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S2650aaHigher Education

Education - Council on Postsecondary Education

This bill allows more students, including non-citizens, to qualify for in-state college tuition after two years of high school.

Introduced34 Yea4 Nay0 Not voting
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee Senate Education

Plain-English Summary

This bill updates the rules for who can pay in-state tuition at Rhode Island public colleges and universities. It reduces the requirement for a student to attend an approved Rhode Island high school from three consecutive years to two consecutive years before graduating or getting an equivalency diploma. It also removes restrictions that previously excluded certain non-US citizens and removes the requirement for students without lawful immigration status to file an affidavit promising to seek lawful immigration status.

For younger readers

When people go to a college in the state where they live, they usually pay less money. This is called "in-state tuition." This bill changes the rules for who gets to pay this lower price at Rhode Island public colleges. Now, any student who goes to a Rhode Island high school for two years instead of three years and lives in the state can pay the lower price. It also makes it easier for students who were not born in the United States to qualify.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
College studentsHigh school studentsUndocumented immigrantsNonimmigrant aliensRhode Island public universities and colleges
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely. The state has the constitutional authority to determine tuition rates, residency rules, and eligibility criteria for its own public educational institutions.

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Expands access to affordable higher education for undocumented and nonimmigrant students, promoting educational equity and social justice.
  • Lowers the high school attendance requirement from three years to two years, reducing barriers for transient or disadvantaged students.
  • Eliminates the requirement for undocumented students to file an affidavit regarding their immigration status, protecting their privacy and reducing fear of deportation.
  • Still requires at least two years of high school attendance, which excludes newly arrived immigrant or refugee students from receiving affordable education.
  • Does not provide direct financial assistance, meaning the cost of in-state tuition may still be a prohibitive barrier for low-income students.
  • Removes the legal requirement for agencies to notify students if their immigration status is shared, potentially leaving them vulnerable if such data is ever leaked.
For Conservatives
  • Could increase enrollment at state colleges and universities, generating more tuition revenue for these institutions without directly raising taxes.
  • Helps build a more educated local workforce, which benefits local businesses and corporations looking to hire skilled workers.
  • Streamlines the enrollment process by removing administrative burdens, such as tracking and verifying immigration status affidavits, saving administrative costs.
  • Extends taxpayer-subsidized in-state tuition benefits to undocumented immigrants, which could be viewed as rewarding individuals who bypassed federal immigration laws.
  • Removes the requirement for undocumented students to pledge to seek lawful immigration status, reducing accountability and incentives for legal compliance.
  • By lowering the residency requirement to two years, it may encourage out-of-state or foreign individuals to move to the state simply to consume subsidized public education.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

2 versions
Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 9 additions · 22 deletions

SECTION 1. Section 16-59-9.3 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-59 entitled "Council on Postsecondary Education [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows: 16-59-9.3. Student Success Act. Notwithstanding any other provision of the general or public laws:

(1) A Any student, other than a nonimmigrant alien within the meaning of 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15), who meets all of the following requirements shall be exempt from paying nonresident tuition at Rhode Island public universities, colleges, or community colleges, if he or she the student:

(i) Attended an approved Rhode Island high school for three (3) two (2) or more consecutive years;

(ii) Continues to reside in the state of Rhode Island;

(iii) Has graduated from an approved Rhode Island high school or received a high school equivalency diploma from the state of Rhode Island; and

(iv) Has filed, or will file, upon matriculation, with the Rhode Island public university, college, or community college of expected attendance, an affidavit stating that:

(A) The the student meets the requirements of subsections (1)(i) and (1)(ii) through (1)(iii) of this section; and

(B) If the student is not a United States citizen and does not have a lawful immigration status, that the student has filed an application for lawful immigration status, or will file the application as soon as the student is eligible to do so. The affidavit shall not require students to reveal their immigration or citizenship status.

(2) Any nonimmigrant foreign national student, who has resided in Rhode Island for three

(3) years and has attended a Rhode Island high school for three (3) years, will be eligible to pay the same in-state tuition as any other Rhode Island student. (3)(2) Identifiable student information obtained pursuant to subsection (1) of this section shall be confidential to the extent provided by state and federal law (including the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)). If information obtained pursuant to this section regarding a student’s immigration status is provided to any agency for purposes other than the implementation of this section, the entity providing the information shall promptly notify the student. (4)(3) The Rhode Island council for postsecondary education shall prescribe rules and regulations as may be necessary for the implementation of this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.