Virginia Law

Chapter 4. General Provisions.

A. To the extent allowed by state and federal law, a religious or political student organization may determine that ordering the organization's internal affairs, selecting the organization's leaders and members, defining the organization's doctrines, and resolving the organization's disputes are in furtherance of the organization's religious or political mission and that only persons committed to that mission should conduct such activities.

B. No public institution of higher education that has granted recognition of and access to any student organization or group shall discriminate against any such student organization or group that exercises its rights pursuant to subsection A.

2013, cc. 696, 701, § 23-9.2:12; 2016, c. 588.

No public institution of higher education shall impose restrictions on the time, place, and manner of student speech that (i) occurs in the outdoor areas of the institution's campus and (ii) is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution unless the restrictions (a) are reasonable, (b) are justified without reference to the content of the regulated speech, (c) are narrowly tailored to serve a significant governmental interest, and (d) leave open ample alternative channels for communication of the information.

2014, c. 559, § 23-9.2:13; 2016, c. 588.

A. Except as otherwise permitted by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, no public institution of higher education shall abridge the constitutional freedom of any individual, including enrolled students, faculty and other employees, and invited guests, to speak on campus.

B. Each public institution of higher education shall establish and include in its student handbook, on its website, and in its student orientation programs policies regarding speech that is constitutionally protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and the process to report incidents of disruption of such constitutionally protected speech.

C. Each public institution of higher education shall develop materials on the policies established pursuant to subsection B and notify any employee who is responsible for the discipline or education of enrolled students of such materials.

D. Each public institution of higher education shall develop, post on its website in a searchable, publicly accessible, and conspicuous manner, and submit to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than December 1 of each year a report on the institution's compliance with the provisions of this section that includes:

1. A copy of the institution's policies as described in subsection B and materials on such policies as described in subsection C;

2. Certification that the institution has complied with subsection C; and

3. A copy of any complaint filed in a court of law since December 1 of the preceding year to initiate a lawsuit against the institution or an employee of the institution in his official capacity for an alleged violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

E. Each public institution of higher education shall submit to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health a copy of any complaint filed in a court of law to initiate a lawsuit against the institution or an employee of the institution in his official capacity for an alleged violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution no later than 30 days after such complaint is served.

2018, c. 751.

A. As used in this section:

"Institution-sponsored student media" means any material that is prepared, substantially written, published, or broadcast by a student journalist at a public institution of higher education under the direction of a student media adviser and distributed or generally made available to members of the student body. "Institution-sponsored student media" does not include any media intended for distribution or transmission solely in the course in which the media is produced.

"Student journalist" means a student enrolled at a public institution of higher education who gathers, compiles, writes, edits, photographs, records, or prepares information for inclusion in institution-sponsored student media.

"Student media adviser" means an employee of a public institution of higher education who is appointed, designated, or employed to supervise or provide instruction relating to institution-sponsored student media.

B. Except as provided in subsection C, a student journalist has the right to exercise freedom of speech and the press in institution-sponsored student media, including determining the news and opinion content of institution-sponsored student media, regardless of whether the media is supported financially by the governing board of the institution, supported through the use of campus facilities, or produced in conjunction with a course in which the student is enrolled.

C. No student journalist has the right to exercise freedom of speech or the press in institution-sponsored student media when such media:

1. Is libelous or slanderous;

2. Constitutes an unwarranted invasion of privacy;

3. Violates federal or state law; or

4. So incites students as to create a clear and present danger of the commission of an unlawful act, the violation of institution policy, or the material and substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the institution.

D. No student media adviser shall be dismissed, suspended, disciplined, reassigned, or transferred for (i) taking reasonable and appropriate action to protect a student journalist who engages in conduct that is protected by subsection B or (ii) refusing to infringe on conduct by a student journalist that is protected by subsection B, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, or the Constitution of Virginia.

2020, c. 947.

A. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, any public institution of higher education may collect and disseminate information concerning the religious preferences and affiliations of its students, provided that no such institution shall (i) require any student to indicate his religious preference or affiliation or (ii) disseminate such information without the student's consent.

B. No consent given pursuant to this section shall be construed to allow any public institution of higher education to disseminate to federal government authorities information concerning the religious preferences and affiliations of its students for the purpose of compiling a list, registry, or database of individuals based on religious affiliation, national origin, or ethnicity, unless such dissemination is specifically required by state or federal law.

1977, c. 506, § 23-2.1; 2016, c. 588; 2019, c. 774.

Any public institution of higher education that provides access to its campus and student directory to persons or groups for occupational, professional, or educational recruitment shall provide access on the same basis to official recruiting representatives of the Armed Forces of the United States and the Commonwealth.

1982, c. 258, § 23-2.1:1; 2016, c. 588.

Any public institution of higher education that requests that an applicant who has been accepted for admission present a certified copy of his birth certificate as a condition of enrollment may retain a copy of the birth certificate in the student's record.

2007, c. 49, § 23-2.1:2; 2016, c. 588.

A. As used in this section:

"Social media account" means a personal account with an electronic medium or service through which users may create, share, or view user-generated content, including, without limitation, videos, photographs, blogs, podcasts, messages, emails, or website profiles or locations. "Social media account" does not include an account (i) opened by a student at the request of a public or private institution of higher education or (ii) provided to a student by a public or private institution of higher education such as the student's email account or other software program owned or operated exclusively by a public or private institution of higher education.

B. Each public institution of higher education and private institution of higher education may require any student who attends, or any applicant who has been accepted to and has committed to attend, such institution to provide, to the extent available, from the originating secondary school and, if applicable, any institution of higher education he has attended a complete student record, including any mental health records held by the previous school or institution. Such records shall be kept confidential as required by state and federal law, including the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. § 1232g)(FERPA).

C. Student directory information, as defined by FERPA, and which may include a student's name, sex, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height as a member of an athletic team, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and other similar information, may be disclosed, provided that the institution has given notice to the student of (i) the types of information that the institution has designated as directory information, (ii) the right of the student to refuse the designation of any or all of the types of information about the student as directory information, and (iii) the period of time within which the student must notify the institution in writing that he does not want any or all of the types of information about the student designated as directory information. However, no institution shall disclose the address, telephone number, or email address of a student pursuant to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.) unless the student has affirmatively consented in writing to such disclosure. Additionally, except as required by state or federal law, no institution shall disclose the address, telephone number, or email address of a student pursuant to 34 C.F.R. § 99.31(a)(11) unless (a) the disclosure is to students enrolled in the institution for educational purposes or institution business and the student has not opted out of such disclosure in accordance with this subsection and institution policy or (b) the student has affirmatively consented in writing to such disclosure except as required by state or federal law. This subsection shall not apply to disclosures, other than disclosures pursuant to 34 C.F.R. § 99.31(a)(11), permitted under FERPA.

D. No public institution of higher education shall sell students' personal information, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, to any person. This subsection shall not apply to transactions involving credit, debit, employment, finance, identity verification, risk assessment, fraud prevention, or other transactions initiated by the student.

E. No public or private institution of higher education shall require a student to disclose the username or password to any of such student's personal social media accounts. Nothing in this subsection shall prevent a campus police officer appointed under Article 3 (§ 23.1-809 et seq.) of Chapter 8 from performing his official duties.

2008, c. 571, § 23-2.1:3; 2012, cc. 347, 382; 2014, c. 748; 2016, cc. 588, 597; 2018, c. 806; 2019, c. 229.

A. Each associate-degree-granting and baccalaureate (i) public institution of higher education and (ii) private institution of higher education and the governing board, president, or director of any flight school in the Commonwealth shall notify the Attorney General whenever (a) an applicant who has been accepted for admission to such institution pursuant to a student visa fails to enroll or (b) a student who has been attending such institution pursuant to a student visa withdraws from such institution or violates the terms of his visa. Such notification shall contain all available information from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Form I-20 and shall be submitted no later than 30 days after discovery of the event for which notification is required.

B. The Attorney General shall notify U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and all other appropriate national, state, and local agencies of any such failure to enroll, withdrawal, or student visa violation.

C. This section is effective until superseded by federal action.

2002, c. 367, § 23-2.2; 2016, c. 588.

A. Each associate-degree-granting and baccalaureate (i) public institution of higher education and (ii) private institution of higher education shall electronically transmit the complete name, social security number or other identifying number, date of birth, and gender of each applicant accepted to attend the institution to the Department of State Police, in a format approved by the Department of State Police, for comparison with information contained in the Virginia Criminal Information Network and National Crime Information Center Sex Offender Registry File. Such data shall be transmitted (a) before an accepted applicant becomes a student in attendance pursuant to 20 U.S.C. § 1232g(a)(6) or (b) in the case of institutions with a rolling or instantaneous admissions policy, in accordance with guidelines developed by the Department of State Police in consultation with the Council.

B. Whenever it appears from the records of the Department of State Police that an accepted applicant has failed to comply with the duty to register, reregister, or verify his registration information pursuant to Chapter 9 (§ 9.1-900 et seq.) of Title 9.1, the Department of State Police shall promptly investigate and, if there is probable cause to believe a violation has occurred, obtain a warrant or assist in obtaining an indictment charging a violation of § 18.2-472.1 in the jurisdiction in which the institution of higher education is located.

2006, cc. 857, 914, § 23-2.2:1; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 829.

A. No public institution of higher education shall (i) utilize an institution-specific admissions application that contains questions about the criminal history of the applicant or (ii) deny admission to any applicant solely on the basis of any criminal history information provided by the applicant on any third-party admissions application accepted by the institution.

B. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A, any public institution of higher education that requires each student to enroll in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) as a condition of enrollment may inquire into the criminal history of any applicant prior to the applicant's receiving a conditional offer of acceptance to determine his eligibility to accept a commission in the Armed Forces of the United States.

C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a public institution of higher education from inquiring into the criminal history of any individual who has been admitted to but has yet to enroll at the institution. Any public institution of higher education may withdraw an offer of admission to any individual whom the institution subsequently determines to have a criminal history that poses a threat to the institution's community.

D. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A, a law school of a public institution of higher education that is accredited by the American Bar Association may inquire into the criminal history of any applicant to determine whether the applicant appears capable of being admitted to the bar. Any such law school shall inform applicants that the existence of a criminal history will not, by itself, disqualify an applicant for admission.

2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 440.

Each public institution of higher education shall publish annually a descriptive report detailing (i) the amount and distribution of student activity fees assessed each semester or during an academic year and (ii) the name of each organization that receives funding of $100 or more from student activity fees and the nature of such organization's activity. Each such institution shall post such annual descriptive report on its website to facilitate its access by and availability to enrolled students and their parents.

2005, c. 532, § 23-2.3; 2016, c. 588.

A. As used in this section:

"Athlete agent" means an individual who holds a valid certificate of registration as an athlete agent issued pursuant to Chapter 5.2 (§ 54.1-526 et seq.) of Title 54.1.

"Attorney" means an attorney licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth.

"Compensation" means any type of remuneration or anything of value. "Compensation" does not include any (i) scholarship provided to a student-athlete that covers some or all of the cost of attendance at an institution at which the student-athlete is enrolled or (ii) benefit a student-athlete may receive in accordance with the rules of the relevant athletic association or conference.

"Institution" means a private institution of higher education, associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education, or baccalaureate public institution of higher education.

"Student-athlete" means an individual enrolled at an institution who participates in intercollegiate athletics.

B. No institution or agent thereof, athletic association, athletic conference, or other organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics shall:

1. Prohibit or prevent a student-athlete from earning compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness, except as otherwise permitted in this section;

2. Prohibit or prevent a student-athlete from obtaining professional representation by an athlete agent or legal representation by an attorney in connection with issues related to name, image, or likeness;

3. Declare a student-athlete ineligible for intercollegiate athletic competition because he earns compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness or obtains professional representation by an athlete agent or attorney in connection with issues related to name, image, or likeness; or

4. Reduce, cancel, revoke, or not renew an athletic scholarship because a student-athlete earns compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness or obtains professional representation by an athlete agent or attorney in connection with issues related to name, image, or likeness.

C. No athletic association, athletic conference, or other organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics shall prohibit or prevent an institution from becoming a member of the association, conference, or organization or participating in intercollegiate athletics sponsored by such association, conference, or organization as a consequence of any student-athlete earning compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness or obtaining representation by an athlete agent or attorney in connection with issues related to name, image, or likeness.

D. No student-athlete shall earn compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness in connection with any of the following:

1. Alcohol and alcoholic beverages;

2. Adult entertainment;

3. Cannabis, cannabinoids, cannabidiol, or other derivatives, not including hemp or hemp products;

4. Controlled substances, as defined in § 54.1-3401;

5. Performance enhancing drugs or substances such as steroids or human growth hormone;

6. Drug paraphernalia, as defined in § 18.2-265.1;

7. Tobacco, tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, nicotine vapor products, and similar products and devices;

8. Weapons, including firearms and ammunition for firearms; and

9. Casinos or gambling, including sports betting.

E. An institution may prohibit a student-athlete from earning compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness while the student-athlete is engaged in academic, official team, or athletic department activities, including class, tutoring, competition, practice, travel, academic services, community service, promotional activities, and other athletic department activities.

F. No student-athlete shall use an institution's facilities; apparel; equipment; uniforms; or intellectual property, including logos, indicia, registered and unregistered trademarks, and products protected by copyright, for any opportunity to earn compensation for the use of his name, image, or likeness, unless otherwise permitted by the institution.

G. Prior to executing an agreement concerning the use of his name, image, or likeness, a student-athlete shall disclose such agreement to the institution at which he is enrolled in a manner designated by the institution. If a student-athlete discloses a potential agreement that conflicts with an existing institutional agreement, the institution shall disclose the relevant terms of the conflicting agreement to the student-athlete.

H. An institution may prohibit a student-athlete from using his name, image, or likeness to earn compensation if the proposed use conflicts with an existing institutional agreement.

I. No institution shall, except as otherwise permitted in this section, enter into, renew, or modify any agreement that prohibits a student-athlete from using his name, image, or likeness to earn compensation while the student-athlete is engaged in non-academic, unofficial team, or non-athletic department activities.

J. Nothing in this section shall be construed to impact the employment status of a student-athlete. No student-athlete shall be considered an employee of an institution based on participation in intercollegiate athletics.

K. Any student-athlete who is aggrieved by any action of an institution or agent thereof, athletic association, athletic conference, or other organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics in violation of any provision of this section may bring an action for injunctive relief.

2022, cc. 510, 638.

A. Each baccalaureate public institution of higher education shall maintain and update annually no later than September 30 a tab or link on the home page of its website that shall include the following information:

1. The institution's six-year undergraduate graduation rate for each of the past 10 years;

2. The institution's freshman-to-sophomore retention rate for full-time undergraduate students for each of the past 10 years;

3. The institution's average annual percentage increase in base undergraduate tuition for each of the past 10 years;

4. The institution's average annual percentage increase in mandatory undergraduate comprehensive student fees for each of the past 10 years;

5. A link to the annual report of the use of student fees as required by § 23.1-408;

6. A link to the postsecondary education and employment data referenced in subsection D of § 23.1-204.1; and

7. A summary of the institution's budget, consistent with the institution's annual budgeting process, that includes (i) the major budget units (MBUs) in the institution and standard expenditure categories within each MBU for the current fiscal year and the previous fiscal year or (ii) a link to the annual reports required by subdivision B 11 of § 23.1-1303.

B. The Council shall maintain on its website a comparison of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education to each other baccalaureate public institution of higher education on the following measures:

1. The middle 50 percent test score range of first-time undergraduate students whose ACT or SAT scores were in the twenty-fifth to seventy-fifth percentiles of the scores of enrolled students;

2. The percentage of the students who applied for and were offered first-time undergraduate admission;

3. The average and net annual total tuition and fees and room and board for a full-time undergraduate student living on campus;

4. Average undergraduate student educational debt;

5. The first year to second year retention rates for full-time undergraduate students;

6. The four-year, five-year, and six-year undergraduate graduation rates;

7. The percentage of students eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant;

8. The average wages of undergraduate alumni within the first five years of graduation; and

9. The average wages of undergraduate alumni within 20 years of graduation.

C. Each baccalaureate public institution of higher education shall maintain a link on its website to the comparison of measures maintained by the Council pursuant to subsection B.

2015, cc. 325, 328, § 23-2.6; 2016, c. 588; 2018, c. 387; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 447; 2022, c. 365.

Each public institution of higher education shall ensure that all students have access to accurate information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), including eligibility and how to apply. Each institution shall also advertise the application and process for applying for SNAP prominently on the institution's website and in orientation materials that are distributed to each new student.

2022, c. 483.

A. No employee of a public institution of higher education shall demand or receive any payment, loan, advance, deposit of money, services, or anything, present or promised, as an inducement for promoting any student loan vendor.

B. No public institution of higher education shall enter into any agreement with any student loan vendor that states or implies an exclusive relationship between the institution and vendor regarding student loans.

2008, c. 624, § 23-4.3:2; 2014, c. 484; 2016, c. 588.

A. A public institution of higher education that receives federal education loan information for a student enrolled in the institution shall provide to the student, at least once during each academic year, the following up-to-date information: (i) an estimate of (a) the student's total amount of federal education loans, (b) the student's total potential loan repayment amount, including principal and interest, for the total amount of federal education loans, and (c) the student's monthly loan repayment amounts for the total amount of federal education loans and (ii) the percentage of the aggregate borrowing limit the student has reached, unless such information is unavailable.

B. No public institution of higher education shall incur liability for providing information to a student in accordance with this section.

2018, c. 589.

A. Each public institution of higher education shall adopt non-academic student codes of conduct.

B. Students and student organizations that participate in the non-academic student codes of conduct process as a complainant or respondent shall have the responsibilities and rights afforded to them by the institution's codes of conduct and related policies and procedures. The codes of conduct shall describe and define the rights and responsibilities of all enrolled students and student organizations and shall outline each step in the institution's procedures for responding to and resolving allegations of violations.

C. For violations that may result in a student or student organization facing the sanctions of suspension or expulsion, the non-academic student codes of conduct shall include:

1. The requirement that the accused student or student organization receive reasonable notice of the alleged violation, a general summary of the complaint, contact information of an institution's employee to receive additional information, and the date by which such contact must occur;

2. The opportunity for the accused student or student organization to present their version of events giving rise to the allegations;

3. The opportunity for the accused student or student organization to review and respond to information presented to the decision maker;

4. The opportunity for the accused student or student organization to select an advisor of their choice;

5. The opportunity for the accused student or student organization to present information by relevant and noncumulative witnesses;

6. The right of the accused student or student organization to not participate in proceedings;

7. The requirement that the complainant and respondent receive notice of the outcome of the proceedings;

8. A decision maker free from actual bias; and

9. A description of any internal appeal process.

D. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any public institution of higher education established pursuant to Chapter 25 (§ 23.1-2500 et seq.).

2020, c. 473.

Chapter 5. In-State Tuition and Reduced Rate Tuition Eligibility.

As used in this chapter:

"Date of the alleged entitlement" means the first official day of class within the term, semester, or quarter of the program of study in which a student is enrolled.

"Dependent student" means a student who is listed as a dependent on the federal or state income tax return of his parents or legal guardian or who receives substantial financial support from his spouse, parent, or legal guardian. "Dependent student" includes unemancipated minors.

"Domicile" means the present, fixed home of an individual to which he returns following temporary absences and at which he intends to stay indefinitely. No individual may have more than one domicile at a time. Domicile, once established, is not affected by (i) mere transient or temporary physical presence outside the Commonwealth or (ii) the establishment and maintenance of a place of residence outside the Commonwealth for the purpose of maintaining a joint household with an active duty United States military spouse.

"Domiciliary intent" means present intent to remain indefinitely.

"Emancipated minor" means a minor student who has been emancipated pursuant to Article 15 (§ 16.1-331 et seq.) of Chapter 11 of Title 16.1 or the applicable laws of any other jurisdiction.

"Employed full time" means employed in a position resulting in at least an annual earned income reported for tax purposes equivalent to 50 work weeks of 40 hours at minimum wage.

"Independent student" means a student whose parents have surrendered the right to his care, custody, and earnings; do not claim him as a dependent on federal or state income tax returns; and have ceased to provide him with substantial financial support. "Independent student" includes emancipated minors.

"Substantial financial support" means any amount of financial support received by a student that qualifies him to be listed as a dependent on federal and state income tax returns.

"Surviving spouse" means the spouse of a military service member who, while serving as an active duty member in the Armed Forces of the United States, Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States, or Virginia National Guard, during military operations against terrorism, on a peacekeeping mission, or as a result of a terrorist act, or in any armed conflict, was killed in action, became missing in action, or became a prisoner of war.

"Unemancipated minor" means a minor student who has not been emancipated pursuant to Article 15 (§ 16.1-331 et seq.) of Chapter 11 of Title 16.1 or the applicable laws of any other jurisdiction.

"Veteran" means an individual who has served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States and who was discharged or released from such service under conditions other than dishonorable.

