Authority: Discretionary Inclusion
A.1. Out of this appropriation, $75,000,000 the first year from the general fund is provided to support operations at public colleges and universities. Funds are intended to support the growing need for student support services; address increased costs resulting from inflation; refine or create programs that meet current and future workforce needs; and minimize student costs.
2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and the Secretary of Education shall jointly establish a set of performance standards for each public institution of higher education. Such standards shall include reasonable performance targets tailored to each institution that are informed by the institution's most recent six-year plan established pursuant to § 23.1-306, Code of Virginia. The Secretary of Education shall communicate the standards and targets to each institution by August 1, 2024. By October 1, 2024, each institution shall provide a performance plan to SCHEV and the Secretary of Education detailing efforts to achieve such targets. Upon approval of such plan by the Secretary of Education, the Department of Planning and Budget shall transfer the following amount to each institution:
Institution | FY 2025 Allocation |
Christopher Newport University | $2,383,000 |
George Mason University | $8,012,000 |
James Madison University | $4,724,000 |
Longwood University | $2,453,000 |
Norfolk State University | $1,598,000 |
Old Dominion University | $7,477,000 |
Radford University | $2,897,000 |
University of Mary Washington | $2,106,000 |
University of Virginia | $4,045,000 |
University of Virginia's College at Wise | $501,000 |
Virginia Commonwealth University | $10,394,000 |
Virginia Military Institute | $832,000 |
Virginia State University | $1,491,000 |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University | $9,205,000 |
College of William and Mary | $1,873,000 |
Richard Bland College | $373,000 |
Virginia Community College System | $14,636,000 |
Total | $75,000,000 |
B.1. Out of this appropriation, $75,000,000 the second year from the general fund is provided to support operations at public colleges and universities and promote tuition affordability in higher education.
2. To receive an allocation from these funds in fiscal year 2026, an institution must i) limit the fiscal year 2026 increase in all tuition and mandatory Educational and General fee charges for in-state undergraduate students, relative to fiscal year 2025 charges, to the lower of 2.5 percent or the change in the U.S. Average Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the most recent 12 months at the time of approval by the Board of Visitors, and ii) submit to the Secretary of Education by August 1, 2025, an update to the plan required in paragraph A.2 that details progress made toward the identified performance targets.
3. SCHEV shall certify whether each institution has met the tuition requirement of paragraph B.2, and shall report its findings to the Governor, the Secretary of Education, and the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget by September 1, 2025.
4. The Secretary of Education shall determine the fiscal year 2026 allocation for each institution based on the SCHEV tuition certification and each institution's performance toward the targets in its August 1, 2025, performance plan update. However, each institution's fiscal year 2026 allocation shall be at least 50 percent of the fiscal year 2025 allocation listed in paragraph A.2. The Secretary shall communicate the approved allocation to each institution and to the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget by October 1, 2025. Following this communication, the Department of Planning and Budget is authorized to distribute the approved allocations to each institution.