EDUCATION -- THE ONWARD WE LEARN SCHOLARSHIP ACT, the official text

S2094 2026 -- S 2094 ======== LC003792 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE ONWARD WE LEARN SCHOLARSHIP ACT Introduced By: Senators Gallo, Tikoian, Ciccone, Gu, DiPalma, Burke, LaMountain, and Murray Date Introduced: January 16, 2026 Referred To: Senate Finance It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Section 16-70-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-70 entitled The Onward 2 We Learn Scholarship Act [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — the Rhode Island Board of Education Act] 3 is hereby amended to read as follows: 4 16-70-5. Budget and appropriations. 5 The general assembly shall annually appropriate any sums as it deems necessary as the 6 state’s share for the support and maintenance of the onward we learn scholarship program, 7 including operational and scholarship support , and the . Should funds remain from the enacted 8 budget in any fiscal year from the Rhode Island promise scholarship program after the community 9 college of Rhode Island has satisfied all eligible scholarships associated with chapter 107 of title 10 16 (“Rhode Island promise scholarship”), the office of the postsecondary commissioner is directed 11 to reimburse onward we learn for any scholarships that onward we learn has paid on behalf of its 12 students who have attended the community college of Rhode island in that respective fiscal year. 13 In addition, should funds remain from the enacted budget in any fiscal year from the Rhode Island 14 hope scholarship program after Rhode Island college has satisfied all eligible scholarships 15 associated with chapter 113 of title 16 (“Rhode Island hope scholarship pilot program act”), the 16 office of postsecondary commissioner is directed to reimburse onward we learn for any 17 scholarships that onward we learn has paid on behalf of its students who have attended Rhode 18 Island college in that respective fiscal year. The state controller is authorized and directed to draw 19 their orders upon the general treasurer for the payment of the appropriations upon receipt by the 1 state controller of the proper voucher the office of the postsecondary commissioner may provide. 2 The office of the postsecondary commissioner shall present the voucher to the state controller no 3 later than the last day of the first month of the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made and 4 this appropriation shall be remitted to the accounts of the onward we learn scholarship program by 5 the state treasurer no later than the last day of the second month of the fiscal year. 6 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======== LC003792 ======== LC003792 - Page 2 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE ONWARD WE LEARN SCHOLARSHIP ACT *** 1 This act would require any remaining funds in the enacted budget from the Rhode Island 2 promise scholarship program or the Rhode Island hope scholarship program, after Rhode Island 3 college has satisfied all eligible scholarships pursuant to those programs, to be reimbursed to 4 onward we learn for any scholarships that onward we learn has paid on behalf of its students who 5 have attended Rhode Island college in that fiscal year. 6 This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC003792 ======== LC003792 - Page 3 of 3