"Virginia employer" means (i) any employing unit organized under the laws of the Commonwealth or having income from sources in the Commonwealth regardless of its organizational structure or (ii) any public or nonprofit organization authorized to operate in the Commonwealth.

1984, c. 422, § 23-7.4; 1985, cc. 179, 572; 1988, c. 124; 1989, c. 371; 1990, c. 680; 1991, c. 590; 1996, cc. 931, 981; 1999, c. 439; 2006, cc. 783, 797, 806; 2007, cc. 108, 491; 2008, c. 723; 2011, cc. 38, 44, 782, 860; 2013, cc. 139, 166, 243; 2014, c. 341; 2016, c. 588.

It shall be presumed that a student under the age of 24 on the date of the alleged entitlement receives substantial financial support from his parent or legal guardian and is therefore the dependent of his parent or legal guardian unless the student (i) is a veteran or an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States, (ii) is a graduate or professional student, (iii) is married, (iv) is a ward of the court or was a ward of the court until age 18, (v) has no adoptive parent or legal guardian and each of the student's parents is deceased, (vi) has legal dependents other than a spouse, or (vii) is able to present clear and convincing evidence that he is financially self-sufficient.

1984, c. 422, § 23-7.4; 1985, cc. 179, 572; 1988, c. 124; 1989, c. 371; 1990, c. 680; 1991, c. 590; 1996, cc. 931, 981; 1999, c. 439; 2006, cc. 783, 797, 806; 2007, cc. 108, 491; 2008, c. 723; 2011, cc. 38, 44, 782, 860; 2013, cc. 139, 166, 243; 2014, c. 341; 2016, c. 588.

A. To be eligible for in-state tuition at public institutions of higher education, an independent student or, in the case of a dependent student, the individual through whom he claims eligibility, shall establish by clear and convincing evidence (i) domicile in the Commonwealth for a period of at least one year immediately succeeding the establishment of domiciliary intent pursuant to subsection B and immediately prior to the date of the alleged entitlement and (ii) the abandonment of any previous domicile, if such existed. No institution of higher education shall give weight to any evidence that such student or individual presents in support of his claim for domicile or the abandonment of any previous domicile unless such evidence has existed for a period of at least one year immediately prior to the date of the alleged entitlement. If the individual through whom a dependent student establishes domicile and eligibility for in-state tuition charges abandons his domicile in the Commonwealth, such student is entitled to in-state tuition charges for one year from the date of such abandonment.

B. To establish domicile, an independent student or, in the case of a dependent student, the individual through whom he claims eligibility, shall establish by clear and convincing evidence domiciliary intent. In determining domiciliary intent, institutions of higher education shall consider the totality of the circumstances, including the following applicable factors: continuous residence for at least one year prior to the date of the alleged entitlement, except in the event of the establishment and maintenance of a place of residence outside the Commonwealth for the purpose of maintaining a joint household with an active duty United States military spouse; state to which income taxes are filed or paid; driver's license; motor vehicle registration; voter registration; employment; property ownership; sources of financial support; military records; a written offer and acceptance of employment following graduation; and any other social or economic relationships within and outside the Commonwealth.

1984, c. 422, § 23-7.4; 1985, cc. 179, 572; 1988, c. 124; 1989, c. 371; 1990, c. 680; 1991, c. 590; 1996, cc. 931, 981; 1999, c. 439; 2006, cc. 783, 797, 806; 2007, cc. 108, 491; 2008, c. 723; 2011, cc. 38, 44, 782, 860; 2013, cc. 139, 166, 243; 2014, c. 341; 2016, c. 588.

A. Students shall not ordinarily establish domicile by the performance of acts that are auxiliary to fulfilling educational objectives or are required or routinely performed by temporary residents of the Commonwealth. Students shall not establish domicile by mere physical presence or residence primarily for educational purposes.

B. A married individual may establish domicile in the same manner as an unmarried individual.

C. A nonmilitary student whose parent or spouse is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States may establish domicile in the same manner as any other student.

D. Any alien holding an immigration visa or classified as a political refugee may establish domicile in the same manner as any other student. However, absent congressional intent to the contrary, any individual holding a student visa or another temporary visa does not have the capacity to intend to remain in the Commonwealth indefinitely and is therefore ineligible to establish domicile and receive in-state tuition charges.

E. The domicile of a dependent student shall be rebuttably presumed to be the domicile of the parent or legal guardian (i) claiming him as an exemption on federal or state income tax returns currently and for the tax year prior to the date of the alleged entitlement or (ii) providing him with substantial financial support. The spouse of an active duty military service member, if such spouse has established domicile and claimed the dependent student on federal or state income tax returns, is not subject to minimum income tests or requirements.

F. The domicile of an unemancipated minor or a dependent student 18 years old or older may be the domicile of either the parent with whom he resides, the parent who claims the student as a dependent for federal or Virginia income tax purposes for the tax year prior to the date of the alleged entitlement and is currently so claiming the student, or the parent who provides the student with substantial financial support. If there is no surviving parent or the whereabouts of the parents are unknown, then the domicile of an unemancipated minor shall be the domicile of the legal guardian of such unemancipated minor unless circumstances indicate that such guardianship was created primarily for the purpose of establishing domicile.

G. Continuously enrolled non-Virginia students shall be presumed to be in the Commonwealth for educational purposes unless they rebut such presumption with clear and convincing evidence of domicile.

H. A non-Virginia student is not eligible for reclassification as a Virginia student unless he applies for and is approved for such reclassification. Any such reclassification shall only be granted prospectively from the date such application is received.

I. A student who knowingly provides erroneous information in an attempt to evade payment of out-of-state tuition charges shall be charged out-of-state tuition for each term, semester, or quarter attended and may be subject to dismissal from the institution. All disputes relating to the veracity of information provided to establish domicile in the Commonwealth are appealable as set forth in § 23.1-510.

J. No student shall be deemed ineligible to establish domicile and receive in-state tuition charges solely on the basis of the immigration status of his parent.

1984, c. 422, § 23-7.4; 1985, cc. 179, 572; 1988, c. 124; 1989, c. 371; 1990, c. 680; 1991, c. 590; 1996, cc. 931, 981; 1999, c. 439; 2006, cc. 783, 797, 806; 2007, cc. 108, 491; 2008, c. 723; 2011, cc. 38, 44, 782, 860; 2013, cc. 139, 166, 243; 2014, c. 341; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 512.

In determining the domicile of (i) active duty military personnel residing in the Commonwealth, retired military personnel residing in the Commonwealth at the time of their retirement, surviving spouses, or veterans who voluntarily elect to establish the Commonwealth as their permanent residence for the purpose of domicile or (ii) a dependent spouse or dependent child who claims domicile through an individual listed in clause (i), institutions of higher education shall waive the one-year requirement set forth in subsection B of § 23.1-502.

1984, c. 422, § 23-7.4; 1985, cc. 179, 572; 1988, c. 124; 1989, c. 371; 1990, c. 680; 1991, c. 590; 1996, cc. 931, 981; 1999, c. 439; 2006, cc. 783, 797, 806; 2007, cc. 108, 491; 2008, c. 723; 2011, cc. 38, 44, 782, 860; 2013, cc. 139, 166, 243; 2014, c. 341; 2016, c. 588.

A. For the purposes of this section:

"Date of alleged entitlement" means the date of admission or acceptance for dependents currently residing in the Commonwealth or the final add/drop date for dependents of members newly transferred to the Commonwealth.

"Temporarily mobilized" means activated for service for 180 days or more.

"Unaccompanied orders" means orders that assign active duty military personnel or activated or temporarily mobilized reserve or guard members an unaccompanied tour listed in Appendix Q of the Joint Federal Travel Regulations.

B. Notwithstanding § 23.1-502 or any other provision of law to the contrary, all dependents, as defined by 37 U.S.C. § 401, of active duty military personnel or activated or temporarily mobilized reservists or guard members (i) assigned to a permanent duty station or workplace in the Commonwealth, the District of Columbia, or a state contiguous to the Commonwealth who reside in the Commonwealth; (ii) assigned unaccompanied orders and immediately prior to receiving such unaccompanied orders were assigned to a permanent duty station or workplace in the Commonwealth, the District of Columbia, or a state contiguous to the Commonwealth and resided in the Commonwealth; or (iii) assigned unaccompanied orders with the Commonwealth listed as the designated place move shall be deemed to be domiciled in the Commonwealth and are eligible to receive in-state tuition.

C. All such dependents shall be afforded the same educational benefits as any other individual who is eligible for in-state tuition pursuant to § 23.1-502. Such dependents are eligible for such benefits, including in-state tuition status, for as long as they are continuously enrolled in a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education or have transferred between public institutions of higher education or private institutions of higher education or from an undergraduate degree program to a graduate degree program at a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education, regardless of any change of duty station or residence of the military service member. Such continuous enrollment requirement shall be waived if the dependent verifies that a break of no longer than one year was required in order to support a spouse or parent on orders for a change of duty assignment or location.

1984, c. 422, § 23-7.4; 1985, cc. 179, 572; 1988, c. 124; 1989, c. 371; 1990, c. 680; 1991, c. 590; 1996, cc. 931, 981; 1999, c. 439; 2006, cc. 783, 797, 806; 2007, cc. 108, 491; 2008, c. 723; 2011, cc. 38, 44, 782, 860; 2013, cc. 139, 166, 243; 2014, c. 341; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 382.

Notwithstanding § 23.1-502 or any other provision of law to the contrary, any student who (i) attended high school for at least two years in the Commonwealth and either (a) graduated on or after July 1, 2008, from a public or private high school or program of home instruction in the Commonwealth or (b) passed on or after July 1, 2008, a high school equivalency examination approved by the Secretary of Education; (ii) has submitted evidence that he or, in the case of a dependent student, at least one parent, guardian, or person standing in loco parentis has filed, unless exempted by state law, Virginia income tax returns for at least two years prior to the date of registration or enrollment; and (iii) registers as an entering student or is enrolled in a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, is eligible for in-state tuition regardless of citizenship or immigration status, except that students with currently valid visas issued under 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(F), 1101(a)(15)(H)(iii), 1101(a)(15)(J)(including only students or trainees), or 1101(a)(15)(M) are not eligible. All such students shall be afforded the same educational benefits, including access to financial assistance programs administered by the Council, the State Board, or a public institution of higher education, as any other individual who is eligible for in-state tuition pursuant to § 23.1-502. Information obtained in the implementation of this section shall only be used or disclosed to individuals other than the student for purposes of determining such educational benefits.

Any non-Virginia student granted in-state tuition pursuant to this section shall be counted as a Virginia student for the purposes of determining college admissions, enrollment, and tuition and fee revenue policies.

2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 107, 108.

A. Notwithstanding § 23.1-502 or any other provision of law to the contrary, the following students are eligible for in-state tuition charges regardless of domicile:

1. Any non-Virginia student who resides outside the Commonwealth and has been employed full time in the Commonwealth for at least one year immediately prior to the date of the alleged entitlement if such student has paid Virginia income taxes on all taxable income earned in the Commonwealth for the tax year prior to the date of the alleged entitlement. Such student shall continue to be eligible for in-state tuition charges for so long as the student is employed full time in the Commonwealth and the student pays Virginia income taxes on all taxable income earned in the Commonwealth.

2. Any non-Virginia student who resides outside the Commonwealth and is claimed as a dependent for federal and Virginia income tax purposes if the nonresident parent claiming the student as a dependent has been employed full time in the Commonwealth for at least one year immediately prior to the date of the alleged entitlement and paid Virginia income taxes on all taxable income earned in the Commonwealth for the tax year prior to the date of the alleged entitlement. Such student shall continue to be eligible for in-state tuition charges for so long as his qualifying parent is employed full time in the Commonwealth, pays Virginia income taxes on all taxable income earned in the Commonwealth, and claims the student as a dependent for Virginia and federal income tax purposes.

3. Any active duty member, activated guard or reserve member, or guard or reserve member mobilized or on temporary active orders for 180 days or more who resides in the Commonwealth.

4. Any veteran who resides in the Commonwealth.

5. Any surviving spouse who resides in the Commonwealth.

6. Following completion of active duty service, any non-Virginia student who established domicile before being called to active duty in the National Guard of another state if during such active duty he maintained at least one of the following in the Commonwealth: a driver's license, motor vehicle registration, voter registration, employment, property ownership, or sources of financial support.

7. Any member of the foreign service office who resided in the Commonwealth for at least 90 days immediately prior to receiving a foreign service assignment and who continues to be assigned overseas, and any dependents of such member.

8. Any child of an active duty member or veteran who claims Virginia as his home state and filed Virginia tax returns for at least 10 years during active duty service.

9. Any individual who (i) was admitted to the United States as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157 within the previous two calendar years or (ii) received a Special Immigrant Visa that has been granted a status under P.L. 110-181 § 1244, P.L. 109-163 § 1059, or P.L. 111-8 § 602 within the previous two calendar years and, upon entering the United States, resided in the Commonwealth and continues to reside in the Commonwealth as a refugee or pursuant to such Special Immigrant Visa.

10. Any non-Virginia student who is currently present in the Commonwealth as a result of being a victim of human trafficking. For the purposes of this subdivision, a person may be a victim of human trafficking regardless of whether any person has been charged with or convicted of any offense. Eligibility under this subdivision may be proved by a certification of such status as a victim of human trafficking by a federal, state, or local agency or not-for-profit agency, one of whose primary missions is to provide services to victims of human trafficking. For the purposes of this subdivision, "victim of human trafficking" means a victim of (i) a violation of clause (iii), (iv), or (v) of § 18.2-48; (ii) a felony violation of § 18.2-346; (iii) a violation of § 18.2-348, 18.2-349, 18.2-355 through 18.2-357.1, or 18.2-368; or (iv) sex trafficking or severe forms of trafficking in persons as defined in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, 22 U.S.C. § 7101 et seq. Public institutions of higher education shall automatically record any student qualifying for in-state tuition pursuant to this subdivision as opting out of making any directory or educational information available to the public unless the student voluntarily and affirmatively chooses to opt in to allowing such directory or educational information to be made available.

Any non-Virginia student granted in-state tuition pursuant to this subsection shall be counted as a Virginia student for the purposes of determining college admissions, enrollment, and tuition and fee revenue policies.

B. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 23.1-502 or any other provision of law to the contrary, the governing board of any public institution of higher education may charge in-state tuition to the following students regardless of domicile:

1. Any non-Virginia student enrolled in one of the institution's programs designated by the Council who (i) is entitled to reduced tuition charges at the institutions of higher education in any other state that is a party to the Southern Regional Education Compact and that has similar reciprocal provisions for Virginia students and (ii) is domiciled in such other state;

2. Any non-Virginia student from a foreign country who is enrolled in a foreign exchange program approved by the institution of higher education during the same period in which a Virginia student from such institution is attending such foreign institution as an exchange student; and

3. Any high school or magnet school student, not otherwise qualified for in-state tuition, who is enrolled in courses specifically designed as part of the high school or magnet school curriculum in a comprehensive community college for which he may, upon successful completion, receive high school and college credit pursuant to a dual enrollment agreement between the high school or magnet school and the comprehensive community college.

Any non-Virginia student granted in-state tuition pursuant to this subsection shall be counted as a non-Virginia student for the purposes of determining college admissions, enrollment, and tuition and fee revenue policies.

C. The State Board shall charge in-state tuition to any non-Virginia student enrolled at a comprehensive community college who resides in another state within a 30-mile radius of a public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, is domiciled in such other state, and is entitled to in-state tuition charges at the institutions of higher education in any state that is contiguous to the Commonwealth and that has similar reciprocal provisions for Virginia students.

Any non-Virginia student granted in-state tuition pursuant to this subsection shall be counted as a Virginia student for the purposes of determining college admissions, enrollment, and tuition and fee revenue policies.

1996, cc. 931, 981, § 23-7.4:2; 1998, cc. 62, 79; 1999, cc. 424, 437; 2000, c. 196; 2001, c. 483; 2004, cc. 501, 520; 2006, cc. 783, 797; 2007, cc. 76, 102, 112; 2008, c. 723; 2009, c. 470; 2011, c. 376; 2013, cc. 166, 243, 302; 2014, cc. 341, 762; 2016, c. 588; 2019, c. 329; 2020, cc. 642, 680, 766, 767; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 107, 108; 2022, c. 795.

A. The board of visitors of the University of Virginia may charge reduced rate tuition to any student enrolled at the University of Virginia's College at Wise who resides in Kentucky within a 50-mile radius of the University of Virginia's College at Wise, is domiciled in Kentucky, and is entitled to in-state tuition charges at the institutions of higher education in Kentucky if Kentucky has similar reciprocal provisions for Virginia students.

B. The board of visitors of the University of Virginia may charge reduced rate tuition to any student enrolled at the University of Virginia's College at Wise who resides in Tennessee within a 50-mile radius of the University of Virginia's College at Wise, is domiciled in Tennessee, and is entitled to in-state tuition charges at the institutions of higher education in Tennessee if Tennessee has similar reciprocal provisions for Virginia students.

C. The board of visitors of the University of Virginia may charge reduced rate tuition to any student enrolled at the University of Virginia's College at Wise who resides in the Appalachian Region as defined in 40 U.S.C. § 14102, is domiciled within the Appalachian Region, and is entitled to in-state tuition charges at a public institution of higher education in the Appalachian Region and such entitlement is based on circumstances that when applied to a student who resides in Virginia would result in entitlement to in-state tuition. Reduced rate tuition for students who reside in and are domiciled in the Appalachian Region shall not be set below the in-state tuition rate for Virginia students attending the University of Virginia's College at Wise.

D. The board of visitors of the University of Virginia may charge reduced rate tuition to any student enrolled in programs offered jointly by its partners or associates and the University of Virginia's College at Wise at a regional off-campus center who resides in Tennessee within a 50-mile radius of the University of Virginia's College at Wise, is domiciled in Tennessee, and is entitled to in-state tuition charges at the institutions of higher education in Tennessee if Tennessee has similar reciprocal provisions for Virginia students. Any such respective partners or associates shall establish separate tuition charges for their independent classes or programs at such regional off-campus centers.

E. Any non-Virginia student granted reduced rate tuition pursuant to this section shall be counted as a non-Virginia student for the purposes of determining admissions, enrollment, and tuition and fee revenue policies.

1996, cc. 931, 981, § 23-7.4:2; 1998, cc. 62, 79; 1999, cc. 424, 437; 2000, c. 196; 2001, c. 483; 2004, cc. 501, 520; 2006, cc. 783, 797; 2007, cc. 76, 102, 112; 2008, c. 723; 2009, c. 470; 2011, c. 376; 2013, cc. 166, 243, 302; 2014, cc. 341, 762; 2016, c. 588; 2019, cc. 225, 600.

A. The Norfolk State University Board of Visitors and the Virginia State University Board of Visitors may charge reduced rate tuition to any non-Virginia student who has completed at least 30 credit hours of coursework and who is enrolled in a program at the relevant institution that leads to employment in a high-demand field, as determined by the board of visitors of the relevant institution based on data compiled and provided by the Virginia Office of Education Economics.

B. Any non-Virginia student who is charged reduced rate tuition pursuant to subsection A shall forfeit eligibility for such reduced rate tuition charge and shall be charged tuition at the full rate for non-Virginia students in the event that such student withdraws from the program at the relevant institution that leads to employment in a high-demand field and enrolls in a program at the relevant institution that does not lead to employment in a high-demand field according to the criteria set forth in subsection A.

C. Any non-Virginia student who is enrolled in a program at Norfolk State University or Virginia State University that does not lead to employment in a high-demand field and who withdraws from such program and subsequently enrolls in a program at the relevant institution that leads to employment in a high-demand field according to the criteria set forth in subsection A may be charged reduced rate tuition pursuant to subsection A.

2023, cc. 696, 697.

A. Public institutions of higher education may enter into special arrangement contracts with employers in the Commonwealth or authorities controlling federal installations or agencies located in the Commonwealth for the purpose of providing reduced rate tuition charges for the employees of such employers or authorities who are non-Virginia students at such institutions when such employers or authorities assume the liability for paying, to the extent permitted by federal law, the tuition charges for such employees.

B. Such special arrangement contracts may be (i) for group instruction in facilities provided by the employer or federal authority or in the institution's facilities or (ii) on a student-by-student basis for specific employment-related programs.

C. Special arrangement contracts are valid for a period not to exceed two years and shall be reviewed for legal sufficiency by the Office of the Attorney General prior to signing. All tuition charges agreed to by the public institutions shall be at least equal to in-state tuition and shall be granted only by the institution with which the employer or the federal authorities have a valid contract for students for whom the employer or federal authority is paying the tuition charges.

D. All special arrangement contracts with authorities controlling federal installations or agencies shall include a specific number of students to be charged reduced tuition rates.

E. Subject to the restrictions provided in subdivisions 1, 2, and 3, public institutions of higher education may enter into special arrangement contracts with the Department of Military Affairs for the purpose of providing reduced rate tuition charges for any member of the Virginia National Guard receiving state tuition assistance pursuant to § 23.1-610.

