Rhode Island
Hope Scholarship shows promise at Rhode Island College
Horace Mann Hall, which was renovated with state funds in 2023, is seen on Rhode Island College’s campus. The building houses the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, which offers some of the programs of study prioritized by the school’s Hope Scholarship program. (Courtesy of Rhode Island College)
The Hope Scholarship at Rhode Island College (RIC) seems to be living up to its title by producing small gains in the school’s lagging enrollment, the first annual review of the program shows.
Less than a year into the program, RIC has seen higher retainment rates among Hope-enrolled students, who have also taken more classes and more credits. Also on the rise: In-state gross deposits from eligible Hope scholars are up 74.3% from last year.
“The message about the game-changing potential of the Hope Scholarship is reaching Rhode Island students and their families,” said John Taraborelli, RIC spokesperson, in an emailed statement.
The scholarship pays for a student’s junior and senior years if they commit to RIC as a freshman. Fashioned into law during the 2023 legislative session, the scholarship is meant to increase the number of students who enroll and complete four-year degrees at the state school, with an emphasis on “high-need fields” in health care, nursing and the trades. (Students aren’t required to take those majors, however.)
The RIC website specifies that students declare a major by their junior year, and that they “commit to live, work or continue education in RI after graduation.”
The scholarship effectively competes with the similar Promise program at Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI). Promise began in 2017 and was designed by then-Gov. Gina Raimondo to encompass two years of free tuition at RIC, CCRI and the University of Rhode Island (URI). Cost concerns led lawmakers to limit the free tuition program to CCRI, and lower enrollment numbers soon followed at RIC and URI.
The program’s annual review was prepared in June and the data it contains is still nascent: The scholarship program began in November 2023, so it has yet to complete a full enrollment cycle. Baseline enrollment numbers, the report noted, are expected in fall 2024 once registration is complete.
“We won’t begin to see true measurable results until the first cohort of graduating high school seniors enter college (Fall 2024) then complete their bachelor’s degree (Spring 2028),” the report noted. “We believe the real results of Hope have not yet been fully realized and we will begin to see the true impact once the program is fully implemented.”
But so far, so good: There were 876 more applications this year, a 15.6% increase, and in-state, Hope-eligible applications were up nearly 47%. The majority of the fall 2023 Hope students, 83%, attempted to take 15 or more credits, and 99% of Hope recipients earned all their fall credits. Compared to about 87% of non-Hope full-time students, nearly 98% of Hope students were retained from fall to spring semesters.
The report projected a 67% four-year graduation rate for Hope scholars — not all that low considering the four-year graduation rate for RIC first years averaged only 20% across 2014-2018. In that same period, the average graduation rate was 26% at comparable four-year state colleges.
Still, there are 69 Hope seniors who had not completed their coursework as of the report’s June publication. Three adult students had different eligibility rules, one student was on academic warning in spring 2024, and another student didn’t complete coursework for undisclosed “personal and/or medical challenges,” the report noted, but could appeal the decision and continue their studies.
As for the remaining 30% or so of these students, the report lumps them together, even though their reasons for not completing on time vary. Among these 64 students are double majors, and students enrolled in programs that need more than eight semesters to complete. There were also students who “were enrolled in the minimum full-time course load and did not have a plan for year-round learning,” according to the report, which means taking fewer than 15 credits a semester.
The report suggests that 62% of the non-graduating students are in the high-demand fields, like nursing and education, and students taking especially strenuous plans of study can be considered “on track to graduate” despite not finishing in exactly four years.
The Hope scholarship program cost the state a projected $2.2 million in fiscal year 2024, and will likely cost $3.9 million in fiscal 2025, according to the report.
But not all the Hope scholars actually need the program’s money. Taraborelli said there were 112 Hope-eligible students who “had enough other financial aid that they didn’t actually need to receive Hope funds…[but] still benefit[ted] from the program in terms of advising and targeted outreach, even if they don’t receive funds.”
