Authority: § 23.1-200, § 23.1-203, § 23.1-1107, § 23.1-629, § 23.1-903.4.

A. 1. It is the intent of the General Assembly to provide general fund support to contract at a level equivalent to the Tuition Assistance Grant undergraduate award with Mary Baldwin University for Virginia women resident students to participate in the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership at Mary Baldwin University.

2. The amounts included in this Item are $307,899 the first year and $307,899 the second year from the general fund for the programmatic administration of this program.

3. General fund appropriations provided under this contract include financial incentive for the participating students at Mary Baldwin University in the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership Program. Students receiving this financial incentive will not be eligible for Tuition Assistance Grants.

4. By September 1 of each year, Mary Baldwin University shall report to the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees, the Director, State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, and the Director, Department of Planning and Budget, on the number of students participating in the Virginia Women's Leadership Program, the number of in-state and out-of-state students receiving awards, the amount of the awards, the number of students graduating, and the number of students receiving commissions in the military.

B. In discharging the responsibilities specified in § 23.1-219, Code of Virginia, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall provide exemptions to individual proprietorships, associations, co-partnerships or corporations which are now or in the future will be using the words "college" or "university" in their training programs solely for their employees or customers, which do not offer degree-granting programs, and whose name includes the word "college" or "university" in a context from which it clearly appears that such entity is not an educational institution.

C. Out of the appropriation for Higher Education Coordination and Review, $11,287,363 the first year and $11,612,363 the second year from the general fund is provided for continuation of the Virtual Library of Virginia. Funding for the Virtual Library of Virginia is provided for the benefit of students and faculty at the Commonwealth's public institutions of higher education and participating nonprofit, independent private colleges and universities. Out of this amount, $461,946 the first year and $461,946 the second year is earmarked to allow the participation of nonprofit, independent private colleges and universities.

D. Out of this appropriation, $950,366 and ten positions the first year and $950,366 and ten positions the second year from nongeneral funds is provided to support higher education coordination and review services, including expenses incurred in the regulation and oversight of the private and out-of-state postsecondary institutions and proprietary schools operating in Virginia. These funds will be generated through fee schedules developed pursuant to § 23.1-224, Code of Virginia. Out of this amount, $190,000 the first year and $190,000 the second year from nongeneral funds is designated to administration of the Student Tuition Guarantee Fund.

E. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, in consultation with the House Appropriations Committee, the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, the Department of General Services, and the Department of Planning and Budget, shall develop a six-year capital outlay plan for higher education institutions including affiliated entities. As a part of this plan SCHEV shall consider (i) current funding mechanisms for capital projects and improvements at the Commonwealth's institutions of higher education, including general obligation bonds and other viable funding methods; (ii) mechanisms to assist private institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth with their capital needs.

F. The Executive Director, State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, may appoint an advisory committee to assist the council with technology-enriched learning initiatives. The advisory committee may assist the council in (i) developing innovative, cost-effective, technology-enriched teaching and learning initiatives, including distance and distributed learning initiatives; (ii) improving cooperation among and between the public and private institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth; (iii) improving efficiency and expand the availability of technology-enriched courses; and (iv) facilitating the sharing of research and experience to improve student learning.

G. In addition to the reviews conducted under § 23.1-206 and § 23.1-306, Code of Virginia, the State Council of Higher Education shall evaluate the progress of individual initiatives funded in this act as part of the incentive funding provided to colleges and universities with regard to improvements in retention, graduation, degree production and other criteria the Council deems appropriate.

H. Out of this appropriation, $330,687 the first year and $330,687 the second year from the general fund is designated to support research and analysis and the administration of a multi-agency longitudinal data system to improve consumer information and policy recommendations.

I.1. Out of this appropriation, $21,000,000 the first year and $3,000,000 the second year from the general fund is designated for the Innovative Internship Fund and Program, § 23.1-903.4, Code of Virginia. The funding is designed to expand paid or credit-bearing student internship and other work-based learning opportunities in collaboration with Virginia employers. The Program comprises institutional grants and a statewide initiative to facilitate the readiness of students, employers, and institutions of higher education to participate in internship and other work-based learning opportunities. Of the amounts in the second year, $1,000,000 shall be considered one-time.

2. In administering the statewide initiative, the Council shall (i) engage stakeholders from business and industry, secondary and higher education, economic development, and state agencies and entities that are successfully engaging employers or successfully operating internship programs; (ii) explore strategies in Virginia and elsewhere on successful institutional, regional, statewide or sector-based internship programs; (iii) gather data on current institutional internship practices, scale, and outcomes; (iv) develop internship readiness educational resources, delivery methods, certification procedures, and outreach and awareness activities for employer partners, students, and institutional career development personnel; (v) pursue shared services or other efficiency initiatives, including technological solutions; and (vi) create a process to track key measures of performance.