1. No more than 50 non-Virginia students in any year shall receive reduced rate tuition charges pursuant to this subsection. In the event that the number of eligible students in any year exceeds 50, the Department of Military Affairs shall allocate such reduced rate tuition benefits on a first-come, first-served basis.

2. No non-Virginia student shall receive reduced rate tuition pursuant to this subsection unless he has been enrolled as a non-Virginia student in a public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth for at least two years prior to receiving such reduced rate tuition. Additionally, a non-Virginia student shall be eligible to receive reduced rate tuition pursuant to this subsection for no more than two years.

3. The Department of Military Affairs shall develop guidelines for implementing the provisions of this subsection. Such guidelines shall be exempt from the provisions of the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.).

F. Nothing in this section shall change the domicile of any student for the purposes of enrollment reporting or calculating the proportions of general funds and tuition and fees contributed to the cost of education.

1996, cc. 931, 981, § 23-7.4:2; 1998, cc. 62, 79; 1999, cc. 424, 437; 2000, c. 196; 2001, c. 483; 2004, cc. 501, 520; 2006, cc. 783, 797; 2007, cc. 76, 102, 112; 2008, c. 723; 2009, c. 470; 2011, c. 376; 2013, cc. 166, 243, 302; 2014, cc. 341, 762; 2016, c. 588; 2023, c. 638.

A. The State Board may charge reduced rate tuition and mandatory fees to any student who is (i) an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States stationed outside the Commonwealth; (ii) enrolled in a degree program at a comprehensive community college, provided that any such comprehensive community college that offers online degree programs is a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements; and (iii) enrolled in training that leads to a Military Occupational Specialty in the Army or Marine Corps, an Air Force Specialty Code, or a Navy Enlisted Classification.

B. Any student granted reduced rate tuition pursuant to this section shall be counted as a non-Virginia student for the purposes of determining college admissions and enrollment policies.

2017, c. 782.

A. For the purpose of this section:

"Credit hour threshold" means 125 percent of the credit hours needed to satisfy the degree requirements for a specified undergraduate program.

"Surcharge" means an amount equal to 100 percent of the average cost of a student's education at the baccalaureate public institution of higher education that the student attends less tuition and mandatory educational and general fee charges assessed to a Virginia student who has not exceeded the credit hour threshold.

B. Virginia students who enroll for the first time at baccalaureate public institutions of higher education after August 1, 2006, shall be assessed a surcharge for each semester beginning in which the student continues to be enrolled after such student has reached the credit hour threshold.

C. In calculating the credit hour threshold, the following courses and credit hours shall be excluded: (i) remedial courses; (ii) transfer credits from another institution of higher education that do not meet degree requirements for general education courses or the student's chosen program of study; (iii) advanced placement or international baccalaureate credits that were obtained while in high school or another secondary school program; and (iv) dual enrollment, college-level credits obtained by the student prior to receiving a high school diploma.

D. The relevant baccalaureate public institution of higher education may waive the surcharge in accordance with guidelines and criteria established by the Council, which may include illness, disability, and active service in the Armed Forces of the United States.

1984, c. 422, § 23-7.4; 1985, cc. 179, 572; 1988, c. 124; 1989, c. 371; 1990, c. 680; 1991, c. 590; 1996, cc. 931, 981; 1999, c. 439; 2006, cc. 783, 797, 806; 2007, cc. 108, 491; 2008, c. 723; 2011, cc. 38, 44, 782, 860; 2013, cc. 139, 166, 243; 2014, c. 341; 2016, c. 588.

Any public institution of higher education may offer alternative tuition or fee structures to students that result in lower costs of attendance, including discounted tuition, flat tuition rates, discounted student fees, or student fee and student services flexibility, to any first-time, incoming freshman undergraduate student who (i) has established domicile, as that term is defined in § 23.1-500, in the Commonwealth and (ii) enrolls full time with the intent to earn a degree in a program that leads to employment in a high-demand field in the region. Such an alternative tuition or fee structure may be renewed each year if the recipient maintains eligibility for the alternative tuition and fee structure. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall offer guidance, upon request, to any public institution of higher education in establishing an alternative tuition or fee structure pursuant to this section.

2016, c. 523.

A. Each public institution of higher education shall establish an appeals process for those students who are aggrieved by decisions regarding eligibility for in-state or reduced rate tuition charges pursuant to this chapter. The Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.) shall not apply to these administrative reviews.

B. Each appeals process shall include an initial determination, an intermediate review of the initial determination, and a final administrative review. The final administrative decision shall be in writing. A copy of this decision shall be sent to the student. Either the intermediate review or the final administrative review shall be conducted by an appeals committee consisting of an odd number of members. No individual who serves at one level of this appeals process is eligible to serve at any other level of this appeals process. All such due process procedures shall be in writing and shall include time limitations in order to provide for orderly and timely resolutions of all disputes.

C. Any party aggrieved by a final administrative decision has the right to review in the circuit court for the jurisdiction in which the relevant institution is located. A petition for review of the final administrative decision shall be filed within 30 days of receiving the written decision. In any such action, the institution shall forward the record to the court, whose function is only to determine whether the decision reached by the institution could reasonably be said, on the basis of the record, not to be arbitrary, capricious, or otherwise contrary to law.

D. To ensure the application of uniform criteria in administering this section and determining eligibility for in-state tuition charges, the Council shall issue and revise domicile guidelines to be incorporated by all public institutions of higher education in their admissions applications. Such guidelines are not subject to the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.). The Council shall consult with the Office of the Attorney General and provide opportunity for public comment prior to issuing any such guidelines.

E. An advisory committee composed of at least 10 representatives of public institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education shall be appointed by the Council each year to cooperate with the Council in developing the guidelines for determining eligibility or revisions of such guidelines.

1996, cc. 931, 981, § 23-7.4:3; 2016, c. 588.

Chapter 6. Financial Assistance.

Article 1. General Provisions.

A. Participation in and eligibility for state-supported financial aid or other higher education programs designed to promote greater racial diversity in public institutions of higher education shall not be restricted on the basis of race or ethnic origin. Any individual who is a member of any federally recognized minority is eligible for and may participate in such programs if such individual meets all other qualifications for admission to the relevant institution and the specific program.

B. Individuals who have completed a program of home instruction in accordance with § 22.1-254.1 and individuals who have been excused from school attendance pursuant to subsection B of § 22.1-254 shall be deemed to have met the high school graduation requirements for purposes of eligibility for any state-supported financial aid or other higher education programs. When a high school grade point average, class rank, or other academic criteria are specified as a condition of participating in a program, the Council shall develop empirical alternative equivalent measures that may be required for such programs.

1993, c. 843, § 23-7.1:02; 2009, c. 879; 2016, c. 588.

A. Each comprehensive community college shall and any other associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education or baccalaureate public institution of higher education may provide a grant for the payment of tuition and fees, except fees established for the purpose of paying for course materials such as laboratory fees, for any Virginia student who:

1. a. Has received a high school diploma or has passed a high school equivalency examination approved by the Board of Education and was in foster care or in the custody of the Department of Social Services or is considered a special needs adoption at the time such diploma or certificate was awarded; or

b. Was in foster care when he turned 18 and subsequently received a high school diploma or passed a high school equivalency examination approved by the Board of Education;

2. Is enrolled or has been accepted for enrollment as a full-time or part-time student, taking a minimum of six credit hours per semester, in a degree or certificate program of at least one academic year in length or in a noncredit workforce credential program in a comprehensive community college;

3. Has not been enrolled in postsecondary education as a full-time student for more than five years or does not have a bachelor's degree;

4. Maintains the required grade point average established by the governing board of the institution at which he is enrolled;

5. Has submitted complete applications for federal student financial aid programs for which he may be eligible;

6. Demonstrates financial need; and

7. Meets any additional financial need requirements established by the governing board of the institution at which he is enrolled for the purposes of such grant.

B. The State Board and the Council, in consultation with the Department of Social Services, shall establish regulations governing such grants. The regulations shall include provisions addressing renewals of grants, financial need, the calculation of grant amounts after consideration of any additional financial resources or aid the student holds, the minimum grade point average required to retain such grant, and procedures for the repayment of tuition and fees for failure to meet the requirements imposed by this section.

2000, c. 968, § 23-7.4:5; 2009, cc. 430, 603; 2014, c. 84; 2016, c. 588; 2017, cc. 306, 318; 2019, c. 589.

A. The Department of Criminal Justice Services shall enter into contracts to make payments to public institutions of higher education and accredited private institutions of higher education whose primary campus is within the Commonwealth for tuition, books, and mandatory fees for any law-enforcement officer of the Commonwealth or its political subdivisions, departments, or authorities or any locality of the Commonwealth who (i) is enrolled on a full-time or part-time basis in courses included in an undergraduate or graduate program that leads to a degree or certificate in an area relating to law enforcement or suitable for law-enforcement officers and (ii) enters into an agreement to continue to serve as a law-enforcement officer in the Commonwealth upon completion of his course of study for a period at least as long as the length of the course of study undertaken and paid for under the provisions of this section and, in the event that he does not complete such service, to repay the full amount of such payments on the terms and in the manner that the Department of Criminal Justice Services prescribes.

B. Any individual who receives the benefit of funds expended pursuant to this section shall reimburse such funds to the Department of Criminal Justice Services if he fails to satisfactorily complete the course for which the funds were expended.

The Department of Criminal Justice Services shall use such reimbursed funds in accordance with the purposes of this section.

1972, c. 697, § 23-9.2:4; 1974, c. 162; 1977, c. 162; 1982, c. 18; 1986, c. 236; 2016, c. 588.

From funds appropriated by the Commonwealth to Mary Baldwin College for the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership and to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, each such institution's governing board may provide for financial assistance awards to students designated as state cadets on terms and conditions comparable to the provisions of § 23.1-2506.

1996, c. 203, § 23-31.1; 2016, c. 588.

A. When any person deposits moneys in, bequeaths moneys to be deposited in, or devises or bequeaths property to be sold and the proceeds to be deposited in the state treasury for the benefit of any institution of higher education in such an amount that the interest on such moneys is sufficient to cover the costs of tuition, mandatory fees, and other necessary expenses for a cadet or student enrolled in such institution, the moneys shall be invested in securities that are legal investments under the laws of the Commonwealth for public funds in the name and for the benefit of such institution.

B. Such donation is irrevocable, but the donor, his heirs, or the guardian of any heir who is under 21 years old may nominate and place in such institution any cadet or student.

C. If such donor, heirs, or guardian fails to nominate a cadet or student within one year of such donation, the governing board of the institution may appropriate such moneys to cover tuition, mandatory fees, and other necessary expenses for indigent Virginia students or cadets.

Code 1919, §§ 994, 995, 996; 1936, p. 536, §§ 23-32, 23-33, 23-34; 1956, c. 184; 2016, c. 588.

Any commissioned officer of the Virginia National Guard or the Virginia Defense Force may become a student at any public institution of higher education for a period not exceeding 10 months and receive instruction in the departments of military science, emergency management, emergency services, public safety, and disaster management at such institution without being required to pay tuition and mandatory fees.

Code 1919, § 846, § 23-108; 1983, c. 385; 2014, c. 778; 2016, c. 588.

Any length of service by any individual in the Armed Forces of the United States as an officer, private, or nurse or in any other capacity in time of war or other declared national emergency is a complete and final discharge of any obligation of such individual to serve the Commonwealth as a teacher in the public schools or in any other capacity, including any such obligation that has been reduced or computed into terms of a monetary obligation in lieu of such service, arising by virtue of any statute or of any contract entered into between such individual and any public institution of higher education in consideration of any state scholarship awarded to or received by such individual as a student in such institution, provided that such service is terminated by an honorable or medical discharge and such individual entered such service within four years after leaving such institution.

1942, p. 504; Michie Code 1942, § 997c, § 23-38; 2016, c. 588.

A. As used in this section, "cooperating teacher" means an individual licensed by the Board of Education who meets the criteria established by the relevant institution of higher education and is engaged in supervising and evaluating one or more student teachers.

B. In addition to the provisions of § 22.1-290.1 relating to compensation of certain licensed teachers while engaged in supervising and evaluating student teachers, any institution of higher education engaged in educating students to be teachers may, from such funds as may be available for such purpose, develop and implement a program to compensate public school or private school teachers who agree to be cooperating teachers. Such compensation programs may provide for payment in the form of money or authorization to enroll without charge for a designated number of credit hours in the school, department, or other unit of the institution of higher education at which the student teacher being supervised is enrolled.

1994, c. 533, § 23-8.2:1; 2016, c. 588.

A. As used in this section, "veteran" has the same meaning as provided in § 23.1-500.

B. Each public institution of higher education shall provide a refund of the tuition and mandatory fees paid by any veteran student for any course from which such veteran student is forced to withdraw, for the first time, due to a service-connected medical condition during a semester, as certified in writing to the institution by a physician licensed to practice medicine pursuant to Chapter 29 (§ 54.1-2900 et seq.) of Title 54.1 who treated the veteran student for such medical condition. Such refund shall not be issued when three-quarters of a course has been completed at the time that the veteran student withdraws from the course. The time period that constitutes three-quarters of a course shall be determined by the institution.

C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect any such student's ability to reenroll at the institution.

2020, c. 434.

A. As used in this section, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Domicile" has the same meaning as provided in § 23.1-500.

"Program" means the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program.

"Qualified survivors and dependents" means the spouse or a child between the ages of 16 and 29 (i) of a military service member who, while serving as an active duty member in the Armed Forces of the United States, Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States, or Virginia National Guard, during military operations against terrorism, on a peacekeeping mission, as a result of a terrorist act, or in any armed conflict, was killed, became missing in action, or became a prisoner of war or (ii) of a veteran who served in the Armed Forces of the United States, Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States, or Virginia National Guard and, due to such service, has been rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as totally and permanently disabled or at least 90 percent permanently disabled and has been discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. However, the Commissioner of Veterans Services may certify dependents above the age of 29 in those cases in which extenuating circumstances prevented the dependent child from using his benefits before the age of 30. For purposes of this section, a child who is a stepchild of a deceased military service member described in this section shall receive all benefits described in this section as a child of such military service member if the military service member claimed the stepchild on his tax return or on his Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System while serving on active duty.

B. The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program is established for the purpose of waiving tuition and mandatory fees at a public institution of higher education or Eastern Virginia Medical School for qualified survivors and dependents who have been admitted to such institution and meet the requirements of subsection C, as certified by the Commissioner of Veterans Services.

C. Admitted qualified survivors and dependents are eligible for a waiver of tuition and mandatory fees pursuant to this section if the military service member who was killed, became missing in action, became a prisoner of war, or is disabled (i) established domicile (a) at the time of entering such active military service or called to active duty as a member of the Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States or Virginia National Guard; (b) at least five years immediately prior to, or had a physical presence in the Commonwealth for at least five years immediately prior to, the date on which the admission application was submitted by or on behalf of such qualified survivor or dependent for admission to such institution of higher education or Eastern Virginia Medical School; or (c) on the date of his death and for at least five years immediately prior to his death or had a physical presence in the Commonwealth on the date of his death and had a physical presence in the Commonwealth for at least five years immediately prior to his death; (ii) in the case of a qualified child, is deceased and the surviving parent, at some time previous to marrying the deceased parent, established domicile for at least five years, or established domicile or had a physical presence in the Commonwealth for at least five years immediately prior to the date on which the admission application was submitted by or on behalf of such child; or (iii) in the case of a qualified spouse, is deceased and the surviving spouse, at some time previous to marrying the deceased spouse, established domicile for at least five years or had a physical presence in the Commonwealth for at least five years prior to the date on which the admission application was submitted by such qualified spouse. In any case under this subsection, the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services shall have the authority to consider the domicile or physical presence requirements under clause (i) (c) through the surviving spouse or under clause (iii) through the surviving student if the military service member or surviving spouse dies after having established physical presence within the Commonwealth but before such requirements can be met.

D. The Department of Veterans Services shall disseminate information about the Program to those spouses and dependents who may qualify. The Department of Veterans Services shall coordinate with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to identify veterans and qualified survivors and dependents. The Commissioner of Veterans Services shall include in the annual report submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly pursuant to § 2.2-2004 an overview of the agency's policies and strategies relating to dissemination of information about the Program and Fund.

E. Each public institution of higher education and Eastern Virginia Medical School shall include in its catalog or equivalent publication a statement describing the benefits available pursuant to this section.

1996, cc. 931, 981, § 23-7.4:1; 1998, c. 377; 2001, c. 330; 2003, cc. 657, 670; 2005, cc. 773, 783; 2006, c. 793; 2007, cc. 116, 161, 717; 2011, cc. 572, 586; 2012, c. 776; 2013, c. 719; 2014, cc. 184, 657; 2015, cc. 38, 730; 2016, c. 588; 2019, cc. 317, 491; 2022, c. 442.

A. As used in this section, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Domicile" has the same meaning as provided in § 23.1-500.

"Program" means the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program.

"Qualified survivors and dependents" means the spouse or a child between the ages of 16 and 29 (i) of a military service member who, while serving as an active duty member in the Armed Forces of the United States, Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States, or Virginia National Guard, during military operations against terrorism, on a peacekeeping mission, as a result of a terrorist act, or in any armed conflict, was killed, became missing in action, or became a prisoner of war or (ii) of a veteran who served in the Armed Forces of the United States, Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States, or Virginia National Guard and, due to such service, has been rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as totally and permanently disabled or at least 90 percent permanently disabled and has been discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. However, the Commissioner of Veterans Services may certify dependents above the age of 29 in those cases in which extenuating circumstances prevented the dependent child from using his benefits before the age of 30. For purposes of this section, a child who is a stepchild of a deceased military service member described in this section shall receive all benefits described in this section as a child of such military service member if the military service member claimed the stepchild on his tax return or on his Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System while serving on active duty.

B. The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program is established for the purpose of waiving tuition and mandatory fees at a public institution of higher education for qualified survivors and dependents who have been admitted to such institution and meet the requirements of subsection C, as certified by the Commissioner of Veterans Services.

C. Admitted qualified survivors and dependents are eligible for a waiver of tuition and mandatory fees pursuant to this section if the military service member who was killed, became missing in action, became a prisoner of war, or is disabled (i) established domicile (a) at the time of entering such active military service or called to active duty as a member of the Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States or Virginia National Guard; (b) at least five years immediately prior to, or had a physical presence in the Commonwealth for at least five years immediately prior to, the date on which the admission application was submitted by or on behalf of such qualified survivor or dependent for admission to such institution of higher education; or (c) on the date of his death and for at least five years immediately prior to his death or had a physical presence in the Commonwealth on the date of his death and had a physical presence in the Commonwealth for at least five years immediately prior to his death; (ii) in the case of a qualified child, is deceased and the surviving parent, at some time previous to marrying the deceased parent, established domicile for at least five years, or established domicile or had a physical presence in the Commonwealth for at least five years immediately prior to the date on which the admission application was submitted by or on behalf of such child; or (iii) in the case of a qualified spouse, is deceased and the surviving spouse, at some time previous to marrying the deceased spouse, established domicile for at least five years or had a physical presence in the Commonwealth for at least five years prior to the date on which the admission application was submitted by such qualified spouse. In any case under this subsection, the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services shall have the authority to consider the domicile or physical presence requirements under clause (i) (c) through the surviving spouse or under clause (iii) through the surviving student if the military service member or surviving spouse dies after having established physical presence within the Commonwealth but before such requirements can be met.

D. The Department of Veterans Services shall disseminate information about the Program to those spouses and dependents who may qualify. The Department of Veterans Services shall coordinate with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to identify veterans and qualified survivors and dependents. The Commissioner of Veterans Services shall include in the annual report submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly pursuant to § 2.2-2004 an overview of the agency's policies and strategies relating to dissemination of information about the Program and Fund.

E. Each public institution of higher education shall include in its catalog or equivalent publication a statement describing the benefits available pursuant to this section.

1996, cc. 931, 981, § 23-7.4:1; 1998, c. 377; 2001, c. 330; 2003, cc. 657, 670; 2005, cc. 773, 783; 2006, c. 793; 2007, cc. 116, 161, 717; 2011, cc. 572, 586; 2012, c. 776; 2013, c. 719; 2014, cc. 184, 657; 2015, cc. 38, 730; 2016, c. 588; 2019, cc. 317, 491; 2022, c. 442; 2023, cc. 756, 778.

A. As used in this section:

"Fund" means the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Fund.

"Qualified survivors and dependents" means the spouse or a child between the ages of 16 and 29 (i) of a military service member who, while serving as an active duty member in the Armed Forces of the United States, Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States, or Virginia National Guard, during military operations against terrorism, on a peacekeeping mission, as a result of a terrorist act, or in any armed conflict, was killed, became missing in action, or became a prisoner of war or (ii) of a veteran who, as a direct result of such service, has been rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as totally and permanently disabled or at least 90 percent permanently disabled and has been discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. However, the Commissioner of Veterans Services may certify dependents above the age of 29 in those cases in which extenuating circumstances prevented the dependent child from using his benefits before the age of 30.

