Democratic majority leadership in the House of Delegates and Senate have reached an agreement regarding the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Program, which, until the announcement, had its eligibility standards scaled back.
The new legislation will fully repeal the changes to the program and provide an additional $90 million from the fiscal year surplus to offset costs of the program, according to a release. When added to the amounts appropriated, this will provide $65 million each year.
“This study and the allocation of what will now be $65 million per year for the program provides me with the comfort that we will not place the burden of the escalating costs of the program on other students through their tuition charges,” Louise Lucas, head of the Finance and Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. “Making education affordable for all students is a priority for us all.”
The Virginia budget had imposed several new restrictions on the tuition waiver program in an attempt to curb rising costs. It requires applicants to be Virginia residents and limits the program waivers to undergraduate degrees. The budget also requires applicants to apply for and use other sources of state and federal financial aid first.
The changes have been widely criticized by military families, many of whom live in Hampton Roads.
“A full, clean repeal with additional financial support for the VMSDEP program, unencumbered by any other provisions, is great news for our military heroes, first responders, and their families,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin wrote in a post on X shortly after the announcement.
Both sides will return at 2 p.m. July 18 to formally consider the legislation.
Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com
