EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Clay Pell said Wednesday he wants to make college more affordable for Rhode Islanders by taking steps including giving some students free tuition at the Community College of Rhode Island for two years.
Pell, a former official in the U.S. Department of Education and the grandson of the late Sen. Claiborne Pell, released his education platform Wednesday. It includes a proposal for a two-year tuition freeze program for higher education at public institutions and additional aid for college grants. He said education is personally important to him because of his grandfather’s role in creating Pell grants.
“Every single child should have the opportunity to have a world-class education,” Pell said. “I believe that students shouldn’t be beginning their careers burdened with huge amounts of debt. That’s why I’m running for governor.”
Pell also called for an expedited system of paying for school construction that would save local government money, and for establishing an “education cabinet,” which would include officials from education, labor, child welfare and commerce.
Pell, a Coast Guard officer and husband of figure skater Michelle Kwan, speaks Spanish, Chinese and Arabic and was the deputy assistant secretary for international and foreign language education for six months at the Department of Education. Several of his ideas had to do with internationalism or improving language learning, including funding a new language immersion pilot program, providing passports to all students attending URI, RIC and CCRI, and giving students at those schools the chance to study abroad.
He said his plan would cost an estimated $29 million to establish, but that the money could be found in the existing $8.5 billion budget.
“We will fund this because it is a priority,” he said.
His competitors in the September primary are General Treasurer Gina Raimondo and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras.
Pell also reported Wednesday that he loaned his campaign an additional $1 million, a number he disclosed as he reported his fundraising totals for the quarter that ended March 31. He had about $2 million in his campaign account at the end of the quarter, compared with Raimondo, who had $3.3 million, and Taveras, who had more than $1.3 million.
When asked how much he was willing to spend, he would not be specific, but said his campaign would be competitive.
“It’s too early to tell what amount of money is going to be spent, not only in my campaign but in any campaign,” Pell said.
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