Cranston Mayor Allan Fung, Governor Gina Raimondo’s Republican rival from 2014, expressed concern Wednesday about the governor’s proposal to give Rhode Islanders two years of free tuition at state institutions of higher learning.
On a day when Raimondo staged a rally at Cranston East High School in support of her plan, Fung responded with a statement.
“A firm believer in the value of public education, Mayor Fung said he wonders if the taxpayers should pick up the tab for tuition at state schools for some Rhode Island students, while others would receive no benefit from the program,” the statement reads in part.
Raimondo’s proposal for two years of free tuition is a key element of her budget proposal for fiscal 2018, which is due to be formally presented to the General Assembly on Thursday. The governor said offering assistance for higher education will relieve stress on Rhode Island families while helping students gain the skills to compete for better jobs.
Yet Fung struck back after the Democratic governor touted the concept in Cranston, in a move that could foreshadow a rematch of the two candidates in 2018.
“The governor’s taxpayer funded tuition proposal, while noble in cause, is just another promise that the state may not be in position to make right now,” Fung said in his statement. “The state is starting this year with a more than $100 million structural deficit. The state has told pensioners we can’t afford their COLAs. The state has told truckers that there is no other way to repair our roads than to institute tolls. We have moral obligations to keep our promises beyond a political season. And I’m concerned that this might be another one that comes up short. We’ve seen botched rollouts from this administration, from the ongoing UHIP crisis affecting our most vulnerable citizens, to the failed Cooler and Warmer tourism campaign that brought unwanted embarrassment to our state.”
In 2014, Raimondo beat Fung by four and a half percentage points, with the late Moderate candidate Robert Healey claiming 21 percent of the vote.
During her State of the State address, Raimondo said the state has an obligation to help reduce the cost of a college education. “Right now, fewer than half of Rhode Islanders have a degree or credential past high school,” she said in her prepared remarks. “Many of those without a degree are hardworking, determined Rhode Islanders, and college just isn’t for them. And that’s OK. We’re going to continue to invest in training and certificate programs for them. But too many others who want a college degree have been denied a shot at a bright future for one simple reason: they can’t afford it.” (During her address, Raimondo also said most state retirees are due to receive a cost of living adjustment.)
According to a web site created by the governor’s office, offering two years of free tuition to Rhode Islanders at CCRI, URI, and RIC would cost an initial $10 million in the budget year starting July 1 and then climb to an annual $30 million cost by fiscal 2021.
In response to the question of how it would cost only $30 million, the web site said, “The scholarship is last dollar, which means that it will cover the gap a student has on their tuition and fees bill after subtracting federal funding (like Pell Grants) and the financial aid grants we already provide.”
The governor’s office said it expects more than 8,000 students to benefit from the initiative — dubbed Rhode Island’s Promise — at full implementation.
House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello was non-committal in responding to Raimondo’s free tuition plan, so the outlook in the General Assembly remains uncertain.
Fung said he backs the concept of raising educational opportunities, but has questions about Raimondo’s proposal.
“Why couldn’t the program accommodate students who choose to take a gap year before enrolling in college?” the mayor said in his statement. “What happens if a student qualifies for the program but doesn’t complete the two years of school? Will they have to pay the bill? I would love to see all students attend state schools for free, but at the end of the day someone needs to balance the checkbook, and prove that the state really can execute on this. What we can’t afford is another promise that can’t be kept.”
