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RIC Senior Meghan LaFlamme Reflects on How the Hope Scholarship Has Impacted Her:

“My reaction last year when I heard I was eligible for the Hope Scholarship was total excitement. Getting this scholarship was HUGE because I had been paying my way through school without the help of my parents, which is the case for most students at 51����.

“There are students at RIC who are working three jobs, who are parents, who live on their own and have to pay rent. I’m fortunate that I’ve been able to live at home with my parents all four years. I also have my own car. There are students who rely on public transportation to get to school, which makes getting to work and to school even harder. Even though RIC is very affordable compared to other in-state tuitions in Rhode Island, it’s still expensive to go to school.

“I am in my final year of RIC’s elementary ed/special ed program. For the first three years, I paid for my tuition by working all summer, about 40 hours a week at the Smithfield Y, giving swim lessons or lifeguarding. The money I earned would pay for my first semester at RIC. 

“Getting the Hope Scholarship was HUGE, it took a big burden off my shoulders; it keeps more students in school and helps them finish their degree. I think it’s called the Hope Scholarship because it gives people hope – hope that they can graduate.”

Learn more on the Hope Scholarship website.

Hear testimonials from other students: Jacqueline Carroll, Olivia Lancellotta, Moses Nicolau, Marissa North, Ariel Polanco, Remi Salako, Tytain Sun.