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art.011/1

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     ARTICLE 11

RELATING TO RHODE ISLAND PROMISE

     SECTION 1. The title of Chapter 16-107 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island

Promise Scholarship" is hereby amended to read as follows:

CHAPTER 16-107

RHODE ISLAND PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP

CHAPTER 16-107

RHODE ISLAND PROMISE

     SECTION 2. Sections 16-107-1, 16-107-2, 16-107-3, 16-107-4, 16-107-5, 16-107-6, 16-

107-7 and 16-107-8 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-107 entitled "Rhode Island Promise

Scholarship" are hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-107-1. Short title.

     This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Rhode Island Promise" Scholarship

Act."

     16-107-2. Legislative findings and purpose.

     (a) The general assembly finds and declares that:

     (1) Education is critical for the state's young people to achieve their dreams and develop

their talents;

     (2) The state's economic success depends on a highly educated and skilled workforce,

which is made all the more urgent by the impending need for the state to increase its state

postsecondary attainment rate to at least seventy percent (70%) by 2025 to keep pace with

projections of the percentage of state jobs that will require a postsecondary degree or certificate;

and

     (3) The state's future prosperity depends upon its ability to make educational opportunities

beyond high school available for all students, including adults, as part of a free public education.

     (b) In order to address the findings set forth in subsection (a), the purpose of this chapter

is to Rhode Island Promise is a promise and commitment on behalf of:

     (1) The state to promise to support its students’ higher education ambitions by making a

higher education affordable and part of a free public education for all students;

     (2) The students to promise to complete a degree in a timely manner and to give back to

Rhode Island after graduation; and

     (3) the state’s public postsecondary institutions to promise to accomplish the following:

     (i) increase Increase the number of students enrolling in and completing degrees and

certificates on time from eligible postsecondary institutions; from the community college of Rhode

Island.

     (ii) Align their postsecondary degrees and certificates with emerging workforce demands;

     (iii) Adopt policies and practices that support positive outcomes for all student learners;

     (iv) Reduce and eliminate achievement gaps for students from groups that are

underrepresented at the state’s public postsecondary institutions, including, but not limited to,

students from low-income families; students of underrepresented races and ethnicities; and students

who are adults, current or former foster youths, with disabilities, formerly incarcerated,

undocumented immigrants, and veterans; and

     (v) Increase the number of graduates who live, work, or continue their education in Rhode

Island after graduation.

     16-107-3. Establishment of scholarship program.

     Beginning with the high school graduating class of 2017, it is hereby established the Rhode

Island promise scholarship program that will end with the high school graduating class of 2020.

The general assembly shall annually appropriate the funds necessary to implement the purposes of

this chapter. Additional funds beyond the scholarships may be appropriated to support and advance

the Rhode Island promise scholarship program. In addition to appropriation by the general

assembly, charitable donations may be accepted into the scholarship program.

     16-107-4. Definitions.

     When used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

     (1) “Adult Student” means any student who is twenty-five (25) years of age or older by the

start of the semester in which he or she is seeking to enroll.

      (2) “Certificate” means any certificate program with labor market value as defined by the

Postsecondary Commissioner.

      (3) “College-level credit” means credit awarded by a college or university for completion

of its own courses or other academic work.

      (4) “Eligible postsecondary institution” means Rhode Island College or the Community

College of Rhode Island;

     (1) (5) "FAFSA" means the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form;

     (6) “General Education Coursework” means the educational foundation of knowledge,

skills, and attitudes that prepare students for success in their majors and their personal and

professional lives after graduation. It includes but is not limited to the required coursework of all

degrees developed by each eligible postsecondary institution that is approved by the council on

postsecondary education that is intended to ensure that all graduates of a state institution have a

balanced core of competencies and knowledge. This does not necessarily include coursework

specifically required for one’s major.

     (2) (7) "Mandatory fees and tuition" are the costs that every student is required to pay in

order to enroll in classes, and does not include room and board, textbooks, program fees that may

exist in some majors, course fees that may exist for some specific courses, meal plans, or travel;

     (3) (8) "On track to graduate on time" means the standards determined by the community

college of Rhode Island eligible postsecondary institutions in establishing the expectation of a

student to graduate with (i) an associate's degree within two (2) years of enrollment in case of a

student attending the Community College of Rhode Island full-time or within four (4) years in the

case of adult students attending part-time; or (ii) a bachelor’s degree within four (4) years of

enrollment in the case of a student attending Rhode Island College, or the prescribed completion

time for a student completing a certificate at the eligible postsecondary institution (recognizing that

some students, including students who require developmental education, are double majors, or are

enrolled in certain professional programs may require an extended time period for degree

completion);