B. From such funds as may be appropriated and from such gifts, bequests, and any gifts, grants, or donations from public or private sources, the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Fund is established for the sole purpose of providing financial assistance, in an amount (i) up to $2,000 or (ii) as provided in the general appropriation act, for room and board charges, books and supplies, and other expenses at any public institution of higher education or Eastern Virginia Medical School for the use and benefit of qualified survivors and dependents, provided that the maximum amount to be expended for each such survivor or dependent pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed, when combined with any other form of scholarship, grant, or waiver, the actual costs relating to the survivor's or dependent's educational expenses allowed under this subsection.

C. Each year, from the funds available in the Fund, the Council and each public institution of higher education and Eastern Virginia Medical School shall determine the amount and the manner in which financial assistance shall be made available to beneficiaries and shall make that information available to the Commissioner of Veterans Services for distribution.

D. The Council shall disburse to each public institution of higher education and Eastern Virginia Medical School the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the Commonwealth to support the Fund and shall report to the Commissioner of Veterans Services the beneficiaries' completion rate.

E. The Department of Veterans Services shall disseminate information about the Fund to those spouses and dependents who may qualify. The Department of Veterans Services shall coordinate with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to identify veterans and qualified survivors and dependents. The Commissioner of Veterans Services shall include in the annual report submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly pursuant to § 2.2-2004 an overview of the agency's policies and strategies relating to dissemination of information about the Fund.

F. Each public institution of higher education and Eastern Virginia Medical School shall include in its catalog or equivalent publication a statement describing the benefits available pursuant to this section.

2019, cc. 317, 491.

A. As used in this section:

"Fund" means the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Fund.

"Qualified survivors and dependents" means the spouse or a child between the ages of 16 and 29 (i) of a military service member who, while serving as an active duty member in the Armed Forces of the United States, Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States, or Virginia National Guard, during military operations against terrorism, on a peacekeeping mission, as a result of a terrorist act, or in any armed conflict, was killed, became missing in action, or became a prisoner of war or (ii) of a veteran who, as a direct result of such service, has been rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as totally and permanently disabled or at least 90 percent permanently disabled and has been discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. However, the Commissioner of Veterans Services may certify dependents above the age of 29 in those cases in which extenuating circumstances prevented the dependent child from using his benefits before the age of 30.

B. From such funds as may be appropriated and from such gifts, bequests, and any gifts, grants, or donations from public or private sources, the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Fund is established for the sole purpose of providing financial assistance, in an amount (i) up to $2,000 or (ii) as provided in the general appropriation act, for room and board charges, books and supplies, and other expenses at any public institution of higher education for the use and benefit of qualified survivors and dependents, provided that the maximum amount to be expended for each such survivor or dependent pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed, when combined with any other form of scholarship, grant, or waiver, the actual costs relating to the survivor's or dependent's educational expenses allowed under this subsection.

C. Each year, from the funds available in the Fund, the Council and each public institution of higher education shall determine the amount and the manner in which financial assistance shall be made available to beneficiaries and shall make that information available to the Commissioner of Veterans Services for distribution.

D. The Council shall disburse to each public institution of higher education the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the Commonwealth to support the Fund and shall report to the Commissioner of Veterans Services the beneficiaries' completion rate.

E. The Department of Veterans Services shall disseminate information about the Fund to those spouses and dependents who may qualify. The Department of Veterans Services shall coordinate with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to identify veterans and qualified survivors and dependents. The Commissioner of Veterans Services shall include in the annual report submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly pursuant to § 2.2-2004 an overview of the agency's policies and strategies relating to dissemination of information about the Fund.

F. Each public institution of higher education shall include in its catalog or equivalent publication a statement describing the benefits available pursuant to this section.

2019, cc. 317, 491; 2023, cc. 756, 778.

A. The surviving spouse and any child between the ages of 16 and 25 of an individual who was killed in the line of duty while employed or serving as a (i) law-enforcement officer, including as a campus police officer appointed under Article 3 (§ 23.1-809 et seq.) of Chapter 8, sworn law-enforcement officer, firefighter, special forest warden pursuant to § 10.1-1135, member of a rescue squad, special agent of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, state correctional, regional or local jail officer, regional jail or jail farm superintendent, sheriff, or deputy sheriff; (ii) member of the Virginia National Guard while serving on official state duty or federal duty under Title 32 of the United States Code; or (iii) member of the Virginia Defense Force while serving on official state duty, and any individual whose spouse was killed in the line of duty while employed or serving in any of such occupations, is entitled to a waiver of undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees at any public institution of higher education under the following conditions:

1. The chief executive officer of the deceased individual's employer certifies that such individual was so employed and was killed in the line of duty while serving or living in the Commonwealth; and

2. The surviving spouse or child is admitted to, enrolls at, and is in attendance at such institution and applies to such institution for the waiver. Waiver recipients who make satisfactory academic progress are eligible for renewal of such waiver.

B. Institutions that grant such waivers shall waive the amounts payable for tuition, institutional charges and mandatory educational and auxiliary fees, and books and supplies but shall not waive user fees such as room and board charges.

C. Each public institution of higher education shall include in its catalog or equivalent publication a statement describing the benefits available pursuant to this section.

1996, cc. 931, 981, § 23-7.4:1; 1998, c. 377; 2001, c. 330; 2003, cc. 657, 670; 2005, cc. 773, 783; 2006, c. 793; 2007, cc. 116, 161, 717; 2011, cc. 572, 586; 2012, c. 776; 2013, c. 719; 2014, cc. 184, 657; 2015, cc. 38, 730; 2016, c. 588.

A. Any individual who (i) is a member of the Virginia National Guard and has a minimum remaining obligation of two years, (ii) has satisfactorily completed required initial active duty service, (iii) is satisfactorily performing duty in accordance with regulations of the National Guard, and (iv) is enrolled in any course or program at any public institution of higher education or accredited nonprofit private institution of higher education whose primary purpose is to provide collegiate or graduate education and not to provide religious training or theological education is eligible for a grant in the amount of the difference between the full cost of tuition and any other educational benefits for which he is eligible as a member of the National Guard. Grants provided under this section shall be subject to limitation based on the amount of funds appropriated for such purpose. If applications for grants exceed the amount of funding appropriated, the Department of Military Affairs (the Department) shall issue grants to eligible recipients based on the order in which applications were received.

B. Application for a grant shall be made to the Department no later than 30 days prior to the beginning of an academic semester. The Department shall determine whether an applicant is eligible for the grant as described in subsection A and communicate acceptance and any additional requirements determined by the Department in writing no later than 30 days after receipt of an application. Applicants eligible for a grant pursuant to this section shall:

1. Satisfy all financial obligations with the institution of higher education at the beginning of each semester; and

2. Provide written proof of acceptable academic performance and good standing with the institution of higher education for the current term to the Department no later than 30 days following the end of a term or semester. Upon the receipt of proof of academic performance and continued good standing to the Department, the Department shall issue grants in a manner and amount that is consistent with regulations promulgated by the Adjutant General. As used in this subdivision, "academic performance" means (i) achieving a passing grade in each course during the semester and (ii) maintaining a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on a scale of 4.0 or its equivalent, and "good standing" means that the individual has fulfilled all obligations to the institution of higher education.

C. Any member of the Virginia National Guard shall be eligible to receive a grant under this section if such member has two years remaining on his service obligation to the Virginia National Guard as of the last day of the last term or semester for which tuition assistance is requested. Service in the inactive National Guard, the active duty or reserve forces of the United States, or the National Guard of any other state shall not count as applicable service toward fulfilling this service obligation. Federal active duty mobilizations occurring while still a member of the Virginia National Guard and state active duty for the Commonwealth shall count toward the two-year service obligation.

D. The Department may utilize grant funding in order to recruit qualified applicants for service in the Virginia National Guard. The yearly funding amount for such recruitment shall be at the discretion of the Adjutant General and the Department and not exceed $50,000 per fiscal year.

1996, cc. 931, 981, § 23-7.4:2; 1998, cc. 62, 79; 1999, cc. 424, 437; 2000, c. 196; 2001, c. 483; 2004, cc. 501, 520; 2006, cc. 783, 797; 2007, cc. 76, 102, 112; 2008, c. 723; 2009, c. 470; 2011, c. 376; 2013, cc. 166, 243, 302; 2014, cc. 341, 762; 2016, c. 588; 2022, cc. 604, 605, 691, 748; 2023, c. 638.

A. There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to be known as the Veteran Student Transition Grant Fund, referred to in this section as "the Fund." The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All funds appropriated for such purpose and any gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds received on its behalf shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the Fund. Interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Moneys in the Fund shall be used solely for the purposes of providing grants through the Veteran Student Transition Grant Program established pursuant to subsection B. Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request signed by the director of the Council.

B. The Council shall establish the Veteran Student Transition Grant Program (the Program) for the purpose of providing grants through the Veteran Student Transition Grant Fund established in subsection A on a competitive basis to a public institution of higher education, private institution of higher education eligible to participate in the Tuition Assistance Grant Program pursuant to § 23.1-628, or group of such institutions that proposes a new and innovative program or research project relating to improving the transition of veteran students from military to higher education or from higher education to the civilian workforce.

C. The Council shall administer the Program and shall establish such guidelines and procedures as it deems necessary for the administration of the Program, including guidelines and procedures for grant applications, awards, and renewals.

2020, c. 636.

Tuition and mandatory fees may be waived for a student from a foreign country enrolled in a public institution of higher education through a student exchange program approved by such institution, provided that the number of students from a foreign country for whom tuition and mandatory fees has been waived does not exceed during any three-year period the number of students from a foreign country who are enrolled through such student exchange program and who pay full tuition and mandatory fees to the institution.

1996, cc. 931, 981, § 23-7.4:1; 1998, c. 377; 2001, c. 330; 2003, cc. 657, 670; 2005, cc. 773, 783; 2006, c. 793; 2007, cc. 116, 161, 717; 2011, cc. 572, 586; 2012, c. 776; 2013, c. 719; 2014, cc. 184, 657; 2015, cc. 38, 730; 2016, c. 588.

Any comprehensive financial aid award notification provided to a student by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education shall meet the requirements and best practices established by the Council in its Financial Aid Award Letters Policies and Guidance.

2019, cc. 571, 572.

Article 2. Scholarships.

A. The governing board of each public institution of higher education may establish unfunded scholarships that are subject to such regulations and conditions as the governing board establishes and the following limitations and restrictions:

1. All such scholarships shall be applied exclusively to the remission, in whole or in part, of tuition and mandatory fees.

2. The governing board shall determine the number of such scholarships annually awarded to undergraduate Virginia students and non-Virginia students.

3. The total value of all such scholarships annually awarded to undergraduate Virginia students shall not exceed the amount of the applicable sum of undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees multiplied by 20 percent of the enrollment of undergraduate Virginia students during the preceding academic year.

4. The total value of all such scholarships annually awarded by an institution to undergraduate non-Virginia students shall not exceed the amount of the applicable per capita out-of-state tuition differential paid by undergraduate non-Virginia students for tuition and mandatory fees multiplied by 20 percent of the enrollment of undergraduate non-Virginia students during the preceding academic year.

5. All such scholarships awarded to undergraduate students shall be awarded only to students in the first four years of undergraduate work and shall be awarded and renewed on a selective basis to students of character and ability who are in need of financial assistance. For purposes of determining need under this section, each governing board shall use a nationally recognized needs-analysis system approved by the Council.

6. The governing board of each public institution of higher education shall determine the number of such scholarships annually awarded to graduate students or teachers serving as clinical faculty pursuant to § 22.1-290.1. The total value of all such scholarships annually awarded to such graduate students and clinical faculty shall not exceed the amount of the sum of graduate tuition and mandatory fees multiplied by the number of teachers serving as clinical faculty pursuant to § 22.1-290.1 and graduate students who are employed as teaching assistants, graduate assistants, or research assistants with significant academic or academic support responsibilities and who are paid a stipend of at least $2,000 in the particular academic year. All unfunded scholarships awarded to graduate students or teachers serving as clinical faculty shall be awarded and renewed on a selective basis to such graduate students and clinical faculty of character and ability.

7. An unfunded scholarship shall entitle the holder to the following award, as appropriate:

a. An undergraduate Virginia student may receive an annual remission of an amount not to exceed the cost of tuition and mandatory fees;

b. An undergraduate non-Virginia student may receive an annual remission not to exceed the amount of the out-of-state tuition differential required to be paid by the student for tuition and mandatory fees;

c. A qualified graduate student may receive an annual remission of an amount not to exceed the cost of tuition and mandatory fees; and

d. A teacher serving as clinical faculty may receive an award as determined by the governing board of the institution.

8. Notwithstanding the limitations on the awards of unfunded scholarships to undergraduate students pursuant to subdivision A 7, an institution may award unfunded scholarships to visiting foreign exchange students as long as the number of such awards in any fiscal year does not exceed one quarter of one percent of the total institutional headcount enrollment.

B. No public institution of higher education shall remit any tuition or mandatory fees to any student at such institution except as authorized in this section. Each such institution shall make a report to the Council, upon request, showing the number and value of scholarships awarded under this section according to each student classification.

C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent or limit in any way the admission of state cadets at Virginia Military Institute or to affect the remission of tuition, mandatory fees, or other charges to such state cadets as permitted under existing law.

D. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect or limit in any way the control of the governing boards of the respective institutions over (i) any other scholarships, (ii) any gifts or donations made to such institutions for scholarships or other special purposes, (iii) any funds provided by the federal government or otherwise for the purpose of career and technical education or vocational rehabilitation in the Commonwealth, or (iv) any funds derived from endowment or appropriations from the federal government for instruction in agriculture and mechanic arts at land-grant universities.

E. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the governing board of any public institution of higher education from fixing a tuition charge for Virginia students reasonably lower than that for non-Virginia students.

F. Nothing in this section or any other provision of law shall prohibit the awarding of 10 full tuition unfunded scholarships each year by Old Dominion University under the terms and conditions provided for in a deed conveying certain property in Norfolk known as the Old Larchmont School made July 5, 1930, between the City of Norfolk and The College of William and Mary in Virginia.

G. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit other financial aid programs provided pursuant to state law.

Code 1919, § 993; 1936, p. 447, § 23-31; 1952, c. 139; 1964, c. 440; 1966, c. 621; 1974, c. 317; 1975, c. 397; 1976, c. 189; 1977, cc. 296, 319; 1979, cc. 136, 145, 730; 1990, c. 447; 1992, c. 103; 1996, c. 103; 1999, cc. 424, 437; 2001, c. 483; 2002, cc. 158, 257; 2004, cc. 58, 176, 195, 739; 2014, c. 594; 2016, c. 588.

The alumni association of any public institution of higher education may provide for and maintain a scholarship fund by annual contributions under such criteria as may be prescribed.

Code 1919, § 997, § 23-35; 2016, c. 588.

A. As used in this section:

"Graduate nursing program" means a program at a school of nursing that leads to a master's degree or doctorate in nursing or a field relating to nursing activities.

"Undergraduate nursing program" means a program at a school of nursing that leads to an associate degree, diploma, or baccalaureate degree in nursing.

B. Annual nursing scholarships are established for part-time and full-time Virginia students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs or first-year Virginia students at the beginning of their first academic year who present to the advisory committee established pursuant to subsection D a notice of intention to pursue an undergraduate nursing program.

C. Undergraduate nursing scholarships shall not exceed $2,000 annually. Graduate nursing scholarships shall not exceed $4,000 annually. No scholarship shall be less than $150 annually. Scholarship funds shall be paid directly to the recipient.

D. Each nursing scholarship shall be made by an advisory committee appointed by the State Board of Health that consists of eight members, four of whom shall be deans or directors of schools of nursing or their designees, two of whom shall be past recipients of nursing scholarships awarded pursuant to this section, two of whom shall have experience in the administration of student financial aid programs, and at least two of whom shall not have served as members of the advisory committee during the previous two years. Appointments shall be for two-year terms. No member of the advisory committee is eligible to serve more than two consecutive two-year terms immediately succeeding any unexpired term for which such member was appointed.

E. Awards shall be made upon such basis, competitive or otherwise, as determined by the advisory committee, with due regard for scholastic attainments, character, need, and adaptability of the applicant for the service contemplated in such award. No award shall be made if the applicant fails to possess the requisite qualifications. With due consideration of the number of applications and the qualifications of all such applicants, the advisory committee shall, to the extent that it is practicable, award an equal number of scholarships among the various congressional districts within the Commonwealth.

F. Before any such scholarship is awarded, the applicant shall agree in a signed written contract to complete a nursing program and, upon completion, to promptly begin and continuously engage in nursing work in the Commonwealth in a region with a critical shortage of nurses for one month for each $100 of scholarship awarded. The requirement for continuous engagement in nursing work may be waived by the advisory committee if the scholarship recipient requests leave to pursue an undergraduate or graduate degree in nursing or relating to nursing activities. The contract shall contain such other provisions as the State Board of Health determines to be necessary to accomplish the purposes of the scholarship.

G. Each scholarship shall be awarded for a single award year and may be renewed annually for up to four additional award years upon a showing of satisfactory progress toward completion of the relevant nursing program.

1950, pp. 1291, 1292, §§ 23-35.9, 23-35.10, 23-35.11, 23-35.12, 23-35.13; 1956, c. 644; 1962, c. 81; 1966, c. 162; 1968, c. 441; 1970, c. 653; 1973, c. 401; 1974, c. 654; 1989, c. 330; 2002, c. 290; 2016, c. 588.

A. The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Board of Visitors may establish up to 20 annual soil scientist scholarships for Virginia students in an amount equal to tuition and mandatory fees at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

B. Each scholarship award shall be made upon such basis, competitive or otherwise, as is determined by the president or other proper officer of the institution of higher education (institution) that the applicant plans to attend, with due regard to the scholastic achievements, character, and adaptability of the applicant to the service contemplated under such award. No award shall be made unless the applicant possesses the requisite qualifications.

C. Each such scholarship shall be awarded for a single award year and may be renewed annually for up to three additional award years upon a showing of satisfactory progress.

D. Before any such scholarship is awarded, the applicant shall agree in a signed written contract to pursue soil science at the institution at which the scholarship is awarded until his graduation and, upon graduating, to promptly begin and engage continuously as a soil scientist as an employee of the Commonwealth for as many years as he was a beneficiary of such scholarship, unless no such suitable vacancy exists as an employee of the Commonwealth, in which case the obligation of such contract shall be discharged by being continuously engaged in the Commonwealth as a soil scientist as an employee of a local, state, or federal government agency for as many years as he was a beneficiary of such scholarship. The contract shall contain such other provisions as Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University deems necessary to accomplish the purposes of the scholarship. In the event that the holder of any awarded soil scientist scholarship dies while receiving instruction under such a scholarship, any balance unpaid and agreed to be repaid by the holder of such scholarship shall be deemed paid, and no liability shall be attached to his estate.

E. Such contract shall contain a clause under which the applicant shall be relieved of his obligation to serve the Commonwealth as a soil scientist, for a period equal to that during which he was a beneficiary of such scholarship, at any time that he (i) fails to maintain a scholastic standard at least equal to the standard required of the general student body at such institution or (ii) becomes permanently disabled and is not able to engage in the profession of soil scientist, upon certification by a faculty committee. Any applicant so relieved shall arrange to reimburse the Commonwealth for the amount received on account of such scholarship plus interest on such amount computed at the prevailing rate charged on student loans at the institution attended by the applicant. Any applicant who so reimburses the Commonwealth and subsequently fulfills the terms of his contract by completing his studies and serving the Commonwealth as a soil scientist for a period equal to that during which he received such scholarship shall be reimbursed from the general fund of the state treasury the amount of the scholarship and interest previously repaid to the Commonwealth. This reimbursement shall be made on any contract made under the provisions of this subsection.

F. All funds repaid by any applicant pursuant to subsection E shall be paid into the state treasury and shall become a part of the general fund. The governing board of the institution attended by the applicant shall collect such payments and shall pay all moneys so received into the state treasury promptly. If any applicant fails to abide by the terms of such contract, such fact shall be communicated to the Attorney General by the proper officer of the institution or by the employing state agency. The Attorney General shall take such action as he deems proper.

G. The funds making up each scholarship shall be paid to the recipient or applied toward the payment of his expenses at the relevant institution in such a manner and at such a time during the academic year as the president or other proper officer determines.

H. There is appropriated to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University from the general fund of the state treasury the sum of $8,000 each year of the biennium for carrying out the purpose of this section.

1970, c. 620, §§ 23-38.3, 23-38.4, 23-38.5, 23-38.6, 23-38.7, 23-38.9, 23-38.10; 1972, c. 188; 2016, c. 588.

A. The Enslaved Ancestors College Access Scholarship and Memorial Program (the Program) is established for the purpose of reckoning with the history of the Commonwealth, addressing the long legacy of slavery in the Commonwealth, and acknowledging that the foundational success of several public institutions of higher education was based on the labor of enslaved individuals.

B. Consistent with the purpose set forth in subsection A, Longwood University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, the Virginia Military Institute, and The College of William and Mary in Virginia shall each implement and execute the Program, with any source of funds other than state funds or tuition or fee increases, by annually (i) identifying and memorializing, to the extent possible, all enslaved individuals who labored on former and current institutionally controlled grounds and property and (ii) providing a tangible benefit such as a college scholarship or community-based economic development program for individuals or specific communities with a demonstrated historic connection to slavery that will empower families to be lifted out of the cycle of poverty.