3. The Council shall establish eligibility criteria, including requirements for matching funds, for institutional grants. Such grants shall be used to accomplish one or more of the following goals: (i) support state or regional workforce needs; (ii) support initiatives to attract and retain talent in the Commonwealth; (iii) support research and research commercialization in sectors and clusters targeted for development; (iv) support regional economic growth and diversification plans; (v) enhance the job readiness of students; (vi) enhance higher education affordability and timely completion for Virginia students; or (vii) further the objectives of increasing the tech talent pipeline.

J. In addition to the exceptions pursuant to § 2.2-3815, the provisions of the section shall not be construed to prevent the release of a social security number to the U.S. Census, U.S. Education Department, or other agency of the federal government, by the State Council of Higher Education for the purposes of data-matching to improve knowledge of the outcomes of education programs of the Commonwealth, including, but not limited, to earnings and education-related debt. In addition, the office of the workforce development advisor shall also have access to wage records collected by the Council.

K. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall collect annual dues on behalf of Virginia Sea Grant to support its operational costs. The Council shall make payments out of nongeneral funds in this appropriation to Virginia Sea Grant, and shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with Virginia Sea Grant to define fiscal responsibilities and establish reimbursement rates and processes for the delivery of services.

L.1. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, in consultation with staff from the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, Department of Planning and Budget, Secretary of Finance and Secretary of Education, as well as representatives of public higher education institutions, shall review financial aid awarding practices and tuition discounting strategies.

2. The Council shall review current state financial aid awarding policies and make recommendations to: (1) appropriately prioritize and address affordability for low- and middle-income students; (2) increase program efficiency and effectiveness in meeting state goals that align with The Virginia Plan; and (3) simplify communication and improve student understanding of eligibility criteria. The review shall also: (1) assess financial aid by income level and the utilization and reporting of tuition revenue used for financial aid and unfunded scholarships; and (2) consider the pros and cons of authorizing remittance of tuition and fees for merit scholarships for students of high academic achievement.

M.1. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall develop a plan for implementing a statewide survey on institutional expenditures by program and academic discipline at Virginia's public institutions to determine the effectiveness of spending related to the attainment of state and institutional goals and inform strategic decision-making.

2. The Council may review existing reporting capacities and other state examples of cost analysis by program and academic discipline in higher education to: (1) determine the Council's current capacity to conduct the survey; (2) determine any additional staff and financial support necessary for conducting such a survey; (3) determine the potential for long-range cost containments; and (4) detail a plan for survey implementation.

N. Out of this appropriation, $250,000 the first year and $250,000 the second year from the general fund is designated for the Guidance to Postsecondary Success program. The program coordinates statewide efforts to increase college access and student success.

O. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, in fulfilling the requirements under § 23.1-1304, Code of Virginia, may use online training modules that expand training beyond the initial orientation for Boards of Visitor members.

P. Out of this appropriation, $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the second year from the general fund is provided to support a mental health workforce pilot at institutions of higher education in consultation with the Virginia Health Care Foundation. The pilot shall support the costs of required supervision for graduates of Masters of Social Work and Masters of Counseling programs seeking licensure. Eligible institutions include public institutions of higher education operating in Virginia. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall report the outcomes of the pilot annually to the Governor and General Assembly.

Q.1. As part of the biennial six-year financial plan required in the provisions of § 23.1-306, Code of Virginia, each public four-year institution of higher education, Richard Bland College, and the Virginia Community College System shall include in its six-year plan and amendments to its plan submitted to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) an official commitment and set of policies and practices to support freedom of expression and inquiry, free speech, academic freedom, and diversity of thought.

2. Each public four-year institution of higher education, Richard Bland College, and the Virginia Community College System shall also submit an annual report on freedom of expression and inquiry, free speech, academic freedom, and diversity of thought to the Secretary of Education, including related incidents and statistics from the prior academic year.

R.1. Out of this appropriation, $3,000,000 the first year and $3,000,000 the second year from the general fund is designated to support student mental health services at institutions of higher education. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall coordinate efforts to pursue a common vendor and statewide contract to provide mental health services to students at institutions of higher education. Such services may include virtual care.

2. The funding shall be allocated to public institutions of higher education participating in the statewide contract, including the Virginia Community College System, by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in amounts based on enrollment. Public institutions of higher education shall be required to match any state funding received for this purpose with an equivalent amount from nongeneral funds.