Rhode Island Unemployment Tuition Waiver
State of Rhode Island; CCRI, RIC and URI
Free tuition (space available) at Rhode Island public colleges for income-qualified Rhode Island residents receiving state unemployment benefits.
- How much
- Full tuition (and registration fee at CCRI/URI), space-available; fees and books not covered
- Who qualifies
- Currently receiving Rhode Island unemployment insurance benefits
- Rhode Island resident; income-qualified via the college's means test; space-available seats only.
- For undergrads, grad students, adults going back to school
- Need-based: your FAFSA decides how much you get.
- When to apply
- Apply any time Each semester, on the college's waiver registration date; DLT-467 must be recently dated (about 60 days before the term).
- How to apply
- Each semester, submit your college's Unemployment Waiver form with an original DLT-467 'Certificate of UI Eligibility' dated within the window the college sets (CCRI Fall 2026: dated June 28, 2026 or later
- URI: within 60 days before the semester starts), a means test with your federal tax return and W-2s, and FAFSA confirmation
- Register on the college's waiver registration date
- What you'll need
- FAFSA + state application
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (ccri.edu), page 2 and page 3
The details
Rhode Island law grants a tuition waiver (and at CCRI and URI, the registration fee) to income-qualified Rhode Island residents who are receiving unemployment insurance benefits from the State of Rhode Island. Seats are space-available: waiver users register on an assigned waiver day and can't use it for limited-enrollment program courses. Other fees and books are not covered, and any grants or scholarships are applied to tuition first, reducing the waiver. At RIC, students must have an active, open claim with the RI Department of Labor and Training.
More money from Rhode Island
- Rhode Island Hope Scholarship (Rhode Island College)Full remaining tuition and mandatory fees for junior and senior years at RIC (after other aid)
- Rhode Island Promise ScholarshipRemaining tuition and mandatory fees at CCRI for two years, after other grants and scholarships
- Rhode Island State Grant (need-based state scholarship and grant program)Varies by college and by the year's appropriation; no statewide amount is published
- Rhode Island Tuition Waiver for Residents 60 and OlderFull tuition, space-available (fees and books not covered)
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: Connecticut, Massachusetts
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.