Rhode Island governor looks to pioneer free tuition for all
Source: Associated Press
Matt O'brien, Associated Press Updated 5:04 pm, Sunday, January 22, 2017
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A college-for-all idea that sparked Democratic voter enthusiasm during the presidential race could now be tested in the smallest state.
Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo said she is pushing to make Rhode Island the first state to guarantee free access for every student who wants to go to college. The idea of expanding free public education beyond high school catapulted into the national discourse during Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' Democratic presidential campaign, and is now being considered seriously by states including New York.
"As a country we have to start asking ourselves, 'Isn't it the right thing to do now?'" Raimondo said in an interview Friday. "What's the magic of 12th grade? Once upon a time, that's what you needed to get a job. Those days are long gone and vanishing quicker every day."
At a cost she described as a $30 million "drop in the bucket" of Rhode Island's $9 billion budget, Raimondo's proposal would give in-state residents two years of free tuition at public colleges. Details were released Thursday when Raimondo submitted her annual spending plan to state lawmakers. It would need approval from the legislature, which has the nation's second-largest Democratic majority.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/education/article/Rhode-Island-governor-looks-to-pioneer-free-10875309.php
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