     (9) “Receiving Institution” means the eligible postsecondary institution attended by a

transfer student after transfer;

     (4) (10) " Recipient student" means a student attending the community college of Rhode

Island who qualifies to receive the Rhode Island promise scholarship pursuant to § 16-107-6 or §

16-107-9;

     (5) (11) "Scholarship program" means the Rhode Island promise scholarship program that

is established pursuant to § 16-107-3; and

     (12) “Sending Institution” means the eligible postsecondary institution attended by a

transfer student before transfer;

     (6) (13) "State" means the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

     (14) “Transfer student” means any student who attends an eligible postsecondary

institution and holds any college-level credit hours for courses or other academic work at a

previously attended eligible postsecondary institution.

     16-107-5. Administration of scholarship program.

     (a) The financial aid office, in conjunction with the office of enrollment management or

their respective equivalent offices, at an eligible postsecondary institution the community college

of Rhode Island, shall administer the scholarship program for state residents seeking associate

degrees, bachelor’s degrees, or certificates who meet the eligibility requirements in this chapter.

     (b) An award of the scholarship program shall cover up to the cost of two (2) years of

tuition and mandatory fees, or in the case of an adult student sixty (60) credit hours of tuition and

mandatory fees over a duration of no more than four (4) years, less federal and all other financial

aid monies available to the recipient student. None of any grants received by students from the

Department of Children, Youth and Families’ Higher Education Opportunity Incentive Grant as

established by § 42-72.8 or the College Crusade Scholarship Act as established in § 16-70 shall be

considered federal or financial aid for the purposes of this Chapter.

     (c) The scholarship program is limited to one award per student as required by § 16-107-

6(a)(7).

     A student may continue to receive an award towards a degree following completion of a

certificate program, provided that the student remains on track to graduate on time.

     (d) If a recipient student is eligible to receive employer-sponsored tuition assistance, the

eligible postsecondary institution shall enter into an agreement with the recipient student and/or the

student’s employer stipulating that student’s home institution would provide an upfront scholarship

award and the student’s employer would submit corresponding tuition assistance reimbursements

to the student’s home institution upon the student’s completion of applicable courses, consistent

with the agreement and any applicable policy of the student’s employer.

     16-107-6. Eligibility for scholarship at the Community College of Rhode Island.

     (a) Beginning with the students who enroll at the community college of Rhode Island

directly after high school in fall of 2017 and adult students who enroll at the community college of

Rhode Island in fall of 2019 ending with students who enroll at the community college of Rhode

Island in the fall of 2020, to be considered for the scholarship, a student:

     (1) Must qualify for in-state tuition and fees pursuant to the residency policy adopted by

the council on postsecondary education, as amended, supplemented, restated, or otherwise modified

from time to time ("residency policy"); provided, that, the student must have either:

     (i) have satisfied the high school graduation/equivalency diploma condition prior to

reaching nineteen (19) years of age; provided, further, that in addition to the option of meeting the

requirement by receiving a high school equivalency diploma as described in the residency policy,

the student can satisfy the condition by receiving other certificates or documents of equivalent

nature from the state or its municipalities as recognized by applicable regulations promulgated by

the council on elementary and secondary education; or

     (ii) be qualified as an adult student;

     (2) Must Other than an adult student, must be admitted to, and must enroll and attend the

community college of Rhode Island on a full-time basis by the semester immediately following

high school graduation or the semester immediately following receipt of a high school equivalency

diploma;

     (3) Must complete the FAFSA and any required FAFSA verification by the deadline

prescribed by the community college of Rhode Island for each year in which the student seeks to

receive funding under the scholarship program;

     (4) Must either:

     (i) continue to be enrolled on a full-time basis; or

     (ii) if qualified as an adult student, continue to be enrolled in courses corresponding to at

least eighteen (18) credit hours or more on an annual basis.

     (5) Must maintain an average annual cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or

greater, as determined by the community college of Rhode Island;

     (6) Must remain on track to graduate on time as determined by the community college of

Rhode Island;

     (7) Must not have already received an award under this scholarship program; and

     (8) Must commit to live, work, or continue their education in Rhode Island after graduation.

     The community college of Rhode Island shall develop a policy that will secure this

commitment from recipient students.

