| Chapter 091 |
| 2026 -- H 8252 AS AMENDED Enacted 06/18/2026 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO EDUCATION -- COUNCIL ON POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION |
Introduced By: Representatives Diaz, Slater, Batista, and Felix |
| Date Introduced: March 06, 2026 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| 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. |
| ======== |
| LC005981 |
| ======== |