A full-time program director was hired to help the program succeed on the RIC campus, but the report noted that additional promotions are needed to publicize Hope to Rhode Islanders.
“While we hosted a successful Hope-themed guidance counselor breakfast this past year, we have not yet done significant outreach to local high school teachers,” the report reads. “This is important as classroom teachers often have an influence on student’s decisions to attend college.”
The college also plans to increase its multilingual advertising, use student voices in its marketing, and create a student ambassador program, the report said.
The enhanced outreach could be helpful as the scholarship isn’t going away anytime soon: Gov. Dan McKee rallied for and successfully won increased support for the Hope Scholarship in his 2025 budget. The state legislature agreed and extended the pilot to 2030.
“The extension of the Hope Scholarship is a win for Rhode Islanders — now and for generations to come,” McKee said in a statement Thursday. “While we know that higher education is often the key to raising incomes for Rhode Island, we also understand the financial burden this can be.”
DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
Rhode Island
Our Favorite Write-Ins From the 2026 Best of Rhode Island Readers’ Poll – Rhode Island Monthly
If you haven’t heard, our upcoming Best of Rhode Island party has many exciting additions and surprises this year, and we at Rhode Island Monthly cannot wait to celebrate with all of you at the WaterFire Arts Center on July 23 (get your tickets here if you haven’t already!). But to tide us all over in the meantime, we decided to continue the tradition of sharing some of the silliest write-in entries we came across while tallying the Best of Rhode Island Readers’ Poll.
But first, let me provide a quick refresher of the process. As many know, the ballot is made up entirely of write-in entries, meaning you can submit whatever you like for Best Restaurant, Best Influencer, Best Wedding Venue, etc. And believe me when I tell you that people do truly submit whatever they like. This year we had the task of combing through more than 100,000 (!) votes and once again (see examples from 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025) found ourselves chuckling at quite a few along the way. Below you’ll find a roundup of some of our favorites, as well as what was going through my mind as I noted and compiled them. (And as always, I’d like to throw in the disclaimer that I am just as much a victim of my own typing skills, so these are all in good fun!). Enjoy!
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE RESTAURANT
“Daddychill” and “Daddychillllll”
— If I had a nickel for every time someone said this, I’d have two nickels — which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.
“Blinked to Beauty”
via GIPHY
“Christina Erne” and “TJ Delsanto”
— Christina and TJ are meteorologists, not meat.
“All Four Paws” and “Mind Your Dog”
— “Hello, is this PETA?”
“Altered images tattoo” and “Massage envy”
— I think you’ll satisfy different kinds of cravings and needs here.
“Boozy book club”
— Yo Reilley, you got snacks?
“Buns and bites”
— Sorry to have to disappoint, but Laura serves looks and recs, not meals.
“Comedy bus”
— It’s taking everything in me not to recycle my (terrible) joke from last year.
“Same day content Reel Candid”
— I guess the camera always eats first.
“Vampire (hallie)”
— Are you trying to be the main course?
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE NEW RESTAURANT
“Applebees”
via GIPHY
“Timmtuffknuckles”
— How are his knuckle sandwiches?
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE LATIN RESTAURANT
“Lklk”
— Not me trying to see if this is a latin root.
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE ASIAN RESTAURANT
“Quads n. Attleboro”
— Geography class really isn’t what it used to be, huh.
(My clearly grumpy, not-so-gentle reminder that we’re looking for the best of Rhode Island).
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE INDIAN RESTAURANT
“Ho HoHOHO”
— Why did I read this like Santa tried a spicy curry for the first time and had a rough go of it.
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE BREAKFAST SANDWICHES
“Duncan donuts” and “Dunking donts”
— I don’t know what I’m judging more: the voting for a national chain or the misspelling of said very, very popular chain.
“Bacon egg and cheese on a croissant.”