     (b) Notwithstanding the eligibility requirements under subsection (a) of this section

("specified conditions"):

     (i) In the case of a recipient student who has an approved medical or personal leave of

absence or is unable to satisfy one or more specified conditions because of the student's medical or

personal circumstances, the student may continue to receive an award under the scholarship

program upon resuming the student's education so long as the student continues to meet all other

applicable eligibility requirements; and

     (ii) In the case of a recipient student who is a member of the national guard or a member

of a reserve unit of a branch of the United States military and is unable to satisfy one or more

specified conditions because the student is or will be in basic or special military training, or is or

will be participating in a deployment of the student's guard or reserve unit, the student may continue

to receive an award under the scholarship program upon completion of the student's basic or special

military training or deployment.

     16-107-7. Reporting and disbursement.

     (a) On or before November 10 and May 10 of each fiscal year following fiscal year 2017,

the community college of Rhode Island eligible postsecondary institutions shall each shall submit

a report to the director of the office of management and budget, the state budget officer, the house

fiscal advisor, the senate fiscal advisor, the commissioner of postsecondary education, and the chair

of the council on postsecondary education detailing the number of students eligible to participate

in the scholarship program, the amount of federal and institutional financial aid anticipated to be

received by recipient students, the aggregate tuition and mandatory fee costs attributable to

recipient students, and the resulting total cost of the scholarship program to the state. The report

shall contain such data for both the current fiscal year and the most up-to-date forecast for the

following fiscal year. Data reported shall be subdivided by student-year cohort and shall be

accompanied by a written explanation detailing the estimating methodology utilized and any

impact(s) the forecasted data may present to institutional capacity, operational costs, and the

tuition/fee revenue base of the institution.

     (b) On or before July 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, all eligible postsecondary

institutions the community college of Rhode Island and the commissioner of postsecondary

education shall submit a report evaluating the program based on the first two cohorts to the

governor, speaker of the house, and the president of the senate. This evaluation shall include the

following:

     (1) The number of students who started in each cohort;

     (2) The number of students in each cohort who have attained a degree or certification in an

on-time manner;

     (3) The number of students in each cohort who have not attained a degree or certification

in an on-time manner and an analysis of why that has happened;

     (4) The number of students in each cohort who began the program but have been unable to

continue or complete the program and an analysis of why that has happened;

     (5) The costs of the program and the costs of continuing the program;

     (6) Suggestions for ways to increase the success of the program;

     (7) Recommendations as to modifying, continuing, expanding, curtailing, or discontinuing

the program; and

     (8) Any such other recommendations or information as the community college of Rhode

Island eligible postsecondary institutions and the commissioner of postsecondary education deem

appropriate to include in the evaluation; and.

     (9) An update on the implementation of requirements pursuant to § 16-107-10.

     (c) The office of management and budget, in consultation with the office of the

postsecondary commissioner, shall oversee the apportionment and disbursement of all funds

appropriated for the purpose of the scholarship program.

     16-107-8. Rules and procedures.

     The council on postsecondary education is hereby authorized to promulgate rules to

effectuate the purposes of this chapter and the community college of Rhode Island eligible

postsecondary institutions shall each establish appeal procedures for the award, denial, or

revocation of funding under the scholarship program. The rules shall be promulgated in accordance

with § 16-59-4.

     SECTION 3. Chapter 16-107 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Promise

Scholarship" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

     16-107-9. Eligibility for scholarship at Rhode Island College.

     (a) Beginning with the students who enrolled at Rhode Island College in the Fall of 2017

a student:

     (1) Must qualify for in-state tuition and fees pursuant to the residency policy adopted by

the council on postsecondary education, as amended, supplemented, restated, or otherwise modified

from time to time ("residency policy");

     (2) Must be a currently enrolled full-time student who has declared a major and earned a

minimum of 60 credit hours towards an eligible program of study, as determined by Rhode Island

College;

     (3) Must complete the FAFSA and any required FAFSA verification by the deadline

prescribed by Rhode Island College for each year in which the student seeks to receive funding

under the scholarship program;

     (4) Must enroll full-time as a freshman as a first-time student and continue to be enrolled

on a full-time basis;

     (5) Must maintain an average annual cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or

greater, as determined by Rhode Island College;

     (6) Must remain on track to graduate on time as determined by Rhode Island College;

     (7) Must not have already received an award under this scholarship program; and

     (8) Must commit to live, work, or continue their education in Rhode Island after graduation.

     Rhode Island College shall develop a policy that will secure this commitment from

recipient students.