C. The Council shall collaborate with the institutions set forth in subsection B to establish guidelines for the implementation of the Program, including guidelines for the identification of all enslaved individuals who labored on former and current institutionally controlled grounds and property, the development of appropriate means to memorialize these individuals, the development of programs for individuals and communities still experiencing the legacy of slavery to empower them to break the cycle of poverty, eligibility criteria for participation in such programs, and the duration of such programs.

D. Each institution set forth in subsection B shall continue the activities set forth in subsection B pursuant to the Program for a period equal in length to the period during which the institution used enslaved individuals to support the institution or until scholarships have been awarded to a number of recipients equal to 100 percent of the population of enslaved individuals identified pursuant to subsection B who labored on former and current institutionally controlled grounds and property, whichever occurs first.

E. Each institution set forth in subsection B shall annually submit to the Council information on the implementation of the Program. The Council shall compile such information in a report and submit such report no later than November 1 of each year to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, and the Virginia African American Advisory Board.

F. Each private institution of higher education with a legacy of slavery that is similar to that of any institution set forth in subsection B is strongly encouraged to participate in the Program on a voluntary basis.

2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 442.

The Graduate Student Recruitment Program and the Southern Regional Education Board Minority Doctoral Program established in the general appropriation act are renamed and established as the Stephen J. Wright Scholars Program for the purpose of fostering scholarship among the Commonwealth's graduate students and retaining the Commonwealth's outstanding and promising young adults through awards based on scholarship and achievement.

1997, cc. 713, 746, § 23-38.53:11; 2016, c. 588.

Article 3. Student Loan Funds.

As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Fund" means a student loan fund.

"Institution" means a public institution of higher education that has established a student loan fund from appropriations from the general fund of the state treasury for fellowships, scholarships, and loans.

"Student" means a medical student, dental student, intern, resident, or undergraduate student who is entitled to reduced rate tuition charges pursuant to Chapter 5 (§ 23.1-500 et seq.).

1978, c. 745, § 23-38.10:2; 2016, c. 588.

A. Any institution may make loans from its fund only to needy students who might be unable to attend such institution without such loans and who are duly admitted into degree or certificate programs at the institution. Such loans shall be made upon such terms and according to such rules as may be prescribed by the governing board of the institution.

B. In any one academic year, no student shall receive a loan from the fund of an institution that would result in such student owing a net outstanding amount at the end of that year in excess of the tuition and mandatory fees charged by the institution.

C. The rate of interest charged on loans to students from a fund is three percent annually.

1978, c. 745, § 23-38.10:3; 1991, c. 590; 2016, c. 588.

For each loan made from its fund, each institution shall:

1. Include in loan documents for each loan an individual plan for the repayment of principal and interest and the payment of any late fees and clear and detailed information about the collection process for such loan pursuant to the Virginia Debt Collection Act (§ 2.2-4800 et seq.), including information about the agency or entity that is responsible for collection;

2. Establish a process for notifying each student or, in the case of an undergraduate student and as appropriate, the student's parent of any loan payment that is past due no later than (i) 30 days after the payments become past due and (ii) if necessary, the end of the academic term during which such payment becomes past due; and

3. Make every effort to collect each loan and comply with the Virginia Debt Collection Act (§ 2.2-4800 et seq.) with regard to the collection of such loans, provided that, notwithstanding §§ 2.2-4805 and 2.2-4806, the institution may, with the consent of the borrower, modify the terms of any loan for which payments are past due to provide for repayment forbearance on such loan and repayment to commence on a mutually agreed-upon date in the future. Prior to entering into any such agreement, the institution shall provide the borrower with information regarding the effect of a forbearance on the loan amount, including (i) the amount of any additional accumulated principal and interest and (ii) the estimated total amount to be owed upon recommenced payments.

1978, c. 745, § 23-38.10:4; 1988, c. 544; 2016, c. 588; 2018, c. 786.

The Auditor of Public Accounts shall at least biennially audit and exhibit the account of the fund of each institution.

1978, c. 745, § 23-38.10:6; 1991, c. 590; 2016, c. 588.

A. Whenever an institution's fund is inadequate to carry out fully the purpose for which the fund was established, the governing board and chief executive officer of such institution, with the prior written consent and approval of the Governor, are authorized, for the purpose of providing an additional fund, to borrow from such sources and on such terms as may be approved by the Governor an amount not to exceed $25,000 and provide for such extensions or renewals of such loans as may be necessary. Such additional fund shall be used only in making loans to students as provided in this article and for no other purpose.

B. The repayments and interest accretions to the additional fund shall be used insofar as may be necessary to repay the indebtedness of the institution created by the governing board and chief executive officer in establishing such additional fund.

C. Such additional amounts may be borrowed as may be deemed necessary by the governing board and chief executive officer of the institution, with the Governor's approval, but in no event shall the amount of the additional fund, including cash, notes receivable, and all amounts borrowed and not repaid exceed $50,000.

D. Accounts shall be kept and reports rendered for each such additional fund in all respects as required by this article for funds created by appropriations from the general fund of the state treasury and the Auditor of Public Accounts shall biennially exhibit in his report the amount of the additional fund at each institution.

1978, c. 745, § 23-38.10:7; 2016, c. 588.

Article 4. Two-Year College Transfer Grant Program.

As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Eligible institution" means a baccalaureate public institution of higher education or baccalaureate nonprofit private institution of higher education whose primary purpose is to provide undergraduate collegiate education and not to provide religious training or theological education.

"Grant" means the amount of financial assistance awarded under this article whether disbursed by warrant directly to an eligible institution or directly to a Virginia student.

"Program" means the Two-Year College Transfer Grant Program.

2007, cc. 850, 899, § 23-38.10:8; 2016, c. 588.

A. The Two-Year College Transfer Grant Program is created to provide financial assistance to eligible students, beginning with the first-time entering freshman class of the fall 2007 academic year, for the costs of attending an eligible institution. Funds may be paid to any eligible institution on behalf of students who have been awarded financial assistance pursuant to § 23.1-624.

B. The Council shall adopt regulations for the implementation of the provisions of this article and the disbursement of funds consistent with the provisions of this article that are appropriate to the administration of the Program.

2007, cc. 850, 899, § 23-38.10:9; 2016, c. 588.

A. Grants shall be made under the Program to or on behalf of Virginia students who (i) maintained a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 or its equivalent while enrolled in an associate degree program at an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education, (ii) have received an associate degree at an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education, (iii) have enrolled in an eligible institution by the fall or spring following the award of such associate degree, (iv) have applied for financial aid, and (v) have demonstrated financial need, defined as an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of no more than $12,000 as calculated by the federal government using the family's financial information reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.

B. Eligibility for a grant under the Program is limited to three academic years. Grants under the Program shall be used only for undergraduate coursework in educational programs other than those providing religious training or theological education.

C. To remain eligible for a grant under the Program, a student shall continue to demonstrate financial need as defined in subsection A, maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 or its equivalent, and make satisfactory academic progress toward a degree.

D. Individuals who have failed to meet the federal requirement to register for the Selective Service are not eligible to receive grants pursuant to this article. However, an individual who has failed to register for the Selective Service shall not be denied a right, privilege, or benefit under this section if (i) the requirement to so register has terminated or become inapplicable to the individual and (ii) the individual shows by a preponderance of the evidence that the failure to register was not a knowing and willful failure to register.

2007, cc. 850, 899, § 23-38.10:10; 2014, c. 806; 2016, c. 588; 2017, cc. 102, 297.

The amount of the grant for an eligible student shall be provided in accordance with the general appropriation act and shall be fixed at $1,000 per academic year. An additional $1,000 per academic year shall be provided to eligible students pursuing undergraduate coursework in engineering, mathematics, nursing, teaching, or science.

2007, cc. 850, 899, § 23-38.10:11; 2016, c. 588.

For the purposes of determining a student's eligibility for a grant, the enrolling institution shall determine domicile as provided in § 23.1-502 and the Council's domicile guidelines.

2007, cc. 850, 899, § 23-38.10:12; 2016, c. 588.

A. Eligible institutions shall reduce a student's state financial aid eligibility by the amount of the grant awarded pursuant to this article.

B. Grants shall not be reduced by virtue of an eligible student's receipt of any other financial aid from any other source except when the total of the grant and such other financial aid would enable the student to receive total financial assistance in excess of the estimated cost to the student of attending the institution in which he is enrolled.

2007, cc. 850, 899, § 23-38.10:13; 2016, c. 588.

Article 4.1. New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program.

As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Board" means the Virginia Board of Workforce Development.

"Competency-based" means awarded on the basis of demonstrated knowledge and skills rather than completion of instructional hours or participation in an instructional course or program.

"Council" means the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

"Eligible institution" means a comprehensive community college, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, New College Institute, Richard Bland College, Roanoke Higher Education Center, Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, or Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.

"Eligible student" means any Virginia student enrolled at an eligible institution who is domiciled in the Commonwealth as provided in § 23.1-500, as determined by the eligible institution.

"Fund" means the New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Fund.

"Grant" means a New Economy Workforce Credential Grant.

"High-demand field" means a discipline or field in which there is a shortage of skilled workers to fill current job vacancies or anticipated additional job openings.

"Industry-recognized" means demonstrating competency or proficiency in the technical and occupational skills identified as necessary for performing functions of an occupation based on standards developed or endorsed by employers and industry organizations.

"Noncredit workforce credential" means a competency-based, industry-recognized, portable, and third-party-validated certification or occupational license in a high-demand field.

"Noncredit workforce training program" means a program at an eligible institution that leads to an occupation or a cluster of occupations in a high-demand field, which program may include the attainment of a noncredit workforce credential. "Noncredit workforce training program" may include a program that receives funding pursuant to the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006, P.L. 109-270. "Noncredit workforce training program" shall not include certificates of completion.

"Portable" means recognized by multiple employers or educational institutions and, where appropriate, across geographic areas.

"Program" means the New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program.

"Third-party-validated" means having an external process in place for determining validity and relevance in the workplace and for continuous alignment of demonstrated knowledge and skills with industry workforce needs.

2016, cc. 326, 470.

The New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program is established for the purpose of (i) creating and sustaining a demand-driven supply of credentialed workers for high-demand occupations in the Commonwealth by addressing and closing the gap between the skills needed by workers in the Commonwealth and the skills of the available workforce in the Commonwealth; (ii) expanding the affordability of workforce training and credentialing; and (iii) increasing the interest of current and future Virginia workers in technician, technologist, and trade-level positions to fill the available and emerging jobs in the Commonwealth that require less than a bachelor's degree but more than a high school diploma.

2016, cc. 326, 470.

A. There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to be known as the New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Fund. The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All moneys appropriated by the General Assembly, and from any other sources, public or private, shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the Fund. Interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Moneys in the Fund shall be used solely for the purposes of disbursing moneys to eligible institutions for the award of grants pursuant to the Program. Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request signed by the director of the Council.

B. There is hereby established a New Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program for the purpose of disbursing moneys from the Fund to eligible institutions for the award of grants to benefit students pursuant to this article.

C. The Council shall administer the Program and shall carry out the goals and purposes of the Program set forth in this article. In administering the Program, the Council (i) shall require eligible institutions to provide student-specific data and make final decisions on any dispute between eligible institutions and grant recipients; (ii) shall undertake periodic assessments of the overall success of the Program and recommend modifications, interventions, and other actions based on such assessment; and (iii) may adopt such regulations for the administration of the Program as it deems necessary and appropriate.

D. The Council shall instruct the Comptroller to annually disburse moneys to eligible institutions on a first-come, first-served basis as eligible students enroll in noncredit workforce training programs, giving priority to noncredit workforce training programs in high-demand fields in which employer demand is currently unmet by the available workforce. No more than one-quarter of the moneys in the Fund shall be disbursed annually to any eligible institution. The Council shall set forth the procedure by which eligible institutions shall notify the Council when eligible students enroll in noncredit workforce training programs identified by the governing board of the eligible institution pursuant to subsection E.

E. The Board shall make recommendations to eligible institutions to help determine high-demand fields for which noncredit workforce training programs may be offered pursuant to the Program. The governing board of each eligible institution shall determine the noncredit workforce training programs offered pursuant to the Program.

2016, cc. 326, 470; 2019, c. 578.

A. Subject to the availability of funds, any eligible student who enrolls in a noncredit workforce training program offered by an eligible institution pursuant to the Program may apply for and be awarded a grant to cover two-thirds of the cost of the noncredit workforce training program, provided that at the time of enrollment the eligible student pays one-third of the cost of the noncredit workforce training program and signs an agreement to complete the noncredit workforce training program or pay an additional one-third of the program cost in the event of noncompletion. Upon the presentation of satisfactory proof of completion of the noncredit workforce training program by the eligible student, the Council shall reimburse the institution in an amount equal to one-third of the cost of the program. Upon the presentation of satisfactory proof of the attainment of a noncredit workforce credential by the eligible student, the Council shall reimburse the institution in an amount equal to one-third of the cost of the program. However, the Council shall not reimburse any eligible institution more than $4,000 per completed noncredit workforce training program per eligible student pursuant to the Program.

B. Grants shall not be reduced by an eligible student's concurrent receipt of financial aid from any other source except in cases in which the grant and such other financial aid would result in total assistance in excess of tuition, fees, books, and other allowable costs of completing the noncredit workforce credential program.

2016, cc. 326, 470; 2023, cc. 5, 6.

The Board shall maintain and update a list of high-demand fields and the related noncredit workforce training programs and noncredit workforce credentials on its website.

2016, cc. 326, 470.

Each eligible institution that participates in the Program shall adopt a policy for the award of academic credit to any eligible student who has earned a noncredit workforce credential that is applicable to the student's certificate or degree program requirements.

2016, cc. 326, 470.

A. No later than January 1 of each year, each eligible institution shall submit to the Council a report with data from the previous fiscal year on noncredit workforce training program completion and noncredit workforce credential attainment by eligible students participating in the Program that includes:

1. A list of the noncredit workforce credentials offered, by name and certification entity;

2. The number of eligible students who enrolled in noncredit workforce credentials programs;

3. The number of eligible students who completed noncredit workforce credentials programs;

4. The number of eligible students who attained noncredit workforce credentials after completing noncredit workforce training programs, by credential name and relevant industry sector; and

5. The average cost per noncredit workforce credential attained, by credential name and relevant industry sector.

B. The Council shall compile the data provided pursuant to subsection A and annually report such data, in the aggregate and by eligible institution, to the Board and the General Assembly. Such report shall also include information on the wages, including average wage and other relevant information, of students who have completed noncredit workforce training programs by credential name and relevant industry sector.

2016, cc. 326, 470; 2017, c. 329.

Article 5. Tuition Assistance Grant Act.

A. As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Eligible institution" means a nonprofit private institution of higher education whose primary purpose is to provide collegiate, graduate, or professional education and not to provide religious training or theological education.

"Grant" means a Tuition Assistance Grant.

"Principal place of business" means the single state in which the natural persons who establish policy for the direction, control, and coordination of the operations of the institution as a whole primarily exercise that function, considering the following factors: (i) the state in which the primary executive and administrative offices of the institution are located; (ii) the state in which the principal office of the chief executive officer of the institution is located; (iii) the state in which the board of trustees or similar governing board of the institution conducts a majority of its meetings; and (iv) the state from which the overall operations of the institution are directed.

"Program" means the Tuition Assistance Grant Program.

B. From such funds as may be provided for such purpose, the Tuition Assistance Grant Program is established to provide Tuition Assistance Grants to or on behalf of Virginia students who attend eligible institutions.

C. Eligible institutions admitted to this program on or after January 1, 2011, shall (i) be formed, chartered, established, or incorporated within the Commonwealth; (ii) have their principal place of business within the Commonwealth; (iii) conduct their primary educational activity within the Commonwealth; and (iv) be accredited by a nationally recognized regional accrediting agency.

1972, c. 18, § 23-38.12; 1973, c. 2; 1975, c. 400; 1980, c. 101; 1981, c. 257; 1985, c. 520; 1998, c. 483; 1999, c. 434; 2011, cc. 419, 421; 2016, c. 588.

The Council is designated as the administering agency for the Program and may adopt regulations consistent with this article and appropriate to the administration of the Program. The Council may define by regulation such terms used in this article as "full-time," "undergraduate," "graduate," "professional," and "financial aid."

1972, c. 18, § 23-38.13; 1973, c. 2; 1981, c. 257; 2016, c. 588.

The annual amount of tuition assistance in the form of a grant for a Virginia student attending an eligible institution shall not exceed the annual average appropriation per full-time equivalent student for the previous year from the general fund of the state treasury for operating costs at public institutions of higher education.

1972, c. 18, § 23-38.14; 1975, c. 400; 1980, c. 101; 2016, c. 588.

A. Virginia students who are obligated to pay tuition as full-time undergraduate, graduate, or professional students at an eligible institution are eligible to receive a grant for the academic year for which they enroll.

B. Eligibility for grants under the Program is limited to a total of four academic years for undergraduate students, pharmacy students, and medical students and a total of three academic years for other graduate students and professional school students. The academic years for which grants are awarded need not be in succession.

C. Grants under the Program shall be used only for undergraduate, graduate, or professional collegiate work in educational programs other than those providing religious training or theological education.

1972, c. 18, §§ 23-38.15, 23-38.16; 1973, c. 2; 1975, c. 400; 1980, c. 101; 1981, c. 257; 1987, c. 600; 2000, cc. 94, 660; 2016, c. 588.

Individuals who have failed to meet the federal requirement to register for the Selective Service are not eligible to receive grants. However, an individual who has failed to register for the Selective Service shall not be denied a right, privilege, or benefit under this section if (i) the requirement to so register has terminated or become inapplicable to the individual and (ii) the individual shows by a preponderance of the evidence that the failure to register was not a knowing and willful failure to register. The Council shall be assisted in enforcing this provision by the eligible institutions whose students benefit from the Program.

1972, c. 18, § 23-38.12; 1973, c. 2; 1975, c. 400; 1980, c. 101; 1981, c. 257; 1985, c. 520; 1998, c. 483; 1999, c. 434; 2011, cc. 419, 421; 2016, c. 588.

Grants shall not be reduced by virtue of the student's receipt of any other financial aid from any other source except when the total of the grant and such other financial aid would enable the student to receive total financial assistance in excess of the estimated cost to the student of attending the institution in which he is enrolled.

1972, c. 18, § 23-38.17; 1973, c. 2; 1975, c. 400; 1980, c. 101; 2016, c. 588.

Each eligible institution acting as an agent for students receiving grants under the Program shall promptly credit disbursed funds to student accounts following the institution's verification of student eligibility and expeditiously distribute any refunds due recipients.

1985, c. 359, § 23-38.17:1; 2000, cc. 94, 660; 2016, c. 588; 2017, c. 314.

A. For the purposes of determining a student's eligibility for a grant, the enrolling institution shall determine domicile as provided in § 23.1-502 and the Council's domicile guidelines.

B. In order to ensure consistency and fairness, the Council shall (i) require all participating eligible institutions to file student-specific data, (ii) monitor the decisions of such institutions regarding domicile, and (iii) make final decisions on any disputes between such institutions and grant applicants.

C. The Council shall report to the Governor and the General Assembly, as the Council deems necessary, on issues relating to determinations of domicile for students applying for grants.

1972, c. 18, § 23-38.18; 1973, c. 2; 1985, c. 359; 1995, c. 663; 2016, c. 588.

Article 6. Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program and Fund.

A. The Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program is created to provide financial assistance in the form of grants to eligible students for the costs of attending a public institution of higher education. Funds may be paid to any public institution of higher education on behalf of students who have been awarded grants pursuant to § 23.1-638.

B. The Council shall adopt regulations for the implementation of the provisions of this article.

1992, c. 879, § 23-38.53:4; 1994, c. 789; 2016, c. 588.

There is created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to be known as the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Fund (the Fund). The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All moneys as may be appropriated by the General Assembly and any gifts, donations, grants, bequests, or other moneys as may be received for the purposes of the Fund shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the Fund. Interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Moneys in the Fund shall be paid to any public institution of higher education on behalf of students who have been awarded grants pursuant to the provisions of § 23.1-638. Any moneys remaining in the Fund shall be credited to the account of the Council. Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request signed by the director of the Council.

1992, c. 879, § 23-38.53:5; 1994, c. 789; 2016, c. 588.

A. Only students who (i) are accepted for full-time enrollment at a public institution of higher education, (ii) are not receiving a Virginia Commonwealth Award, (iii) demonstrate financial need as determined by the Council, and (iv) are either (a) Virginia students who graduated from a high school in the Commonwealth with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 on a scale of 4.0 or its equivalent or (b) dependent children of active duty military personnel residing outside the Commonwealth pursuant to military orders, claiming Virginia on their State of Legal Residence Certificate, and satisfying the domicile requirements for such active duty military personnel pursuant to §§ 23.1-502 and 23.1-504 and who graduated from a high school within or outside the Commonwealth with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 on a scale of 4.0 or its equivalent are eligible to receive such grants.

