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Financial Aid
Home » Financial Aid » Scholarships » Rhode Island Scholarships
Rhode Island may be a small state, but the tuition fees or colleges and universities in the state are no smaller than anywhere else in the country, putting a financial strain on high school graduates and other students considering enrolling in college. However, as in many states, Rhode Island scholarships make it possible for state residents who wish to attend a school within the state to afford their own higher educations.
Scholarships provided through state funding are administered by the Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority, taking into consideration student interests, academic ability, and financial need. Students who exhibit financial need, along with solid ACT/SAT scores are considered for the CollegeBoundfund Academic Promise Scholarship program, which awards up to $2500 per academic year.
As the state's largest public university, the University of Rhode Island offers its own need and merit based scholarships to eligible students. Most such awards cover a large portion and sometimes all of the tuition costs for the university. Some awards are also based on field of study and may be awarded directly by the various college departments.
Roger Williams University in Bristol provides nearly a dozen scholarships to potential students based on merit. Those who are eligible are driven by the desire to do well academically and maintain GPAs of 3.0 and 3.5 or higher (depending on the particular scholarship program). There are also several private endowments and scholarships administered for the institution from various sources that require more strenuous or specific criteria to be met.
Paying for school is not easy, but we are here to help. OEDb's student finance section will help you find the money you need to pay your tuition and other college expenses. We cover scholarships, college grants, and student loans. Scholarships and grants are both forms of "free money", meaning they don't need to be paid back. Scholarships are typically awarded by businesses or individuals, with the money being earmarked specifically for tuition. They can be awarded based on a student's location or by religious affiliation, such as Catholicism or Islam. Grants are typically awarded by governments or non-profit organizations and the money often can be applied to several different expenses a student may incur, not solely tuition. They can be awarded based on location or ethnicity, for instance African American or Hispanic. Loans are not considered "free money", because unlike scholarships and grants, they do need to be paid back after graduation. Common federal loans include Perkins and Stafford. Loans are also available by location.