“Women & Infants Hospital – No, I’m not kidding! IYKYK”
— Well, now we know. Still hope I don’t have reason to find out for myself any time soon 😅
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE BRUNCH
“Cry cafe”
— You know, after a few mimosas, sometimes brunch is the best time to have a good cry. Not that I’m speaking from experience.
*Typo translation: Cru Cafe
“Karies (used to be jiggers south)”
— We found a real Rhode Islander, folks.
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE CHEAP EATS
“They don’t exist in ri”
Not in this economy.
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE COCKTAIL BAR
“Jefferson speakeasy??”
— Wanna think about it for a sec?
“Bar Lizzo”
— I mean, she is 100% that b*tch.
*Typo Translation: Bar’Lino
“Justine’s RIP”
— Yeah, this one hurts. Pour one out for the homie.
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE WINERY
“Kingdom of the hawk”
— Sick name. Wrong state.
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE DIVE BAR
“Oooogie’s”
via GIPHY
“(Against my better judgement) scurvy dog”
— Woof.
“BRADLEY CAFFEEEEEEEE”
— Love the enthusiasm.
“Irish Spring Soap”
— Alright smartass. There’s only room for one us here.
“O’roughs”
— Looks like someone had one too many at O’Rourke‘s the night prior.
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE OYSTER BAR
You’d think after all the fire and the new location headlines, people would remember how to spell Matunuck. Alas, we still got:
“Matonk,” “Matoonik,” “Mahtunuck,” “Mattunuack,” “Mettunic,” “Matunickk,” “Metacunack” and many, many, many more.
*Typo Translation: Matunuck Oyster Bar
“THE OYSTER BAR”
— THANKS JANET BUT WHICH ONE?
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE BARBER SHOP
“City hall”
— Is that what they do there?
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE
“Barnes and Noble”
— You and I have different definitions of independent.
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE TV METEOROLOGIST FEMALE
“Dylan Drier, SORRY she’s the BEST”
— SORRY but not in RHODE ISLAND.
“Kathy bates”
— Yes, and I’m the one in Misery.
*Typo translation: Kelly Bates
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE SPORTSCASTER
“[redacted], new and upcoming”
— When I Googled this name I could only find criminal court cases (and no Rhode Island sportscasters) so, yea, I’m gonna go ahead and agree that this person has a lot more coming up to do.
“Channel 10 reporter”
— You can Google too, ya know.
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE TELEVISION NEWS REPORTER
“Jamie coelho”
— She is always ready for her closeup!
“jean value cent”
— I really thought I had seen all the spellings at this point, but someone always proves me wrong.
*Typo translation: Gene Valicenti
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE MORNING SHOW
“Drew Barrymore”
via GIPHY
“Road show”
— C’mon. Have some respect for the pun.
*Typo translation: The Rhode Show
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE LOCAL NEWS SHOWS
“r/Providence (Providence reddit page)”
— I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t also gotten my news from this thread some days…
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE LOCAL MUSICIAN/BAND
“No exit 5”
— You’re right, there is none.
*Typo translation: No Exit 4
“Dropkick Murphy’s”
— Does owning Yellow Door make them local? I’ll take it.
“Taylor Swift”
— Well, maybe if she had tied the knot here… (No we aren’t bitter).
“I am a god!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
— I know this is an actual band name, but this was still a jump scare.
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE LOCAL FASHION DESIGNER
“DADDDDDDDDYYYYYYYYYYYY I want you badddddd”
— Okay someone’s gotta be effing with me.
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE LOCAL ARTISAN
“Fankiemademedoit”
— I don’t think that will hold up in court.
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE FOODIE INFLUENCER
“Jamie Coelho”
— No arguments here.
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE DATE NIGHT
“catching rats with butterfly nets in kennedy plaza.”
— Jotting that one down.
“Eating out and a movie”
via GIPHY
FOUND UNDER STATEWIDE CANNABIS DISPENSARY
“All suck tbh”
— Daddy chill. (This might be my new favorite term).
