WARWICK, R.I. -- The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) has been selected as one of only 10 colleges nationwide to participate in the inaugural cohort of College Promise Learning Community (CPLC): Advancing Impact through Compelling Communication. This national initiative, recently launched by the organization College Promise with support from The Kresge Foundation, brings together leading Promise programs from across the country to elevate their collective impact and share proven strategies for student success.

CCRI’s selection reflects the college’s strong performance and the Rhode Island Promise program’s reputation as a national model for expanding college access, boosting retention, and improving degree completion.

Through the CPLC, CCRI will collaborate with peer institutions to highlight the transformative results of Promise programs and contribute its own successful approaches to the national conversation.

“Being selected for this national learning community is a powerful recognition of the impact the Rhode Island Promise program is having on our students and our state,” said CCRI President Rosemary A. Costigan, Ph.D., RN. “We look forward to sharing the success stories of our Promise Scholars and contributing to a stronger, more unified understanding of how tuition-free community college changes lives, strengthens communities, and builds a skilled workforce for the future.”

Since its launch, the Rhode Island Promise program has reshaped the higher education landscape by removing financial barriers for recent high school graduates. Providing two years of tuition-free education has led to significant increases in enrollment, persistence, and degree completion at CCRI.

Beyond individual student outcomes, Rhode Island Promise is a critical driver of the state’s talent pipeline. By making higher education more accessible, CCRI is preparing more Rhode Islanders to meet workforce demands and contributing to long-term economic mobility across the state.

For more information about the Rhode Island Promise program at CCRI, visit ccri.edu/ripromise.