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WEBVTT GROWING NUMBER OF STATES.AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OFBALTIMORE COUNTY, THE STATE OFRHODE ISLAND IS BEING PRAISEDFOR ITS DECISION TO SIGN OFF ONA FOUR YEAR PIOLT PROGRAM,-- PILOT PROGRAM CALLED THEPROMISE SCHOLARSHIP.>> I THINK IT'S A WONDERFULDECISION.THE PROGRAM WILL PAY FOR TUTIONTIMTHE PROGRAM WILL PAY FORTUTION AND FEES FOR FULL TIME: STUDENTS WHO MAINTAIN A 2.5GRADE POINT AVERAGE.IS IT POSSIBLE THAT A SIMILARPROGRAM COULD GO ON THE BOOKS INMARYLAND?>> I KNOW THAT BOTH OUR GOVERNORAND OUR LEGISLATURE ARE HAVINGSIMILAR CONVERSATIONS AND WE'REVERY EXCITED ABOUT THEPOSSIBILITY THAT MAYBE ONE OFTHESE DAYS THAT WE'LL HAVE AMARYLAND COLLEGE PROMISETIM AND THAT'S WHY THIS: BALTIMORE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLSTUDENT, NOW TAKING COLLEGECOURSES, IS KEEPING A CLOSEWATCH ON THE PROMISESCHOLARSHIP.>> I THINK IT IS GOOD, IT ISLIKE A GREAT THING BECAUSE MEJUST BEING IN HIGH SCHOOL AND IWANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT ASMUCH AS POSSIBLE AND TO BE ABLETO DO THAT CONTINUOUSLYTHROUGHOUT MY COLLEGE CAREEREVEN THOUGH I'M STILL IN HIGHSCHOOL WOULD BE REALLY NICE.TIM BESIDES RHODE ISLAND, NEW: YORK, TENNESSEE AND OREGONALSO HAVE TUITION FREE PROGRAMS.I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING.>>I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING.COMING FROM A COMMUNITY COLLEGEGOING ON TO A FOUR-YEAR, IT IS AGOOD STEP STONE FOR HIGH SCHOOLSTUDENTS.TIM: THIS RECENT COMMUNITYCOLLEGE GRADUATE SAYS EVEN THEPOSSIBLITY OF A FREE EDUCATIONSHOULD BE ENOUGH TO MOTIVATEHIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO SUCCEED.>> IF YOU GO FROM HAVING FREETUITION TO HAVING TO PAY YOUWOULD DEFINITELY WANT TO STEPYOUR GAME UP TO GET THAT REWARDOF NOT HAVING TO PAY WHEN YOUGET STELLAR GRADES AND YOUPERFORM WELL IN THE COURSETIM IN MARYLAND, PRINCE GEORGES: COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS GIVINGTHE FREE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ATEST RUN THIS FALL FOR STUDENTSWHO QUALIFY.AS PART OF A MAGNET SCHOOLPROGRAM, ANNOUNCED THIS SUMMER,A GROUP OF BALTIMORE COUNTY HIGHSCHOOL STUDENTS WILL GET TO EARNTWO YEAR DEGREES FROM THECOMMUNITY COLLEGE OF BALTIMORECOUNTY BEFORE THEY GRADUATE.

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A free community college education may not totally be out of the question for Maryland students.At the Community College of Baltimore County, the state of Rhode Island is being praised for its decision to sign off on a four-year pilot program called the Promise Scholarship."I think it's a wonderful decision," said Sandra Kurtinitis, president of CCBC.The program will pay for tuition and fees for full-time students who maintain at least a 2.5 grade-point average.Is it possible that a similar program could go on the books in Maryland?"I know that both our governor and our Legislature are having similar conversations, and we're very excited about the possibility that maybe, one of these days ... we'll have a Maryland college promise," Krutinitis said.Sydni Fritts, a Baltimore County high school student who's taking college courses, is keeping a close watch on the Promise Scholarship."I think it's good. It's, like, a great thing because me just being in high school, and I want to take advantage of it as much as possible, and to be able to do that continuously throughout my college career, even though I'm still in high school, would be really nice," Fritts said.Besides Rhode Island, New York, Tennessee and Oregon also have tuition-free programs."I think it's a good thing," said Antonio Gardner, a community college graduate. "Coming from someone that fought and pleaded for financial aid, definitely, I hope that Maryland does try and get the free tuition for community colleges."Gardner said that even the possibility of a free education should be enough to motivate high school students to succeed."You would definitely want to step your game up to get that reward of not having to pay when you get stellar grades and you perform well in the course," Gardner said.In Maryland, Prince George's Community College is giving the free scholarship program a test run this fall for students who qualify.