“Northeastern”
— You know you don’t have to buy from your college roommate any more, right?
*Typo translation: Northeast Alternatives in Fall River and Seekonk 😮💨
FOUND UNDER PROVIDENCE RESTAURANT
“Ed the barber”
— I see the Sweeney Todd fan has returned.
“Permission.”
Granted, you may proceed.
*Typo translation: Persimmon
“Seeking tailor”
— Did you think we were ChatGPT?
FOUND UNDER PROVIDENCE VEGAN/VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT
“Pianta pianta pianta!”
— Is this how the kids play Bloody Mary nowadays? Does a Veggie Tales character show up? (Honestly that would terrify me more.)
FOUND UNDER PROVIDENCE OUTDOOR DINING
“Federal hill”
via GIPHY
FOUND UNDER PROVIDENCE DINER
“1st one I wrote is actually in Blackstone valley”
— Thank you for your candor.
“Haven’t bros”
— I think they have.
*Typo translation: Haven Brothers
FOUND UNDER PROVIDENCE SANDWICH SHOP
“Wise guys in Cumberland”
— Not very wise of you.
FOUND UNDER PROVIDENCE INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE
“Heartless”
— I think Penny would beg to differ!
*Typo translation: Heartleaf Books
FOUND UNDER PROVIDENCE LOCALLY OWNED CLOTHING BOUTIQUE
“Locally owned clothing boutique”
via GIPHY
FOUND UNDER PROVIDENCE CONSIGNMENT SHOP
“The one on brook near wickenden”
via GIPHY
FOUND UNDER PROVIDENCE MUSIC VENUE
“Lupo’s heartbreak hotel”
— Who knew they’d still be breaking hearts all these years later.
FOUND UNDER PROVIDENCE LOCAL EVENT
“Best of RI”
— Eeeyyyyy
“BEYBLADE X TOURNAMENTS”
— I didn’t know this was a thing and now I am intrigued.
“TJ Delsanto Facebook Photos of RI and stories of beaches in RI”
— TJ is that you?
FOUND UNDER SOUTH COUNTY NEIGHBORHOOD BAR
“Cheers!”
— I’ll be sure to call up Sam and Diane.
FOUND UNDER SOUTH COUNTY INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE
“Waldens in Wakefield”
— What a throwback.
FOUND UNDER NEWPORT COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
“Bahaha Cat Cafe”
via GIPHY
*Typo translation: Bajah’s Cat Cafe
FOUND UNDER NEWPORT COUNTY DELI
“Garlic Clove”
— So close.
*Typo translation: The Roasted Clove
FOUND UNDER EAST BAY RESTAURANT
“Chello is great family restaurant to take your family the waitress and waiter are great”
— Shout out to that waitress and waiter.
FOUND UNDER EAST BAY ITALIAN RESTAURANT
“Olive Garden, south Attleboro”
via GIPHY
FOUND UNDER EAST BAY BREAKFAST
“Green eggs and ham”
— Okay sam I am.
*Typo translation: Green Eggs
FOUND UNDER EAST BAY BURGER
“Chimp”
— … Has anyone checked in on Punch lately?
Typo translation: Chomp Kitchen and Drinks
FOUND UNDER EAST BAY SPECIALTY FOOD STORE
“Johnson’s Toadside Market”
— That’s sure is a specialty food.
*Typo translation: Johnson’s Roadside Farm Market in Swansea 😮💨😮💨😮💨
FOUND UNDER EAST BAY LOCAL MUSIC VENUE
“Bring back Bold Point!”
— I’d sign this petition.
FOUND UNDER EAST BAY LOCAL EVENT
“Oops”
— I am concerned.
FOUND UNDER WEST BAY BREAKFAST
“Dante’s inferno”
— That would certainly wake me up.
*Typo translation: Dante’s Kitchen
FOUND UNDER WEST BAY BURGER
“Vegan. Don’t Eat.”
— PETA thanks you for your service.
