PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A college-for-all idea that sparked enthusiasm during the presidential race could now face one of its biggest tests in Rhode Island.
Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo has proposed giving in-state residents two years of free tuition at the state’s public colleges.
Her administration spent months studying tuition-free college programs in states such as Georgia and Tennessee. Rhode Island’s would be more expansive.
By providing free tuition for students in their junior and senior years at the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College, it aims to expand enrollment and create an incentive for students to graduate on time. It also covers students obtaining a 2-year education at the Community College of Rhode Island.
The $30 million-a-year proposal differs from a recently announced New York plan by not having an income cap.
