2025 -- S 0337

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LC000553

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- COUNCIL ON POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

     Introduced By: Senators Zurier, Murray, and Raptakis

     Date Introduced: February 21, 2025

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     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:

     (a)(1) A 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:

     (i) Attended an approved Rhode Island high school for three (3) 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;

     (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 student meets the requirements of subsections (1)(i) and (1)(ii) 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) 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) The Rhode Island council for postsecondary education shall prescribe rules and

regulations as may be necessary for the implementation of this section.

     (b)(1) A Ukrainian citizen or immediate family member who has been granted temporary

parole under the federal Uniting for Ukraine program and who is residing in Rhode Island, shall be

eligible for in-state tuition at a Rhode Island public university, college, or community college,

provided they meet the following criteria:

     (i) The individual has been granted parole into the United States as per the federal

guidelines.

     (ii) The individual has resided in Rhode Island for a minimum of one year prior to

enrollment at a Rhode Island public university, college, or community college;

     (iii) The individual is enrolled or intends to enroll as a full-time student at a public

university, college, or community college in Rhode Island.

     (2) Applicants for in-state tuition under this subsection shall:

     (i) Provide proof of parole status, as granted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

under the Uniting for Ukraine program;

     (ii) Submit evidence of continuous residence in Rhode Island for at least one year prior to

enrollment;

     (iii) Provide any required documentation, including Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record,

or any official documentation from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

confirming their parole status; and

     (iv) Complete and submit an application for in-state tuition to a Rhode Island public

university, college, or community college.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- COUNCIL ON POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

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     This act would allow Ukrainian parolees residing in Rhode Island under the federal Uniting

for Ukraine program, who have been granted temporary parole, to qualify for in-state tuition at

Rhode Island state colleges and universities.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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