B. Each eligible student shall receive such a grant from the institution's appropriations for undergraduate student financial assistance before Commonwealth Award grants are awarded to students with equivalent remaining need.

C. Each eligible student shall receive a grant in an amount greater than Commonwealth Award grants awarded to students with equivalent remaining need.

D. Beginning with first-time students enrolled in the fall semester in 2018, each eligible student shall receive a grant in an amount greater than the grant of each eligible student with equivalent remaining need in the next-lowest class level.

E. The amount of each grant shall vary according to each student's remaining need and the total of tuition, fees, and other necessary charges, including books. The actual amount of each grant shall be determined by the proportionate award schedule adopted by each institution.

F. All grants shall be awarded for one award year and may be renewed annually for no more than three subsequent award years, and students shall not receive subsequent grants until they have satisfied the requirements to move to the next class level. Each recipient may receive a maximum of one year of support per class level for a maximum total of four years of support at a baccalaureate public institution of higher education and a maximum total of two years of support at an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education, provided that in no case shall a recipient receive more than a combined total of four years of support, if the recipient:

1. Maintains a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on a scale of 4.0 or its equivalent;

2. Demonstrates continued financial need;

3. Makes satisfactory academic progress toward a degree; and

4. Maintains continuous full-time enrollment for not less than two semesters or three quarters in each successive award year unless the Council grants the recipient an exception for cause.

1992, c. 879, § 23-38.53:6; 1993, c. 832; 1994, c. 789; 2002, c. 114; 2016, c. 588; 2017, cc. 325, 335.

Article 7. Senior Citizens Higher Education Act of 1974.

A. As used in this article, "senior citizen" means any individual who, before the beginning of any academic term, semester, or quarter in which he claims entitlement to the benefits of this article, has reached the age of 60 and has been legally domiciled in the Commonwealth for at least one year.

B. Nothing in this section shall be construed to exclude any other rules and requirements made by any public institution of higher education for all other students besides senior citizens with respect to domicile in the Commonwealth.

1974, c. 463, § 23-38.55; 1976, c. 19; 1977, c. 281; 2002, c. 521; 2003, c. 700; 2016, c. 588.

A. Any senior citizen may, subject to any regulations prescribed by the Council:

1. Register for and enroll in courses for academic credit as a full-time or part-time student if he had a taxable individual income not exceeding $23,850 for Virginia income tax purposes for the year preceding the award year;

2. Register for and audit up to three courses offered for academic credit in any one academic term, quarter, or semester for an unlimited number of academic terms, quarters, or semesters; and

3. Register for and enroll in up to three courses not offered for academic credit in any one academic term, quarter, or semester for an unlimited number of academic terms, quarters, or semesters.

B. No senior citizen who enrolls in or audits courses pursuant to subsection A shall pay tuition or fees except fees established for the purpose of paying for course materials such as laboratory fees.

C. Senior citizens are subject to the admission requirements of the institution and a determination by the institution of its ability to offer the course for which the senior citizen registers.

D. The Council shall establish procedures to ensure that tuition-paying students are accommodated in courses before senior citizens enroll in or audit courses pursuant to subsection A. However, public institutions of higher education may make individual exceptions to these procedures for any senior citizen who has completed 75 percent of the requirements for a degree.

1974, c. 463, §§ 23-38.56, 23-38.58; 1977, c. 281; 1982, c. 677; 1984, c. 371; 1988, c. 90; 1989, c. 101; 1999, c. 381; 2002, c. 521; 2015, c. 146; 2016, c. 588.

Each public institution of higher education shall prominently include in its course catalog a statement of the benefits provided by this article for senior citizens.

1974, c. 463, § 23-38.59; 1977, c. 281; 2016, c. 588.

The registrar or other admissions officer of each public institution of higher education shall determine whether an individual is a senior citizen pursuant to the provisions of this article and may require senior citizens to execute appropriate forms to request the benefits provided by this article.

1974, c. 463, § 23-38.60; 2016, c. 588.

Chapter 7. Virginia College Savings Plan and Able Savings Trust Accounts.

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"ABLE savings trust account" means an account established pursuant to this chapter to assist individuals and families to save private funds to support individuals with disabilities to maintain health, independence, and quality of life, with such account used to apply distributions for qualified disability expenses for an eligible individual, as both such terms are defined in § 529A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or other applicable federal law.

"Board" means the governing board of the Plan.

"College savings trust account" means an account established pursuant to this chapter to assist individuals and families to enhance the accessibility and affordability of higher education, with such account used to apply distributions from the account toward qualified higher education expenses, as that term is defined in § 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or other applicable federal law.

"Contributor" means a person who contributes money to a savings trust account established pursuant to this chapter on behalf of a qualified beneficiary and who is listed as the owner of the savings trust account.

"Non-Virginia public and accredited nonprofit independent or private institutions of higher education" means public and accredited nonprofit independent or private institutions of higher education that are located outside the Commonwealth.

"Plan" means the Virginia College Savings Plan.

"Prepaid tuition contract" means the contract or account entered into by the board and a purchaser pursuant to this chapter for the advance payment of tuition at a fixed, guaranteed level for a qualified beneficiary to attend any public institution of higher education to which the qualified beneficiary is admitted.

"Public institution of higher education" has the same meaning as provided in § 23.1-100.

"Purchaser" means a person who makes or is obligated to make advance payments in accordance with a prepaid tuition contract and who is listed as the owner of the prepaid tuition contract.

"Qualified beneficiary" or "beneficiary" means (i) a resident of the Commonwealth, as determined by the board, who is the beneficiary of a prepaid tuition contract and who may apply advance tuition payments to tuition as set forth in this chapter; (ii) a beneficiary of a prepaid tuition contract purchased by a resident of the Commonwealth, as determined by the board, who may apply advance tuition payments to tuition as set forth in this chapter; or (iii) a beneficiary of a savings trust account established pursuant to this chapter.

"Savings trust account" means an ABLE savings trust account or a college savings trust account.

"Savings trust agreement" means the agreement entered into by the board and a contributor that establishes a savings trust account.

"Tuition" means the quarter, semester, or term charges imposed for undergraduate tuition by any public institution of higher education and all mandatory fees required as a condition of enrollment of all students. At the discretion of the board, a beneficiary may apply benefits under a prepaid tuition contract and distributions from a college savings trust account (i) toward graduate-level tuition and (ii) toward qualified higher education expenses, as that term is defined in 26 U.S.C. § 529 or any other applicable section of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

1994, c. 661, § 23-38.75; 1997, cc. 785, 861; 1998, cc. 61, 85; 1999, cc. 485, 518; 2000, cc. 382, 400; 2015, cc. 227, 311; 2016, c. 588; 2019, cc. 803, 804.

A. To enhance the accessibility and affordability of higher education for all citizens of the Commonwealth, and assist families and individuals to save for qualified disability expenses, the Virginia College Savings Plan is established as a body politic and corporate and an independent agency of the Commonwealth.

B. Moneys of the Plan that are contributions to savings trust accounts made pursuant to this chapter, except as otherwise authorized or provided in this chapter, shall be deposited as soon as practicable in a separate account or separate accounts in banks or trust companies organized under the laws of the Commonwealth, national banking associations, federal home loan banks, or, to the extent permitted by law, savings institutions organized under the laws of the Commonwealth or the United States. The savings program moneys in such accounts shall be paid out on checks, drafts payable on demand, electronic wire transfers, or other means authorized by officers or employees of the Plan.

C. All other moneys of the Plan, including payments received pursuant to prepaid tuition contracts, bequests, endowments, grants from the United States government or its agencies or instrumentalities, and any other available public or private sources of funds shall be first deposited in the state treasury in a special nonreverting fund (the Fund). Such moneys shall then be deposited as soon as practicable in a separate account or separate accounts in banks or trust companies organized under the laws of the Commonwealth, national banking associations, federal home loan banks, or, to the extent permitted by law, savings institutions organized under the laws of the Commonwealth or the United States. Benefits relating to prepaid tuition contracts and Plan operating expenses shall be paid from the Fund. Any moneys remaining in the Fund at the end of a biennium shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Interest and income earned from the investment of such funds shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it.

D. The Plan may maintain an independent disbursement system for the disbursement of prepaid tuition contract benefits and, in connection with such system, open and maintain a separate account or separate accounts in banks or trust companies organized under the laws of the Commonwealth, national banking associations, federal home loan banks, or, to the extent permitted by law, savings institutions organized under the laws of the Commonwealth or the United States. Such independent disbursement system and any related procedures shall be subject to review and approval by the State Comptroller. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to relieve the Plan of its duty to provide prepaid tuition contract benefit transactions to the Commonwealth's system of general accounting maintained by the State Comptroller pursuant to § 2.2-802.

E. The Plan shall be administered by an 11-member board that consists of (i) the director of the Council or his designee, the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System or his designee, the State Treasurer or his designee, and the State Comptroller or his designee, all of whom shall serve ex officio with voting privileges, and (ii) seven nonlegislative citizen members, four of whom shall be appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, two of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, and all of whom shall have significant experience in finance, accounting, law, investment management, higher education, or disability advocacy. In addition, at least one of the nonlegislative citizen members shall have expertise in the management and administration of private defined contribution retirement plans.

F. Members appointed to the board shall serve terms of four years. Vacancies occurring other than by expiration of a term shall be filled for the unexpired term. No member appointed to the board shall serve more than two consecutive four-year terms; however, a member appointed to serve an unexpired term is eligible to serve two consecutive four-year terms immediately succeeding such unexpired term.

G. Ex officio members of the board shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office.

H. Members of the board shall receive no compensation but shall be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

I. The board shall elect from its membership a chairman and a vice-chairman annually.

J. A majority of the members of the board shall constitute a quorum.

1994, c. 661, § 23-38.76; 1997, cc. 785, 861; 1999, cc. 485, 518; 2000, cc. 382, 400; 2009, cc. 827, 845; 2013, cc. 586, 649; 2014, cc. 23, 687; 2015, cc. 227, 311; 2016, c. 588; 2019, cc. 803, 804; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 556.

A. To assist the board in fulfilling its fiduciary duty as trustee of the funds of the Plan and to assist the chief executive officer in directing, managing, and administering the Plan's assets, the board shall appoint an Investment Advisory Committee to provide sophisticated, objective, and prudent investment advice and direction.

1. Members of the Investment Advisory Committee shall demonstrate extensive experience in any one or more of the following areas: domestic or international equity or fixed-income securities, cash management, alternative investments, institutional real estate investments, or managed futures.

2. The Investment Advisory Committee shall (i) review, evaluate, and monitor investments and investment opportunities; (ii) make appropriate recommendations to the board about such investments and investment opportunities; (iii) make appropriate recommendations to the board about overall asset allocation; and (iv) perform such other duties as the board may delegate to the Investment Advisory Committee.

B. To assist the board in fulfilling its responsibilities relating to the integrity of the Plan's financial statements, financial reporting process, and systems of internal accounting and financial controls, the board shall appoint an Audit and Actuarial Committee.

1. Members of the Audit and Actuarial Committee shall demonstrate an understanding of generally accepted accounting principles, generally accepted auditing standards, enterprise risk management principles, and financial statements, and evidence an ability to assess the general application of such principles to the Plan's activities. The members should have experience in preparing, auditing, analyzing, or evaluating financial statements of the same complexity as those of the Plan, and an understanding of internal controls and procedures for financial reporting.

2. In order to establish and maintain its effectiveness and independence, the following individuals shall not be members of the Audit and Actuarial Committee: (i) current Plan employees; (ii) individuals who have been employees of the Plan in any of the prior three fiscal years; and (iii) immediate family members of an individual currently employed as an officer of the Plan or who has been employed in such a capacity within the past three fiscal years.

3. The Audit and Actuarial Committee shall (i) review, examine, and monitor the Plan's accounting and financial reporting processes and systems of internal controls; (ii) review and examine financial statements and financial disclosures and discuss any findings with the Plan's senior management; (iii) make appropriate recommendations and reports to the board; (iv) monitor the Plan's external audit function by (a) participating in the retention, review, and discharge of independent auditors; (b) discussing the Plan's financial statements and accounting policies with independent auditors; and (c) reviewing the independence of independent auditors; and (v) perform such other duties as the board may delegate to the Audit and Actuarial Committee.

C. The board may appoint such other advisory committees as it deems necessary and shall set the qualifications for members of any such advisory committee by resolution.

D. Advisory committee members shall serve at the pleasure of the board and may be removed by a majority vote of the board.

E. Members of advisory committees shall receive no compensation but shall be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

F. The disclosure requirements of subsection B of § 2.2-3114 shall apply to each member of any advisory committee established pursuant to this section who is not also a board member.

G. The recommendations of an advisory committee are not binding upon the board or the designee appointed by the board to make investment decisions pursuant to subsections A and B of § 23.1-706.

2009, cc. 827, § 23-38.79:1, 845; 2011, cc. 18, 26; 2016, c. 588.

A. The board shall employ a chief executive officer to direct, manage, and administer the Plan. The chief executive officer may employ such staff as are necessary to accomplish the Plan's stated objectives.

B. The chief executive officer shall demonstrate (i) extensive experience in some or all of the following areas: management, finance, law, regulatory affairs, and investments and (ii) such other qualifications as the board may set.

C. The chief executive officer shall, in addition to such other duties as the board may establish, (i) oversee the development, structure, evaluation, and implementation of the Plan's strategic goals and objectives; (ii) facilitate communication among and between the board, advisory committees, employees, account owners, beneficiaries, and outside entities interested in the Plan; (iii) enhance the board's ability to make effective and prompt decisions in all matters relating to the administration of the Plan; (iv) with the assistance of the Investment Advisory Committee appointed by the board and investment consultants, direct, manage, and administer the Plan's assets and programs; and (v) report to the board periodically and as requested by the board.

1994, c. 661, § 23-38.79; 2009, cc. 827, 845; 2016, c. 588.

The board shall:

1. Administer the Plan established by this chapter;

2. Develop and implement programs for (i) the prepayment of undergraduate tuition, as defined in § 23.1-700, at a fixed, guaranteed level for application at a public institution of higher education; (ii) contributions to college savings trust accounts established pursuant to this chapter on behalf of a qualified beneficiary in order to apply distributions from the account toward qualified higher education expenses, as that term is defined in § 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or other applicable federal law; and (iii) contributions to ABLE savings trust accounts established pursuant to this chapter on behalf of a qualified beneficiary in order to apply distributions from the account toward qualified disability expenses for an eligible individual, as both such terms are defined in § 529A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or other applicable federal law;

3. Invest moneys in the Plan in any instruments, obligations, securities, or property deemed appropriate by the board;

4. Develop requirements, procedures, and guidelines regarding prepaid tuition contracts and savings trust accounts, including residency and other eligibility requirements; the number of participants in the Plan; the termination, withdrawal, or transfer of payments under a prepaid tuition contract or savings trust account; time limitations for the use of tuition benefits or savings trust account distributions; and payment schedules;

5. Enter into contractual agreements, including contracts for legal, actuarial, financial, and consulting services and contracts with other states to provide savings trust accounts for residents of contracting states;

6. Procure insurance as determined appropriate by the board (i) against any loss in connection with the Plan's property, assets, or activities and (ii) indemnifying board members from personal loss or accountability from liability arising from any action or inaction as a board member;

7. Make arrangements with public institutions of higher education to fulfill obligations under prepaid tuition contracts and apply college savings trust account distributions, including (i) payment from the Plan of the appropriate amount of tuition on behalf of a qualified beneficiary of a prepaid tuition contract to the institution to which the beneficiary is admitted and at which the beneficiary is enrolled and (ii) application of such benefits toward graduate-level tuition and toward qualified higher education expenses, as that term is defined in 26 U.S.C. § 529 or any other applicable section of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as determined by the board in its sole discretion;

8. Develop and implement scholarship or matching grant programs, or both, as the board may deem appropriate, to further its goal of making higher education more affordable and accessible to all citizens of the Commonwealth;

9. Apply for, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from public or private sources to enable it to carry out its objectives;

10. Adopt regulations and procedures and perform any act or function consistent with the purposes of this chapter; and

11. Reimburse, at its option, all or part of the cost of employing legal counsel and such other costs as are demonstrated to have been reasonably necessary for the defense of any board member, officer, or employee of the Plan upon the acquittal, dismissal of charges, nolle prosequi, or any other final disposition concluding the innocence of such member, officer, or employee who is brought before any regulatory body, summoned before any grand jury, investigated by any law-enforcement agency, arrested, indicted, or otherwise prosecuted on any criminal charge arising out of any act committed in the discharge of his official duties that alleges a violation of state or federal securities laws. The board shall provide for the payment of such legal fees and expenses out of funds appropriated or otherwise available to the board.

1994, c. 661, § 23-38.77; 1997, cc. 785, 861; 1998, cc. 61, 85; 1999, cc. 485, 518; 2000, cc. 382, 400; 2009, cc. 827, 845; 2015, cc. 227, 311; 2016, c. 588; 2019, cc. 803, 804.

A. As used in this section, "current obligations of the Plan" means amounts required for the payment of contract benefits or other obligations of the Plan, the maintenance of the Plan, and operating expenses for the current biennium.

B. No act or undertaking of the board is a debt or a pledge of the full faith and credit of the Commonwealth or any political subdivision of the Commonwealth, and all such acts and undertakings are payable solely from the Plan.

C. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection B, in order to ensure that the Plan is able to meet its current obligations, the Governor shall include in the budget bills submitted pursuant to § 2.2-1509 a sum sufficient appropriation for the purpose of ensuring that the Plan can meet the current obligations of the Plan. Any sums appropriated by the General Assembly for such purpose shall be deposited into the Fund. All amounts paid into the Fund pursuant to this subsection shall constitute and be accounted for as advances by the Commonwealth to the Plan and, subject to the rights of the Plan's contract holders, shall be repaid to the Commonwealth without interest from available operating revenue of the Plan in excess of amounts required for the payment of current obligations of the Plan.

1994, c. 661, § 23-38.78; 1998, c. 373; 2000, cc. 382, 400; 2016, c. 588.

A. In acquiring, investing, reinvesting, exchanging, retaining, selling, and managing property for the benefit of the Plan, the board, and any person, investment manager, or committee to whom the board delegates any of its investment authority, shall act as trustee and shall exercise the judgment of care under the circumstances then prevailing that persons of prudence, discretion, and intelligence exercise in the management of their own affairs, not in regard to speculation but to the permanent disposition of funds, considering the probable income and the probable safety of their capital.

If the annual accounting and audit required by § 23.1-710 reveal that there are insufficient funds to ensure the actuarial soundness of the Plan, the board may adjust the terms of subsequent prepaid tuition contracts, arrange refunds for current purchasers to ensure actuarial soundness, or take such other action the board deems appropriate.

B. The assets of the Plan shall be preserved, invested, and expended solely pursuant to and for the purposes of this chapter and shall not be loaned or otherwise transferred or used by the Commonwealth for any other purpose. Within the standard of care set forth in subsection A, the board and any person, investment manager, or committee to whom the board delegates any of its investment authority, may acquire and retain any kind of property and any kind of investment, including (i) debentures and other corporate obligations of foreign or domestic corporations; (ii) common or preferred stocks traded on foreign or domestic stock exchanges; (iii) not less than all of the stock or 100 percent ownership of a corporation or other entity organized by the board under the laws of the Commonwealth for the purposes of acquiring and retaining real property that the board may acquire and retain under this chapter; and (iv) securities of any open-end or closed-end management type investment company or investment trust registered under the federal Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, including investment companies or investment trusts that, in turn, invest in the securities of such investment companies or investment trusts that persons of prudence, discretion, and intelligence acquire or retain for their own account. The board may retain property properly acquired without time limitation and without regard to its suitability for original purchase.

All provisions of this subsection shall also apply to the portion of the Plan assets attributable to savings trust account contributions and the earnings on such contributions.

C. The selection of services relating to the operation and administration of the Plan, including contracts or agreements for the management, purchase, or sale of authorized investments or actuarial, recordkeeping, or consulting services, are governed by the standard of care set forth in subsection A and are not subject to the provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (§ 2.2-4300 et seq.).

D. No board member or person, investment manager, or committee to whom the board delegates any of its investment authority who acts in accordance with the standard of care set forth in subsection A shall be held personally liable for losses suffered by the Plan on investments made pursuant to this chapter.

E. To the extent necessary to lawfully administer the Plan and in order to comply with federal, state, and local tax reporting requirements, the Plan may obtain all necessary social security account or tax identification numbers and such other data as the Plan deems necessary for such purposes, whether from a contributor, a purchaser, or another state agency.

F. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the Plan's investment, by purchase or otherwise, in bonds, notes, or other obligations of the Commonwealth or its agencies and instrumentalities.

1994, c. 661, § 23-38.80; 1996, c. 508; 1997, cc. 785, 861; 1999, cc. 485, 518; 2000, cc. 382, 400; 2009, cc. 827, 845; 2015, cc. 227, 311; 2016, c. 588; 2019, cc. 803, 804.

