RISCPA opposes Raimondo’s free college tuition proposal

CRANSTON – A group of certified public accountants have come out in opposition to Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s free college tuition proposal, saying it’s not the best use of taxpayer investment in public education.

The Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants, a group of 2,100 professionals in the public, private and education sectors, announced on Thursday it opposed the governor’s proposal to pay for two years of college tuition for qualifying in-state students at public institutions. The proposal is called Rhode Island Promise.

“Our membership cares deeply about seeing Rhode Island’s next generation access a quality and affordable education, but they don’t believe this plan is the way to achieve that,” said Robert A. Mancini, RISCPA president.

The trade organization received a presentation about the plan before surveying its members on its merits “as proposed,” according to a spokeswoman. About 78 percent of respondents expressed opposition, and the leading reason for concern was future year costs associated with the program’s growth. Rhode Island Promise would cost an initial $10 million for fiscal 2018, and would require $30 million each year beginning in fiscal 2021.
“A central concern expressed by RISCPA respondents was that the plan seems out of step with what [Rhode Island] can presently afford, as it would create one of the most ambitious college tuition subsidy programs in the country,” according to the group.

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Other raised concerns included future costs, rapid enrollment increases, low expectations for academic requirements and eligibility restrictions based on financial need. Raimondo’s proposal features students with a 2.0 grade point average, and there are no family income threshold requirements.

Moody’s Investors Services in February said free college tuition proposals like Raimondo’s could improve credit ratings at public institutions because of increased enrollment at a relative low cost to taxpayers, but negatively impact revenue at some of the state’s private schools as enrollment trends shift.

RISCPA pointed to the governor’s efforts to upgrade career training and workforce development programs as an effective way to “improve the state’s attractiveness to employers and future economic development.”

“We share the governor’s concern about the need to see more in-state students complete a college or community college education, however, we respectfully disagree that this plan is the best use of taxpayer investment in public education,” Mancini added.

The controversial tuition proposal has quickly become one of the most polarizing legislative issues so far this year. House Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello, who strongly influences the state budget, has called it “truly unsustainable and fiscally irresponsible.” He advocates instead to fully eliminate the $220.6 million car tax, which Raimondo is seeking to reduce by 30 percent.

The tuition proposal has received strong support from various educational organizations, media outlets and other elected officials.

Advocacy groups to endorse it include the NAACP Providence Branch and Opportunities Industrialization Center.

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  1. This program might be more palatable to legislators and taxpayers and smaller in size and scope if the student maintains HONORS grades and not just a mediocre “C” in order to qualify for it. We must also remember that future education related cuts might be headed our way from Washington in the near future and the proposal might become unfeasable in any case.