The Rhode Island Promise Scholarship
The Rhode Island Promise Scholarship proposal is building momentum: just ask the business groups who offered their endorsements this week. Or, look at two independent polls that show a vast majority of Rhode Islanders???three out of five???support the proposal.??
This Wednesday, executives from Information Coalition, NuLabel, Virgin Pulse and EpiVax announced the creation of an ad-hoc partnership of tech leaders supporting the Governor???s college proposal. That afternoon, the Southern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce announced a vote of its members endorsing the proposal. On Thursday morning, Laurie White and William Hatfield from the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce gave a resounding endorsement of Rhode Island Promise on behalf of the Chamber???s membership.??
???Business leaders get it. An investment in higher education is an investment in jobs. If businesses are going to hire Rhode Islanders, we need to make sure that Rhode Islanders have the skills and education they need to compete,??? said Governor Raimondo.
This week???s endorsements build on prior support from other prominent business leaders and business publications, including Gilbane???s John Sinnott and the Providence Business News???s editorial board.
It’s not just business leaders who support the proposal???two separate, independent polls released this week show that three out of five Rhode Islanders support Governor Raimondo’s Rhode Island Promise Scholarship. Bryant University’s Hassenfeld Institute for Public Leadership poll??showed that 60% of Rhode Island residents support the proposal. A separate poll, conducted by Rhode Island Working Families, had the proposal at 59% support.??
Rhode Island Promise is a game changer for our state, and most Rhode Islanders agree. Learn more about the proposal here.??