Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island that the state shall expand need-based higher-education financial aid for Rhode Island residents attending public colleges and universities, with priority for low-income and first-generation students; appropriate dedicated funding to the Community College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, and the University of Rhode Island to establish transfer advising, credit-recognition coordination, and completion planning for students moving from community college to four-year degree programs; and require public institutions of higher education receiving such funds to provide accessible student mental health counseling, academic advising, and early-alert retention services, with annual reporting to the General Assembly on persistence, transfer, and degree-completion outcomes, disaggregated by income and student background, to ensure funds are used to improve affordability and attainment.