     (b) Notwithstanding the eligibility requirements under subsection (a) of this section

("specified conditions"):

     (i) In the case of a recipient student who has an approved medical or personal leave of

absence or is unable to satisfy one or more specified conditions because of the student's medical or

personal circumstances, the student may continue to receive an award under the scholarship

program upon resuming the student's education so long as the student continues to meet all other

applicable eligibility requirements; and

     (ii) In the case of a recipient student who is a member of the national guard or a member

of a reserve unit of a branch of the United States military and is unable to satisfy one or more

specified conditions because the student is or will be in basic or special military training, or is or

will be participating in a deployment of the student's guard or reserve unit, the student may continue

to receive an award under the scholarship program upon completion of the student's basic or special

military training or deployment.

     16-107-10. Requirements of the Eligible Postsecondary Institutions of Higher

Education and the Council on Postsecondary Education.

     The requirements of the eligible postsecondary institutions and council on postsecondary

education shall advance the goals outlined in Section § 16-107-2 and shall include all of the

following:

      (a) The council on postsecondary education shall adopt a policy by January 1, 2020 that

reduces an eligible postsecondary institution’s performance incentive funding pursuant to § 16-106

for every student who begins their course of study or transfers into an eligible postsecondary

institution and who completes more than 135 credit hours to achieve a bachelor’s degree or more

than 75 credit hours to complete an associate degree. Exceptions may be made in the policy for

programs that require more than 135 credit hours to achieve a bachelor’s degree or more than 75

credit hours to complete an associate degree. The institution’s performance incentive funding must

be reduced by an amount determined by the council per credit hour beyond the thresholds

established in the immediately preceding sentence on an annual basis based on the immediately

prior year’s student data.

     (b) Each eligible postsecondary institution shall offer credit courses during summer and

winter intersessions by January 1, 2020. Summer and winter intersessions shall have the following

characteristics:

     (1) Enrollment shall be open to all current students of the eligible postsecondary institution.

     (2) Coursework shall be available in at least the most in-demand courses of study so as to

allow students to matriculate more easily through their eligible postsecondary institution as

determined by the institution.

     (c) The council on postsecondary education shall revise its Transfer and Articulation

policies by July 1, 2021 to include the following requirements:

     (1) All eligible postsecondary institutions shall accept all college-level credit hours earned

with a passing grade taken at any eligible postsecondary institution by any student to be applied in

the same way by each eligible postsecondary institution as they would be if they were taken at that

institution. All eligible postsecondary institutions shall uniformly determine which courses are

college-level on the basis of whether the courses are not remedial or developmental, whether the

courses carry one or more credit hours, and whether the credit hours are eligible to be counted

toward graduation at the sending institution. If any non-remedial course is not determined to be

college-level, that institution must improve the course to meet the agreed-upon standard and ensure

transferability.

     (2) Transfer students shall not be required to take additional assessments or evaluations if

this is not required for home institution students. If assessments or evaluations are required for

specific programs, then they shall be used at every eligible postsecondary institution in applicable

courses.

     (3) The direction of student transfer from any eligible postsecondary institution to another

eligible postsecondary institution, from a two-year to a four-year college or university, four-year to

a two-year, or four-year to four-year, shall not affect the transferability of credit hours.

     (4) The numerical value of credit hours shall be maintained in a transfer from any eligible

postsecondary institution to another eligible postsecondary institution. The receiving institution

shall grant the same total number of credits as originally assigned by the sending institution. In

some cases there may be a difference in the number of credits assigned to the course by each

institution. In those cases, the course will receive the number of credits assigned by the sending

institution with any remaining number of credits assigned as elective credits.

     (5) Whenever possible, college-level credit earned in a transferable course will be granted

without regard to the date when the course was completed. Exceptions may be granted under a

process detailed in the council’s policy.

     (6) All eligible postsecondary institutions shall establish a common curriculum of general

education coursework that contains a minimum of [30-32] college-level credits. Students at eligible

postsecondary institutions who complete the common curriculum of general education coursework

shall be able to transfer each college-level credit contained within the curriculum from an eligible

postsecondary institution to another eligible postsecondary institution and have each college-level

credit from the common curriculum be counted towards the student’s degree requirements at any

eligible postsecondary institution. Students completing the common curriculum of general

education coursework shall not be required to take any additional lower-division general education

courses upon transfer. The council on postsecondary education is hereby directed to adopt at least

one common curriculum of general education coursework described in this section that is available

for use by students by the beginning of the 2020-2021 academic year. Any lower division courses

available at the Community College of Rhode Island must articulate to Rhode Island College and

the University of Rhode Island as meeting general education, major prerequisite, or major

requirements. Courses developed to meet major requirements for career and technical programs

may be exempt from this requirement if an articulated bachelor’s degree is not available.