A. Each prepaid tuition contract made pursuant to this chapter shall include the following terms and provisions:

1. The amount of payment or payments and the number of payments required from a purchaser on behalf of a qualified beneficiary;

2. The terms and conditions under which purchasers shall remit payments, including the dates of such payments;

3. Provisions for late payment charges, defaults, withdrawals, refunds, and any penalties;

4. The name and date of birth of the qualified beneficiary on whose behalf the contract is made;

5. Terms and conditions for a substitution for the qualified beneficiary originally named;

6. Terms and conditions for termination of the contract, including any refunds, withdrawals, or transfers of tuition prepayments, and the name of the person entitled to terminate the contract;

7. The time period during which the qualified beneficiary is required to claim benefits from the Plan;

8. The number of credit hours or quarters, semesters, terms, or units contracted for by the purchaser, as applicable;

9. All other rights and obligations of the purchaser and the trust; and

10. Any other terms and conditions that the board deems necessary or appropriate, including those necessary to conform the contract with the requirements of § 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which specifies the requirements for qualified state tuition programs.

B. Each college savings trust agreement made pursuant to this chapter shall include the following terms and provisions:

1. The maximum and minimum contribution allowed on behalf of each qualified beneficiary for the payment of qualified higher education expenses, as that term is defined in § 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or other applicable federal law;

2. Provisions for withdrawals, refunds, transfers, and any penalties;

3. The name, address, and date of birth of the qualified beneficiary on whose behalf the savings trust account is opened;

4. Terms and conditions for a substitution for the qualified beneficiary originally named;

5. Terms and conditions for termination of the account, including any refunds, withdrawals, or transfers, and applicable penalties, and the name of the person entitled to terminate the account;

6. The time period during which the qualified beneficiary is required to use benefits from the savings trust account;

7. All other rights and obligations of the contributor and the Plan; and

8. Any other terms and conditions that the board deems necessary or appropriate, including those necessary to conform the savings trust account with the requirements of § 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or other applicable federal law.

C. Each ABLE savings trust agreement made pursuant to this chapter shall include the following terms and provisions:

1. The maximum and minimum annual contribution and maximum account balance allowed on behalf of each qualified beneficiary for the payment of qualified disability expenses, as defined in § 529A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or other applicable federal law;

2. Provisions for withdrawals, refunds, transfers, return of excess contributions, and any penalties;

3. The name, address, and date of birth of the qualified beneficiary on whose behalf the savings trust account is opened;

4. Terms and conditions for a substitution for the qualified beneficiary originally named;

5. Terms and conditions for termination of the account, including any transfers to the state upon the death of the qualified beneficiary, refunds, withdrawals, transfers, applicable penalties, and the name of the person entitled to terminate the account;

6. The time period during which the qualified beneficiary is required to use benefits from the savings trust account;

7. All other rights and obligations of the contributor and the Plan; and

8. Any other terms and conditions that the board deems necessary or appropriate, including those necessary to conform the savings trust account with the requirements of § 529A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or other applicable federal law.

D. In addition to the provisions required by subsection A, each prepaid tuition contract entered into prior to July 1, 2019, shall include provisions for the application of tuition prepayments (i) at accredited nonprofit independent or private institutions of higher education, including actual interest and income earned on such prepayments, and (ii) at non-Virginia public and accredited nonprofit independent or private institutions of higher education, including principal and reasonable return on such principal as determined by the board. Payments authorized for accredited nonprofit independent or private institutions of higher education shall not exceed the projected highest payment made for tuition at a public institution of higher education in the same academic year, less a fee to be determined by the board. Payments authorized for non-Virginia public and accredited nonprofit independent or private institutions of higher education shall not exceed the projected average payment made for tuition at a public institution of higher education in the same academic year, less a fee to be determined by the board. In no event, however, shall the benefit paid on any prepaid tuition contract entered into prior to July 1, 2019, be less than the sum of tuition prepayments made and a reasonable return on such prepayments to be determined by the board, less any fees determined by the board.

E. In addition to the provisions required by subsection A, each prepaid tuition contract entered into on or after July 1, 2019, shall include provisions for the application of tuition prepayments, at a rate equal to the percentage of enrollment-weighted average tuition at public institutions of higher education to be determined by the board, at (i) public institutions of higher education, (ii) accredited nonprofit independent or private institutions of higher education, and (iii) non-Virginia public and accredited nonprofit independent or private institutions of higher education. In no event, however, shall the benefit paid on any prepaid tuition contract entered into on or after July 1, 2019, be less than tuition prepayments made, less any fees as determined by the board.

F. All prepaid tuition contracts and savings trust agreements shall specifically provide that if after a specified period of time the contract or savings trust agreement has not been terminated and the qualified beneficiary's rights have not been exercised, the board, after making a reasonable effort to contact the purchaser or contributor and the qualified beneficiary or their agents, shall report such unclaimed moneys to the State Treasurer pursuant to § 55.1-2524.

G. 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, money in the Plan is exempt from creditor process, is not liable to attachment, garnishment, or other process, and shall not be seized, taken, appropriated, or applied by any legal or equitable process or operation of law to pay any debt or liability of any purchaser, contributor, or beneficiary. Unless required by federal law, the Commonwealth, its agencies, and its instrumentalities shall not seek payment pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 529A from any ABLE savings trust account or its proceeds for benefits provided to the beneficiary of the account and shall not undertake estate recovery from any ABLE savings trust account pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 529A.

2. Unless prohibited by federal law, the beneficiary of an ABLE savings trust account may appoint a survivor. In the event of the beneficiary's death, if the survivor is (i) an eligible individual, as defined in 26 U.S.C. § 529A(e), then such survivor shall become the beneficiary of the ABLE savings trust account or (ii) not an eligible individual, as defined in 26 U.S.C. § 529A(e), then any proceeds remaining after final distributions have been made on behalf of the deceased beneficiary shall be distributed to the survivor and the account shall be closed.

H. Notwithstanding any other provision of state law that requires consideration of one or more financial circumstances of an individual for the purpose of determining (i) the individual's eligibility to receive any assistance or benefit pursuant to such provision of state law or (ii) the amount of any such assistance or benefit that such individual is eligible to receive pursuant to such provision of state law, any (a) moneys in an ABLE savings trust account for which such individual is the beneficiary, including any interest on such moneys, (b) contributions to an ABLE savings trust account for which such individual is the beneficiary, and (c) distribution for qualified disability expenses for such individual from an ABLE savings trust account for which such individual is the beneficiary shall be disregarded for such purpose with respect to any period during which such individual remains the beneficiary of, makes contributions to, or receives distributions for qualified disability expenses from such ABLE savings trust account.

I. No prepaid tuition contract or savings trust account shall be assigned for the benefit of creditors, used as security or collateral for any loan, or otherwise subject to alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, or charge.

J. The board's decision on any dispute, claim, or action arising out of or relating to a prepaid tuition contract or savings trust agreement made or entered into pursuant to this chapter or benefits under such prepaid tuition contract or savings trust agreement shall be considered a case decision as defined in § 2.2-4001 and all proceedings related to such dispute, claim, or action shall be conducted pursuant to Article 3 (§ 2.2-4018 et seq.) of the Administrative Process Act. Judicial review shall be provided exclusively pursuant to Article 5 (§ 2.2-4025 et seq.) of the Administrative Process Act.

1994, c. 661, § 23-38.81; 1995, c. 315; 1997, cc. 785, 861; 1999, cc. 485, 518; 2000, cc. 382, 400; 2015, cc. 227, 311; 2016, cc. 588, 639; 2019, cc. 803, 804; 2020, c. 923.

A. As used in this section:

"Funded status" means the ratio of the assets of the Plan to the actuarially estimated value of tuition obligations of the Plan, expressed as a percentage.

"Pricing reserve" means the percentage by which the actuarially determined prepaid tuition contract price exceeds the amount estimated to meet the actuarially determined tuition obligation for such prepaid tuition contract.

B. In the event that the funded status of the Plan meets or exceeds 105 percent, the pricing reserve shall not exceed five percent.

C. In the event that the funded status of the Plan does not meet or exceed 105 percent, the pricing reserve may exceed five percent but shall not exceed 10 percent.

D. The board shall provide to the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, and the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission written notification and a detailed explanation of any change to the pricing reserve within 30 days of such change.

2019, cc. 805, 806.

The assets of the Plan and their income are exempt from state and local taxation.

1994, c. 661, § 23-38.83; 2000, cc. 382, 400; 2016, c. 588.

On or before December 15, the board shall post on its website and submit to the Governor, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, and the House Committees on Appropriations and Finance an annual statement of the receipts, disbursements, and current investments of the Plan for the preceding year. The report shall set forth a complete operating and financial statement covering the operation of the Plan during the year and shall include a statement of projected receipts, disbursements, investments, and costs for the further operation of the Plan.

1994, c. 661, § 23-38.84; 1995, c. 315; 2000, cc. 382, 400; 2005, c. 633; 2011, cc. 18, 26; 2016, c. 588.

The accounts and records of the board showing the receipt and disbursement of funds from whatever source derived shall be in such form as the Auditor of Public Accounts prescribes, provided that such accounts correspond as nearly as possible to the accounts and records for such matters maintained by corporate enterprises. The Auditor of Public Accounts or his legally authorized representatives shall annually audit the accounts of the board, and the board shall bear the cost of such audit services.

1994, c. 661, § 23-38.85; 2016, c. 588.

Nothing in this chapter or in any prepaid tuition contract or savings trust agreement entered into pursuant to this chapter shall be construed as a promise or guarantee:

1. By the board or the Commonwealth of any admission to, continued enrollment at, or graduation from any public institution of higher education;

2. That the beneficiary's cost of tuition at an institution of higher education will be covered in full by the proceeds of the beneficiary's prepaid tuition contract, provided, however, that a prepaid tuition contract will cover that portion of tuition that is required under the terms of any such contract based on the tuition prepayments made; or

3. That any qualified higher education expense will be covered in full by contributions to or earnings on any savings trust account.

1994, c. 661, § 23-38.86; 1999, cc. 485, 518; 2016, c. 588; 2019, cc. 803, 804.

The Commonwealth, the agencies and localities of the Commonwealth and their subdivisions, and any employer in the Commonwealth may agree, by contract or otherwise, to remit payments or contributions on behalf of an employee toward prepaid tuition contracts or savings trust accounts through payroll deductions.

1994, c. 661, § 23-38.87; 1999, cc. 485, 518; 2009, cc. 827, 845; 2016, c. 588; 2017, c. 314.

Insofar as the provisions of this chapter are inconsistent with the provisions of any other general, special, or local law, the provisions of this chapter shall control. This chapter constitutes full and complete authority, without regard to the provisions of any other law, for performing the acts authorized in this chapter and shall be liberally construed to effect the purposes of this chapter.

2009, cc. 827, 845, § 23-38.87:1; 2016, c. 588.

Chapter 8. Health and Campus Safety.

Article 1. Student Health.

A. No full-time student who enrolls for the first time in any baccalaureate public institution of higher education is eligible to register for his second semester or quarter unless he (i) has furnished, before the beginning of the second semester or quarter of enrollment, a health history consistent with guidelines adopted by each institution's board of visitors that includes documented evidence, provided by a licensed health professional or health facility, of the diseases for which the student has been immunized, the numbers of doses given, the date on which the immunization was administered, and any further immunizations indicated or (ii) objects to such health history requirement on religious grounds, in which case he is exempt from such requirement.

B. Prior to enrollment for the first time in any baccalaureate public institution of higher education, each student shall be immunized by vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles (rubeola), German measles (rubella), and mumps according to the guidelines of the American College Health Association.

C. Prior to enrollment for the first time in any baccalaureate public institution of higher education, each full-time student shall be vaccinated against meningococcal disease and hepatitis B unless the student or, if the student is a minor, the student's parent or legal guardian signs a written waiver stating that he has received and reviewed detailed information on the risks associated with meningococcal disease and hepatitis B and the availability and effectiveness of any vaccine and has chosen not to be or not to have the student vaccinated.

D. Any student is exempt from the immunization requirements set forth in subsections B and C who (i) objects on the grounds that administration of immunizing agents conflicts with his religious tenets or practices, unless the Board of Health has declared an emergency or epidemic of disease, or (ii) presents a statement from a licensed physician that states that his physical condition is such that administration of one or more of the required immunizing agents would be detrimental to his health.

E. The Board and Commissioner of Health shall cooperate with any board of visitors seeking assistance in the implementation of this section.

F. The Council shall, in cooperation with the Board and Commissioner of Health, encourage private institutions of higher education to develop a procedure for providing information about the risks associated with meningococcal disease and hepatitis B and the availability and effectiveness of any vaccine against meningococcal disease and hepatitis B.

1986, c. 621, § 23-7.5; 1987, c. 366; 1990, c. 273; 2001, c. 340; 2005, c. 15; 2016, c. 588.

Each public institution of higher education, in cooperation with the Department of Health, shall develop and implement educational programs for college students on the etiology, effects, and prevention of infection with human immunodeficiency virus.

1989, c. 613, § 23-9.2:3.2; 1991, c. 590; 2014, c. 484; 2016, c. 588.

A. The governing board of each public institution of higher education shall develop and implement policies that (i) advise students, faculty, and staff, including residence hall staff, of the proper procedures for identifying and addressing the needs of students exhibiting suicidal tendencies or behavior and (ii) provide for training where appropriate. Such policies shall require procedures for notifying the institution's student health or counseling center for the purposes set forth in subdivision B 5 of § 23.1-1303 when a student exhibits suicidal tendencies or behavior.

B. The board of visitors of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education shall develop and implement policies that ensure that after a student suicide, affected students have access to reasonable medical and behavioral health services, including postvention services. For the purposes of this subsection, "postvention services" means services designed to facilitate the grieving or adjustment process, stabilize the environment, reduce the risk of negative behaviors, and prevent suicide contagion.

C. The board of visitors of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education shall establish a written memorandum of understanding with its local community services board or behavioral health authority and with local hospitals and other local mental health facilities in order to expand the scope of services available to students seeking treatment. The memorandum shall designate a contact person to be notified, to the extent allowable under state and federal privacy laws, when a student is involuntarily committed, or when a student is discharged from a facility. The memorandum shall provide for the inclusion of the institution in the post-discharge planning of a student who has been committed and intends to return to campus, to the extent allowable under state and federal privacy laws.

D. Each baccalaureate public institution of higher education shall create and feature on its website a page with information dedicated solely to the mental health resources available to students at the institution.

E. Each resident assistant in a student housing facility at a public institution of higher education shall participate in Mental Health First Aid training or a similar program prior to the commencement of his duties.

2007, c. 705, § 23-9.2:8; 2012, cc. 697, 721; 2013, cc. 714, 735; 2014, c. 558, § 23-9.2:14; 2015, cc. 663, 716; 2016, cc. 573, 588, 684; 2017, cc. 296, 691; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 447.

Each public institution of higher education that issues student identification cards shall print on one side of each student identification card "988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline." Each public institution of higher education shall also:

1. Ensure that "988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline" is clearly printed and conspicuously labeled on each student identification card; and

2. Annually review the telephone number for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline being included on each student identification card to ensure such contact information is accurate and current.

2023, c. 223.

Article 2. Campus Safety; General Provisions.

A. The governing board of each public institution of higher education shall establish a comprehensive, prompt, and reliable first warning notification and emergency broadcast system for their students, faculty, and staff, both on and off campus. Such system shall be activated in the case of an emergency and may rely on website announcements; email notices; phone, cellular phone, and text messages; alert lines; public address systems; and other means of communication.

B. Each public institution of higher education shall designate individuals authorized to activate the first warning notification and emergency broadcast system and provide such individuals with appropriate training for its use.

2008, cc. 413, 450, § 23-9.2:11; 2016, c. 588.

A. The governing board of each public institution of higher education shall develop, adopt, and keep current a written crisis and emergency management plan. The plan shall (i) require the Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Virginia Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund to be contacted immediately to deploy assistance in the event of an emergency as defined in the emergency response plan when there are victims as defined in § 19.2-11.01 and (ii) include current contact information for both agencies. The Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Virginia Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund shall be the lead coordinating agencies for those individuals determined to be victims.

B. Every four years, each public institution of higher education shall conduct a comprehensive review and revision of its crisis and emergency management plan to ensure that the plan remains current, and the revised plan shall be adopted formally by the governing board. Such review shall also be certified in writing to the Department of Emergency Management. The institution shall coordinate with the local emergency management organization, as defined in § 44-146.16, to ensure integration into the local emergency operations plan.

C. The chief executive officer of each public institution of higher education shall annually (i) review the institution's crisis and emergency management plan; (ii) certify in writing to the Department of Emergency Management that he has reviewed the plan; and (iii) make recommendations to the institution for appropriate changes to the plan.

D. Each public institution of higher education shall annually conduct a test or exercise in accordance with the protocols established by the institution's crisis and emergency management plan and certify in writing to the Department of Emergency Management that such a test or exercise was conducted. The activation of its crisis and emergency management plan and completion of an after-action report by a public institution of higher education in response to an actual event or incident satisfies the requirement to conduct such a test or exercise.

2008, cc. 450, 526, § 23-9.2:9; 2009, cc. 222, 269; 2010, cc. 104, 478; 2012, cc. 18, 112, 418; 2016, c. 588; 2018, cc. 201, 714.

A. Each public institution of higher education shall establish policies and procedures for the prevention of violence on campus, including assessment of and intervention with individuals whose behavior poses a threat to the safety of the campus community.

B. The governing board of each public institution of higher education shall determine a violence prevention committee structure on campus composed of individuals charged with education on and prevention of violence on campus. Each violence prevention committee shall include representatives from student affairs, law enforcement, human resources, counseling services, residence life, and other constituencies as needed and shall consult with legal counsel as needed. Each violence prevention committee shall develop a clear statement of mission, membership, and leadership. Such statement shall be published and made available to the campus community.

C. Each violence prevention committee shall (i) provide guidance to students, faculty, and staff regarding recognition of threatening or aberrant behavior that may represent a physical threat to the community; (ii) identify members of the campus community to whom threatening behavior should be reported; (iii) establish policies and procedures that outline circumstances under which all faculty and staff are required to report behavior that may represent a physical threat to the community, provided that such report is consistent with state and federal law; and (iv) establish policies and procedures for (a) the assessment of individuals whose behavior may present a threat, (b) appropriate means of intervention with such individuals, and (c) sufficient means of action, including interim suspension, referrals to community services boards or health care providers for evaluation or treatment, medical separation to resolve potential physical threats, and notification of family members or guardians, or both, unless such notification would prove harmful to the individual in question, consistent with state and federal law.

D. The governing board of each public institution of higher education shall establish a threat assessment team that includes members from law enforcement, mental health professionals, and representatives of student affairs and human resources. College or university counsel shall be invited to provide legal advice. Each such threat assessment team may invite other representatives from campus to participate in individual cases, but no such representative shall be considered a member of the threat assessment team. Each threat assessment team shall implement the assessment, intervention, and action policies set forth by the violence prevention committee pursuant to subsection C.

E. Each threat assessment team shall establish relationships or utilize existing relationships with mental health agencies and local and state law-enforcement agencies to expedite assessment of and intervention with individuals whose behavior may present a threat to safety. Upon a preliminary determination that an individual poses a threat of violence to self or others or exhibits significantly disruptive behavior or a need for assistance, the threat assessment team may obtain criminal history record information as provided in §§ 19.2-389 and 19.2-389.1 and health records as provided in § 32.1-127.1:03.

F. Upon a preliminary determination that an individual poses an articulable and significant threat of violence to others, the threat assessment team shall:

1. Obtain any available criminal history record information as provided in §§ 19.2-389 and 19.2-389.1 and any available health records as provided in § 32.1-127.1:03;

2. Notify in writing within 24 hours upon making such preliminary determination (i) the campus police department, (ii) local law enforcement for the city or county in which the public institution of higher education is located, local law enforcement for the city or county in which the individual resides, and, if known to the threat assessment team, local law enforcement for the city or county in which the individual is located, and (iii) the local attorney for the Commonwealth in any jurisdiction where the threat assessment team has notified local law enforcement; and

3. Disclose any specific threat of violence posed by the individual as part of such notification.

G. The custodians of any criminal history record information or health records shall, upon request from a threat assessment team pursuant to subsections E and F, produce the information or records requested.

H. No member or invited representative of a threat assessment team shall redisclose any criminal history record information or health information obtained pursuant to this section or otherwise use any record of an individual beyond the purpose for which such disclosure was made to the threat assessment team.

I. Each threat assessment team member shall complete a minimum of eight hours of initial training within 12 months of appointment to the threat assessment team and shall complete a minimum of two hours of threat assessment training each academic year thereafter. Training shall be conducted by the Department of Criminal Justice Services (the Department) or an independent entity approved by the Department.

J. When otherwise consistent with applicable state and federal law, in the event that a public institution of higher education has knowledge that a student or employee who was determined pursuant to an investigation by the institution's threat assessment team to pose an articulable and significant threat of violence to others is transferring to another institution of higher education or place of employment, the public institution of higher education from which the individual is transferring shall notify the institution of higher education or place of employment to which the individual is transferring of such investigation and determination.