FOUND UNDER BLACKSTONE VALLEY RESTAURANT
“Hotel for Homeless Dogs.”
— …But really do I need to call PETA?
For those who made it this far, I hope you enjoyed the ride! Don’t forget if you want to learn who the actual winners are before the rest of the state (and party with them) you can still pick up tickets to the event here.
“Temporary water use advisories will be posted where applicable and nearby residents and visitors should keep pets from drinking from these waters for at least three days,” the release said
The herbicide treatments target specific invasive aquatic plants, including variable water milfoil, fanwort, water chestnut, sacred lotus, and various algae species, according to the release.
Rhode Island
R.I. leading multi-state lawsuit against Trump administration housing policy – The Boston Globe
Rhode Island and other states had recently won a ruling against HUD’s attempt to overhaul a federal homelessness grant program in fiscal year 2025.
US District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy found that HUD acted arbitrarily and capriciously in imposing illegal conditions on billions of dollars in funding for the Continuum of Care program, through which HUD distributes billions of dollars to state, local, and nonprofit agencies to support housing and services for people facing homelessness.
For more than two decades, HUD had followed a “Housing First” model, which prioritizes rapid placement in permanent housing without requiring people to first meet conditions such as sobriety or a minimum income threshold.
However, on June 1, the Trump administration moved forward with new rules for fiscal year 2026 that seek to re-implement a cap on permanent housing. The new Notices of Funding Opportunity will set aside $1.3 billion for transitional housing and supportive service-only grants — which the coalition of states say will have the effect of capping permanent housing projects at about 68 percent of the funds.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced the new terms on June 1, saying the old model didn’t work.
“The ‘housing first’ experiment failed Americans by warehousing the vulnerable without results. This ideology promised to end homelessness. Instead, billions of taxpayer dollars were spent while homelessness increased to record levels,” Turner said in a statement. “Housing alone will not solve a crisis driven by addiction and mental illness. Under President Trump’s leadership, HUD is making necessary reforms to put recovery first.”
HUD said that the new Notice of Funding Opportunity for $4.04 billion through the Continuum of Care homelessness assistance program would support organizations that facilitate treatment and recovery and “prohibit funding the widespread use of illicit drugs and distribution of paraphernalia.”
The lawsuit alleges that the new conditions will mean a large number of permanent housing projects funded by the Continuum of Care program will lose funding, which will lead to people being evicted, placing further strain on state and local governments.
“Instead of investing in programs that help people stay safe and housed, the Trump Administration has embraced policies that risk trapping people in poverty and punishing them for being poor,” the 44-page lawsuit alleges.
The shift threatens housing for at least 97,000 residents of CoC-funded permanent housing across the country according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
The states argue that HUD’s actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act for failing to proceed with notice-and-comment rulemaking, and for being arbitrary and capricious. They ask the court to declare that the challenged conditions are illegal and to block HUD from implementing them.
Along with Neronha, attorneys general from all New England states except for New Hampshire have joined the lawsuit. The coalition also includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, as well as the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
Amanda Milkovits can be reached at amanda.milkovits@globe.com. Follow her @AmandaMilkovits.
-
Los Angeles, Ca1 hour agoKnee irritation forces Shohei Ohtani out of Friday start, All‑Star game
-
Detroit, MI1 hour agoDetroit Evening Report: Waymo cars blocking first responders – WDET 101.9 FM
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoSan Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie Blocks Vacant Grocery Store Tax Proposal | KQED
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoOregon Battling Miami, Mario Cristobal for Four-Star EDGE Recruit
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoFC Dallas Forward Logan Farrington Inks Contract Extension
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoRed Sox face lengthy travel issues ahead of series vs. Mets
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoWhat’s going on with the Nuggets? Unpacking an NBA offseason on hold
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoSeattle Kraken Sign Goaltender Victor Östman and Defenseman Ville Ottavainen to One-Year Deals | Seattle Kraken