     (7) All undergraduate courses at each eligible postsecondary institution shall utilize the

same course numbering system with equivalent courses offered throughout the institutions. To be

assigned a new and unique course number, the proposed course content must be unique and not

found in a current or pending course. The council on postsecondary education shall adopt this

common course numbering system for use by all eligible postsecondary institutions by July 1, 2021,

with the system being implemented by the beginning of the 2021/2022 school year.

     (8) Each eligible postsecondary institution shall collaborate to develop a unified statewide

transfer agreement, aligned with the common curriculum of general education coursework

established under paragraph (c)(7) of this section for each course of study. The council on

postsecondary education shall be responsible for adopting the agreements. The council shall adopt

a unified statewide transfer agreement for at least three major courses of study per year until all

courses of study have a unified statewide transfer agreement. The first three unified statewide

transfer agreements must be adopted by the council by January 1, 2020. Each unified statewide

transfer agreement developed under this section must:

     (i) Enable a student to transfer from each eligible postsecondary institution to any other

eligible postsecondary institution without the loss of college-level credit or the requirement to

retake a course at a public institution that the student has successfully completed at any other

eligible postsecondary institution, provided that the grade in each course that is transferred meets

the degree requirements established by the unified statewide transfer agreement;

     (ii) Contain provisions that identify the optimal number of college-level credit hours,

including credit hours in the major course of study, that the student should have when the student

transfers from any eligible postsecondary institution to another eligible postsecondary institution

in order for the student to efficiently receive a bachelor’s degree; and

     (iii) Define the classes and completion standards for the optimal number of college-level

credit hours identified in paragraph (ii) of this subsection that may be taken at each eligible

postsecondary institution;

     (iv) Ensure that if a student at any eligible postsecondary institution has completed 60

college-level credit hours of coursework in conformity with the completion standards identified in

paragraph (iii) of this subsection and transfers to any eligible postsecondary institution, the student

will receive junior status in the major course of study at the eligible postsecondary institution and

be able to receive a bachelor’s degree in the major course of study by completing the additional

college-level credits identified in the unified statewide transfer agreement after the transfer, based

on the total number of college-level credit hours and standards approved by the accrediting body

for the eligible postsecondary institution; and

     (v) For unified statewide transfer agreements that specify an optimal number of college-

level credit hours for transfer students other than 60, ensure that if a student at any eligible

postsecondary institution has completed the specified number of college-level credit hours of

coursework in conformity with the completion standards identified in this subsection and transfers

to another eligible postsecondary institution, the student will receive status at the eligible

postsecondary institution based on the number of academic credit hours referenced in the applicable

transfer agreement that is comparable to the status of students with the same number of college-

level credit hours in the major course of study who began their postsecondary studies at the

receiving institution, and be able to receive a bachelor’s degree in the major course of study by

completing the additional college-level credit hours specified in the unified statewide transfer

agreement after the transfer based on the total number of college-level credits and standards

approved by the accrediting body for the eligible postsecondary institution.

     (d) Each eligible postsecondary institution shall submit policies and procedures for students

to earn college-level credit hours for prior learning to the council on postsecondary education by

July 1, 2021. At a minimum, these procedures shall include:

     (1) A listing of the types of documentation acceptable to the institution and the dates of

inclusion for which prior learning is acceptable;

     (2) Guidelines for student requests for awards of college-level credit hours for prior

learning. Institutions must establish a written record of their decisions and the basis for that decision

in accepting or declining a Prior Learning Assessment (“PLA”) for academic credit hours.

Institutional policies should ensure the transparency of the award or denial of PLA credit hours;

     (3) A process for appealing PLA decisions; and

     (4) A process for assessing every enrolling student for college-level credit hours for prior

learning;

     Credit hours earned through PLA will be transferable in accordance with this chapter.

     (e) Each eligible postsecondary institution shall complete an Academic Program

Prioritization Process approved by the council on postsecondary education by September 1, 2021.

This process shall include the following and shall not take more than one year to complete after the

process is approved by the Council:

     (1) An analysis of the postsecondary and workforce needs of the state;

     (2) Identification of a plan for program expansion, consolidation, and closure based on that

analysis;

     (3) Participation of, but not limited to, faculty, the business community, and the community

at large.

