires any remaining funds in the enacted budget from the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship program or the Rhode Island Hope Scholarship program to be reimbursed to the onward we learn for any scholarships paid on behalf of Rhode Island College students.
Impact
This bill is expected to streamline the funding process for scholarships, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently within the educational framework of the state. By allowing the Onward We Learn scholarship program to access remaining funds from the Rhode Island Promise and Hope scholarship programs, the bill aims to bolster support for Rhode Island College students. This change could positively influence enrollment and retention rates by providing necessary financial assistance, particularly in challenging economic times.
Summary
Bill S0653, also known as the Onward We Learn Scholarship Act, aims to ensure the proper allocation of remaining funds from the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship program and the Rhode Island Hope Scholarship program. Specifically, the bill mandates that any unutilized funds from these programs after the fulfillment of eligible scholarships are to be reimbursed to the Onward We Learn program for scholarships that it has disbursed for students attending Rhode Island College. This measure intends to enhance the financial support available for students pursuing higher education in Rhode Island.
Contention
Discussions surrounding S0653 may involve considerations about the equity of funding distribution among various scholarship programs. Some stakeholders might raise concerns that directing remaining funds specifically to one program could disadvantage other scholarship initiatives. Furthermore, this bill touches on broader themes of education funding priorities, as it raises questions about the allocation of state resources and how best to support students in higher education across Rhode Island.
Changes the name of The College Crusade Scholarship to the Onward We Learn Scholarship and provide that those scholarships would not be considered federal or financial aid with regard to the Promise Scholarship or Hope Scholarship Pilot Program.
Changes the name of The College Crusade Scholarship to the Onward We Learn Scholarship and provide that those scholarships would not be considered federal or financial aid with regard to the Promise Scholarship or Hope Scholarship Pilot Program.
Extends the time for which a student may enroll in the community college of Rhode Island Promise Scholarship program to one year after the student's high school graduation.
Extends the sunset date of the Rhode Island hope scholarship pilot program from 2028 to 2030, in order to allow the program to provide eligible students with funding for tuition and mandatory fees for an additional two (2) years.
To create the Alabama Fits All Scholarship Program; require the State Board of Education to contract with a program manager to administer the program; to authorize the program manager to establish scholarship accounts on behalf of eligible students; to prohibit a program manager from accepting scholarship funds in certain circumstances; to require fiscal safeguards and accountability measures; to require eligible schools and service providers to meet certain standards to be eligible to receive scholarship funds; to authorize the program manager to distribute scholarship funds; to require the State Board of Education to provide limited oversight of the program manager, including an appeal process for the program manager's administrative decisions; to prohibit certain regulations of eligible schools and eligible service providers; to require criminal history background information checks for employees and officers of a program manager; to provide for program funding; and to require the program manager and the board to submit reports on the program to the Legislature.