WHEREAS, Prior legislative findings in Chapter 70 of title 16 of the Rhode Island General Laws outline the need for Rhode Island to invest in college access and success programs that develop the educational and career and technical skills of its students for its continued economic development, prosperity, and for maintaining and improving its quality of life; and
WHEREAS, The present and future workforce requires ever higher levels of educational and career and technical training in order to improve the economic prosperity of our State and Nation; and the cost is a known barrier for all young people in Rhode Island to access higher education; and
WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner is the recipient of the Rhode Island GEAR UP grant from the U.S. Department of Education and partners with Onward We Learn to design and deliver all programmatic and scholarship operations in conjunction with the Rhode Island GEAR UP program; and
WHEREAS, Onward We Learn’s mission is to inspire and prepare young people in Rhode Island to become the first in their families to attend and complete college by participating in a comprehensive set of programs throughout middle school and high school that focus on academic enrichment, social and emotional development, career education, and post-secondary preparation; and
WHEREAS, Independent research completed over the past seventeen (17) years confirms that students who participate in Onward We Learn are forty-eight percent (48%) more likely to earn a college degree compared to their closely matched peers; and
WHEREAS, Onward We Learn students not only receive comprehensive college access and success programming through the Rhode Island GEAR UP program, but also a scholarship for postsecondary education of up to four thousand five hundred dollars ($4,500) per year for four
(4) years which can be redeemed at any institution of higher education in Rhode Island; and
WHEREAS, Since its inception, Onward We Learn – via the Rhode Island GEAR UP program – has provided more than fifty-five million dollars ($55,000,000) in scholarships to an estimated thirteen thousand five hundred (13,500) young people in Rhode Island – increasing the likelihood of degree attainment, while reducing each student’s overall higher education cost burden; and
WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Office of Postsecondary Commissioner received a seven
(7) year federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education in 2024 and has sub-granted the funds to Onward We Learn; and
WHEREAS, The Rhode Island GEAR UP grant has a dollar-for-dollar non-federal match requirement and Rhode Island General Law § 16-70-5 states that “the general assembly shall annually appropriate such sums as it deems necessary as the state’s share for the support and maintenance of Onward We Learn”; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That there is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year 2026-2027, the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) to Onward We Learn in support of the Rhode Island GEAR UP operations and scholarship program; and the state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw their orders upon the general treasurer for payment of said sum, or so much thereof as may be from time to time required, upon receipt of properly authenticated vouchers. EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF JOINTRESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $500,0 TO ONWARD WE LEARN IN SUPPORT OF RHODE ISLAND GEAR UP *** This resolution would appropriate the sum of $500,000 to Onward We Learn in support of Rhode Island GEAR UP.