     (f) The council on postsecondary education shall approve a policy by January 1, 2020 that

sets standards for making course offerings at the eligible postsecondary institutions predictable,

structured, and more flexible to meet student scheduling needs. The policy shall facilitate

opportunities for students to take required courses in a timely manner. The policy shall also

encourage the institutions to enable students to begin courses outside of the traditional academic

schedules in order to improve time to completion. The policy shall further make courses accessible

to working students and consistently available outside of regular work hours.

     (g) Each eligible postsecondary institution shall establish and submit to the council on

postsecondary education for approval a work plan to implement with an effective date no later than

September 1, 2020 a clearly structured, coherent and guided pathway program available to all

entering students for purposes of improving students’ outcomes and reducing time to attain degrees.

Work plans submitted by all eligible postsecondary institutions shall do the following:

     (1) Simplify students’ choices with default program maps developed by faculty and

advisors for all academic and vocational programs that show students a clear pathway to completion

within two (2) academic years for an associate degree program and four (4) years for a bachelor’s

degree program;

     (2) Ensure student advising and support services are available to help students transitioning

from high school, exploring academic fields, choosing a major, and developing a comprehensive

academic plan so as to remain on track to graduate on time;

     (3) Redesign traditional remediation to become an “on-ramp” to a program of study, which

helps students explore academic and career options from the beginning of their college experience,

to align math and other foundational coursework with a student’s program of study, and to integrate

and contextualize instructions to build academic and nonacademic foundation skills throughout the

college-level curriculum, particularly in program “gateway” courses;

     (4) Implement procedures and systems, supported by appropriate technology, to monitor

students’ progress toward completing their academic plans, to identify students who are at risk of

not progressing in a program, and to intervene promptly with advising and other academic supports

to help students resume their progress or revise their plans; and

     (5) Embed academic and nonacademic supports throughout student programs to promote

student learning and persistence.

     (h) Each eligible postsecondary institution shall utilize evidence-based assessment and

placement practices that incorporate multiple student performance measures to improve outcomes

for underprepared students, which measures shall include, but not be limited to, overall grade point

averages and grades in high school courses.

     (i) The Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner shall maintain and publish data on the

state’s postsecondary system. The eligible postsecondary institutions shall, on a quarterly basis,

transmit the following data elements, disaggregated by institution, race/ethnicity, program/major

enrollment, enrollment status, and income level, including Pell status, to the Office:

     (1) Average net cost of attendance;

     (2) Retention by term or year;

     (3) Short- and long-term wage effects;

     (4) Cumulative college-level credit hours attempted and earned;

     (5) Remedial and gateway course enrollment and completion;

     (6) Transfer credit(s) earned by students transferring into the institution;

     (7) Graduation rates;

     (8) Time and Credits to earning a credential; and

     (9) Any other data as determined necessary for regular review and analysis by the council

on postsecondary education to accomplish the goals articulated in § 16-107-2. This data should be

regularly available on the Postsecondary Commissioner’s website for public use.

     16-107-11. Eligibility for child care assistance. 

     (a) Recipient students may qualify for child care assistance administered by the department

of human services for appropriate child care pursuant to §40-5.2-20 (b).

     (b) The department of human services shall promulgate rules, regulations and procedures

to facilitate access to child care assistance for recipient students who are eligible pursuant to §40-

5.2-20(b).

     SECTION 4. Section 16-56-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-56 entitled

"Postsecondary Student Financial Assistance" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-56-6. Need-based grants.

     (a) Amount of funds allocated. The commissioner of postsecondary education shall allocate

annually the appropriation for need-based scholarships and grants. Of the total amount appropriated

for need-based scholarship and grants, the lesser of twenty percent (20%) or two million dollars

($2,000,000) shall be distributed to qualified students attending participating, independent, non-

profit, higher education institutions in Rhode Island. The remainder of funds shall be limited to

public higher education institutions in Rhode Island. As part of the annual budget submission, the

office of postsecondary commissioner shall include a plan of how the need-based scholarship and

grant funds will be allocated to each public institution receiving funds pursuant to this chapter and

how the funds will be distributed to students attending independent, non-profit institutions.

     (b) Eligibility of individuals. Eligibility for need-based grants and scholarships shall be

determined by the office of the postsecondary commissioner.

     (c) Number and terms of awards. The number of awards to be granted in any one fiscal

year shall be contingent upon the funds allocated to this section.

     SECTION 5. This article shall take effect upon passage.