2008, cc. 450, 533, § 23-9.2:10; 2010, cc. 456, 524; 2013, c. 710; 2014, cc. 793, 799; 2016, c. 588; 2023, cc. 226, 227.

A. For purposes of this section:

"Campus" means (i) any building or property owned or controlled by an institution of higher education within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution and used by the institution in direct support of, or in a manner relating to, the institution's educational purposes, including residence halls, and (ii) any building or property that is within or reasonably contiguous to the area described in clause (i) that is owned by the institution but controlled by another person, is frequently used by students, and supports institutional purposes, such as a food or other retail vendor.

"Noncampus building or property" means (i) any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization officially recognized by an institution of higher education or (ii) any building or property owned or controlled by an institution of higher education that is used in direct support of, or in relation to, the institution's educational purposes, is frequently used by students, and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution.

"Public property" means all public property, including thoroughfares, streets, sidewalks, and parking facilities, that is within the campus, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.

"Responsible employee" means a person employed by a public institution of higher education or nonprofit private institution of higher education who has the authority to take action to redress sexual violence, who has been given the duty of reporting acts of sexual violence or any other misconduct by students to the Title IX coordinator or other appropriate institution designee, or whom a student could reasonably believe has this authority or duty.

"Sexual violence" means physical sexual acts perpetrated against a person's will or where a person is incapable of giving consent.

"Title IX coordinator" means an employee designated by a public institution of higher education or nonprofit private institution of higher education to coordinate the institution's efforts to comply with and carry out the institution's responsibilities under Title IX (20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.). If no such employee has been designated by the institution, the institution shall designate an employee who will be responsible for receiving information of alleged acts of sexual violence from responsible employees in accordance with subsection B.

B. Any responsible employee who in the course of his employment obtains information that an act of sexual violence may have been committed against a student attending the institution or may have occurred on campus, in or on a noncampus building or property, or on public property shall report such information to the Title IX coordinator as soon as practicable after addressing the immediate needs of the victim.

C. Upon receipt of information pursuant to subsection B, the Title IX coordinator or his designee shall promptly report the information, including any personally identifiable information, to a review committee established pursuant to subsection D. Nothing in this section shall prevent the Title IX coordinator or any other responsible employee from providing any information to law enforcement with the consent of the victim.

D. Each public institution of higher education and nonprofit private institution of higher education shall establish a review committee for the purposes of reviewing information relating to acts of sexual violence, including information reported pursuant to subsection C. Such review committee shall consist of three or more persons and shall include the Title IX coordinator or his designee, a representative of law enforcement, and a student affairs representative. If the institution has established a campus police department pursuant to Article 3 (§ 23.1-809 et seq.), the representative of law enforcement shall be a member of such department; otherwise, the representative of law enforcement shall be a representative of campus security. The review committee may be the threat assessment team established under § 23.1-805 or a separate body. The review committee may obtain law-enforcement records, criminal history record information as provided in §§ 19.2-389 and 19.2-389.1, health records as provided in § 32.1-127.1:03, available institutional conduct or personnel records, and known facts and circumstances of the information reported pursuant to subsection C or information or evidence known to the institution or to law enforcement. The review committee shall be considered to be a threat assessment team established pursuant to § 23.1-805 for purposes of (i) obtaining criminal history record information and health records and (ii) the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.). The review committee shall conduct its review in compliance with federal privacy law.

E. Upon receipt of information of an alleged act of sexual violence reported pursuant to subsection C, the review committee shall meet within 72 hours to review the information and shall meet again as necessary as new information becomes available.

F. If, based on consideration of all factors, the review committee, or if the committee cannot reach a consensus, the representative of law enforcement on the review committee, determines that the disclosure of the information, including personally identifiable information, is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals as set forth in 34 C.F.R. § 99.36, the representative of law enforcement on the review committee shall immediately disclose such information to the law-enforcement agency that would be responsible for investigating the alleged act of sexual violence. Such disclosure shall be for the purposes of investigation and other actions by law enforcement. Upon such disclosure, the Title IX coordinator or his designee shall notify the victim that such disclosure is being made. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply if the law-enforcement agency responsible for investigating the alleged act of sexual violence is located outside the United States.

G. In cases in which the alleged act of sexual violence would constitute a felony violation of Article 7 (§ 18.2-61 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 18.2, the representative of law enforcement on the review committee shall inform the other members of the review committee and shall within 24 hours consult with the attorney for the Commonwealth or other prosecutor responsible for prosecuting the alleged act of sexual violence and provide to him the information received by the review committee without disclosing personally identifiable information, unless such information was disclosed pursuant to subsection F. In addition, if such consultation does not occur and any other member of the review committee individually concludes that the alleged act of sexual violence would constitute a felony violation of Article 7 (§ 18.2-61 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 18.2, that member shall within 24 hours consult with the attorney for the Commonwealth or other prosecutor responsible for prosecuting the alleged act of sexual violence and provide to him the information received by the review committee without disclosing personally identifiable information, unless such information was disclosed pursuant to subsection F.

H. At the conclusion of the review, the Title IX coordinator and the law-enforcement representative shall each retain (i) the authority to proceed with any further investigation or adjudication allowed under state or federal law and (ii) independent records of the review team's considerations, which shall be maintained under applicable state and federal law.

I. No responsible employee shall be required to make a report pursuant to subsection B if:

1. The responsible employee obtained the information through any communication considered privileged under state or federal law or the responsible employee obtained the information in the course of providing services as a licensed health care professional, an employee providing administrative support for such health care professionals, a professional counselor, an accredited rape crisis or domestic violence counselor, a campus victim support personnel, a member of clergy, or an attorney; or

2. The responsible employee has actual knowledge that the same matter has already been reported to the Title IX coordinator or to the attorney for the Commonwealth or the law-enforcement agency responsible for investigating the alleged act of sexual violence.

J. Any responsible employee who makes a report required by this section or testifies in a judicial or administrative proceeding as a result of such report is immune from any civil liability alleged to have resulted therefrom unless such person acted in bad faith or with malicious intent.

K. The provisions of this section shall not require a person who is the victim of an alleged act of sexual violence to report such violation.

L. The institution shall ensure that a victim of an alleged act of sexual violence is informed of (i) the available law-enforcement options for investigation and prosecution; (ii) the importance of collection and preservation of evidence; (iii) the available options for a protective order; (iv) the available campus options for investigation and adjudication under the institution's policies; (v) the victim's rights to participate or decline to participate in any investigation to the extent permitted under state or federal law; (vi) the applicable federal or state confidentiality provisions that govern information provided by a victim; (vii) the available on-campus resources and any unaffiliated community resources, including sexual assault crisis centers, domestic violence crisis centers, or other victim support services; and (viii) the importance of seeking appropriate medical attention.

2015, cc. 737, 745, § 23-9.2:15; 2016, c. 588.

A. Richard Bland College and each baccalaureate public institution of higher education and nonprofit private institution of higher education shall establish, and the State Board shall adopt a policy requiring each comprehensive community college to establish, a written memorandum of understanding with a sexual assault crisis center or other victim support service in order to provide sexual assault victims with immediate access to a confidential, independent advocate who can provide a trauma-informed response that includes an explanation of options for moving forward.

B. Each public institution of higher education and nonprofit private institution of higher education shall adopt policies to provide to sexual assault victims information on contacting such sexual assault crisis center or other victim support service.

C. Each public institution of higher education or nonprofit private institution of higher education may request the cooperation of the primary law-enforcement agency of the locality in which the institution is located to establish a written memorandum of understanding with such law-enforcement agency to address the prevention of and response to criminal sexual assault as set forth in Article 7 (§ 18.2-61 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 18.2.

2015, cc. 737, 745, § 23-9.2:16; 2016, cc. 481, 588.

A. By October 31 of each year, the System, Richard Bland College, each baccalaureate public institution of higher education, and each nonprofit private institution of higher education shall certify to the Council that it has reviewed its sexual violence policy and updated it as appropriate. The Council and the Department of Criminal Justice Services shall establish criteria for the certification process and may request information relating to the policies for the purposes of sharing best practices and improving campus safety. The Council and the Department of Criminal Justice Services shall report to the Secretary of Education on the certification status of each such institution by November 30 of each year.

B. The governing board of each nonprofit private institution of higher education and each public institution of higher education, including the Virginia Military Institute in accordance with the provisions of subsection C, shall include as part of its policy, code, rules, or set of standards governing sexual violence a provision for immunity from disciplinary action based on (i) curfew violation or (ii) personal consumption of drugs or alcohol in any case in which disclosure of such violation or personal consumption is made in conjunction with a good faith report of an act of sexual violence.

C. The Virginia Military Institute shall be subject to the requirement in subsection B, provided, however, that the Virginia Military Institute may include a provision stipulating that in the event that a cadet discloses personal consumption of drugs or alcohol in conjunction with a good faith report of an act of sexual violence and the superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute determines that such cadet's personal consumption of drugs or alcohol constitutes a threat to the cadet's well-being or the well-being of others, the superintendent may require such cadet to attend drug or substance use disorder counseling.

2015, cc. 737, 745, § 23-9.2:17; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 1041; 2023, c. 160.

A. The governing board of each public institution of higher education shall develop and implement policies requiring that a human trafficking awareness and prevention training program be provided to and completed by all first-year students as a part of such institution's first-year orientation program. Such training program shall include trauma-informed training on the recognition, prevention, and reporting of human trafficking.

B. The Council shall encourage private institutions of higher education to develop and implement policies to provide such a human trafficking awareness and prevention training program as a part of their first-year orientation programs.

2023, cc. 30, 31.

Article 3. Campus Safety; Campus Police Departments.

A. The governing board of each public institution of higher education may establish a campus police department and employ campus police officers and auxiliary police forces upon appointment as provided in §§ 23.1-811 and 23.1-812. Such employment is governed by the Virginia Personnel Act (§ 2.2-2900 et seq.), except that the governing board of a public institution of higher education may direct that the employment of the chief of the campus police department is not governed by the Virginia Personnel Act.

B. The Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority and Eastern Virginia Medical School may employ police officers and auxiliary police forces as provided in this article and, in the case of the Authority, in § 23.1-2406, except that the employment of such officers and forces is not governed by the Virginia Personnel Act (§ 2.2-2900 et seq.).

1977, c. 79, § 23-232; 1991, c. 711; 1996, cc. 905, 1046; 2000, c. 720; 2009, c. 596; 2016, c. 588.

A. The governing board of each public institution of higher education may establish a campus police department and employ campus police officers and auxiliary police forces upon appointment as provided in §§ 23.1-811 and 23.1-812. Such employment is governed by the Virginia Personnel Act (§ 2.2-2900 et seq.), except that the governing board of a public institution of higher education may direct that the employment of the chief of the campus police department is not governed by the Virginia Personnel Act.

B. The Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority may employ police officers and auxiliary police forces as provided in this article and in § 23.1-2406, except that the employment of such officers and forces is not governed by the Virginia Personnel Act (§ 2.2-2900 et seq.).

1977, c. 79, § 23-232; 1991, c. 711; 1996, cc. 905, 1046; 2000, c. 720; 2009, c. 596; 2016, c. 588; 2023, cc. 756, 778.

The governing board of each private institution of higher education may establish, in compliance with the provisions of this article, a campus police department and employ campus police officers upon appointment as provided in § 23.1-812. Except as such provisions apply exclusively to public institutions of higher education or employees, the provisions of this article shall apply to the appointment and employment of officers and the operation, powers, duties, and jurisdiction of campus police departments at private institutions of higher education, and such departments are subject to and shall enjoy the benefits of this article. However, to be qualified to use the word "police" to describe the department or its officers, any private institution of higher education that establishes a campus police department shall require each officer to comply with the training or other requirements for law-enforcement officers established by the Department of Criminal Justice Services pursuant to Chapter 1 (§ 9.1-100 et seq.) of Title 9.1.

1992, c. 187, § 23-232.1; 2016, c. 588.

The governing board of each public institution of higher education and private institution of higher education, for the further preservation of public peace, safety, and good order of the campus community, may establish, equip, and maintain an auxiliary police force. When called into service pursuant to procedures established by the governing board, members of such auxiliary police forces have all the powers, authority, and immunities of campus police officers at public institutions of higher education.

1991, c. 711, § 23-233.1; 2016, c. 588.

A. Prior to appointment as a campus police officer or member of an auxiliary police force, each individual shall be investigated by the campus police department of the institution applying for the order of appointment or, if none has been established, by the police department of the locality in which such institution is located. Such investigation shall determine whether the individual is responsible, honest, and in all ways capable of performing the duties of a campus police officer.

B. Upon application of the governing board of a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education, the circuit court of the locality in which the institution is located may, by order, appoint the individuals named in the application to be campus police officers or members of an auxiliary police force at such institution.

C. Each campus police officer and member of an auxiliary police force appointed and employed pursuant to this article is a state employee of the institution named in the order of appointment. Insofar as it is not inconsistent with the Virginia Personnel Act (§ 2.2-2900 et seq.), the governing board of such institution shall provide for the conditions and terms of employment and compensation and a distinctive uniform and badge of office for such officers and members of an auxiliary police force.

1977, c. 79, §§ 23-233, 23-236; 1991, c. 711; 2016, c. 588.

All individuals appointed and employed as campus police officers or members of an auxiliary police force pursuant to this article shall comply with the requirements for law-enforcement officers as established by the Department of Criminal Justice Services pursuant to Chapter 1 (§ 9.1-100 et seq.) of Title 9.1.

1977, c. 79, § 23-235; 1984, c. 779; 1991, c. 711; 2016, c. 588.

An individual appointed as a campus police officer or a member of an auxiliary police force shall exercise his powers only as long as he remains employed or activated by the institution named in the order of the appointment. The appointment order entered by the circuit court shall automatically be revoked upon the termination of the employment of the officer or member at the institution and may be revoked by the court for malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance. The institution shall notify the court upon termination of the employment of the officer or member at the institution.

1977, c. 79, § 23-237; 1991, c. 711; 2016, c. 588.

A. As used in this section:

"Campus" means (i) any building or property owned or controlled by an institution of higher education located within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution and used by the institution in direct support of, or in a manner relating to, the institution's educational purposes, including residence halls, and (ii) any building or property that is within or reasonably contiguous to the area described in clause (i) that is owned by the institution but controlled by another person, is frequently used by students, and supports institutional purposes, such as a food or other retail vendor.

"Noncampus building or property" means (i) any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization that is officially recognized by an institution of higher education or (ii) any building or property owned or controlled by an institution of higher education that is used in direct support of, or in relation to, the institution's educational purposes, is frequently used by students, and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution.

"Public property" means all public property, including thoroughfares, streets, sidewalks, and parking facilities, that is within the campus, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.

B. A campus police officer appointed as provided in § 23.1-812 or a member of an auxiliary police force appointed and activated pursuant to §§ 23.1-811 and 23.1-812 shall be deemed police officers of localities who may exercise the powers and duties conferred by law upon such police officers, including the provisions of Chapters 5 (§ 19.2-52 et seq.), 7 (§ 19.2-71 et seq.), and 23 (§ 19.2-387 et seq.) of Title 19.2, (i) upon any property owned or controlled by the public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education, or, upon request, any property owned or controlled by another public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education, and upon the streets, sidewalks, and highways immediately adjacent to any such property; (ii) pursuant to a mutual aid agreement (a) as provided for in § 15.2-1727 or (b) between the governing board of a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education and another public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth or an adjacent political subdivision; (iii) in close pursuit of a person as provided in § 19.2-77; and (iv) upon approval by the appropriate circuit court of a petition by the local governing body for concurrent jurisdiction in designated areas with the police officers of the locality in which the institution, its satellite campuses, or other properties are located. The local governing body may only petition the circuit court for such concurrent jurisdiction pursuant to a request by the local law-enforcement agency.

C. Each public institution of higher education and private institution of higher education that establishes a campus police force pursuant to this article shall enter into and become a party to a mutual aid agreement with an adjacent local law-enforcement agency or the Department of State Police for the use of their regular and auxiliary joint forces, equipment, and materials when needed in the investigation of any felony criminal sexual assault or medically unattended death occurring on property owned or controlled by such institution or any death resulting from an incident occurring on such property. Such mutual aid agreements shall include provisions requiring either the campus police force or the agency with which it has established a mutual aid agreement pursuant to this subsection, in the event that such police force or agency conducts an investigation that involves a felony criminal sexual assault as set forth in Article 7 (§ 18.2-61 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 18.2 occurring on campus, in or on a noncampus building or property, or on public property, to notify the local attorney for the Commonwealth of such investigation within 48 hours of beginning such investigation. No such notification provision shall require a campus police force or the agency with which it has established a mutual aid agreement to disclose identifying information about the victim. Nothing in this section prohibits a campus police force or auxiliary police force from requesting assistance from any appropriate law-enforcement agency of the Commonwealth with which the institution has not entered into a mutual aid agreement.

D. Each public institution of higher education and nonprofit private institution of higher education that (i) has not established a campus police force or auxiliary police force pursuant to this article and (ii) has a security department, relies on local or state police forces, or contracts for security services from private parties pursuant to § 23.1-818 shall enter into and become a party to a memorandum of understanding with an adjacent local law-enforcement agency or the Department of State Police (the Department) to require either such local law-enforcement agency or the Department, in the event that such agency or the Department conducts an investigation that involves a felony criminal sexual assault as set forth in Article 7 (§ 18.2-61 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 18.2 occurring on campus, in or on a noncampus building or property, or on public property, to notify the local attorney for the Commonwealth of such investigation within 48 hours of beginning such investigation. No such notification provision shall require the law-enforcement agency or the Department to disclose identifying information about the victim.

E. All mutual aid agreements and memoranda of understanding entered into pursuant to this section shall specify the procedure for sharing information.

1977, c. 79, § 23-234; 1985, c. 386; 1991, c. 711; 1992, c. 187; 2002, c. 97; 2012, cc. 282, 450; 2015, c. 707; 2016, cc. 513, 571, 588.

A. For purposes of this subsection, "facial recognition technology" means an electronic system for enrolling, capturing, extracting, comparing, and matching an individual's geometric facial data to identify individuals in photos, videos, or real time. "Facial recognition technology" does not include the use of an automated or semi-automated process to redact a recording in order to protect the privacy of a subject depicted in the recording prior to release or disclosure of the recording outside of the law-enforcement agency if the process does not generate or result in the retention of any biometric data or surveillance information.

B. No campus police department shall purchase or deploy facial recognition technology unless such purchase or deployment of facial recognition technology is expressly authorized by statute. For purposes of this section, a statute that does not refer to facial recognition technology shall not be construed to provide express authorization. Such statute shall require that any facial recognition technology purchased or deployed by the campus police department be maintained under the exclusive control of such campus police department and that any data contained by such facial recognition technology be kept confidential, not be disseminated or resold, and be accessible only by a search warrant issued pursuant to Chapter 5 (§ 19.2-52 et seq.) of Title 19.2 or an administrative or inspection warrant issued pursuant to law.

2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 537.

A. For purposes of this section:

"Authorized use" means the use of facial recognition technology to (i) help identify an individual when there is a reasonable suspicion the individual has committed a crime; (ii) help identify a crime victim, including a victim of online sexual abuse material; (iii) help identify a person who may be a missing person or witness to criminal activity; (iv) help identify a victim of human trafficking or an individual involved in the trafficking of humans, weapons, drugs, or wildlife; (v) help identify an online recruiter of criminal activity, including but not limited to human, weapon, drug, and wildlife trafficking; (vi) help a person who is suffering from a mental or physical disability impairing his ability to communicate and be understood; (vii) help identify a deceased person; (viii) help identify a person who is incapacitated or otherwise unable to identify himself; (ix) help identify a person who is reasonably believed to be a danger to himself or others; (x) help identify an individual lawfully detained; (xi) help mitigate an imminent threat to public safety, a significant threat to life, or a threat to national security, including acts of terrorism; (xii) ensure officer safety as part of the vetting of undercover law enforcement; (xiii) determine whether an individual may have unlawfully obtained one or more state driver's licenses, financial instruments, or other official forms of identification using information that is fictitious or associated with a victim of identity theft; or (xiv) help identify a person who an officer reasonably believes is concealing his true identity and about whom the officer has a reasonable suspicion has committed a crime other than concealing his identity.

"Facial recognition technology" means an electronic system or service for conducting an algorithmic comparison of images of a person's facial features for the purpose of identification. "Facial recognition technology" does not include the use of an automated or semi-automated process to redact a recording in order to protect the privacy of a subject depicted in the recording prior to release or disclosure of the recording outside of the law-enforcement agency if the process does not generate or result in the retention of any biometric data or surveillance information.

"Publicly post" means to post on a website that is maintained by the entity or on any other website on which the entity generally posts information and that is available to the public or that clearly describes how the public may access such data.

"State Police Model Facial Recognition Technology Policy" means the model policy developed and published by the Department of State Police pursuant to § 52-4.5.

B. Pursuant to § 2.2-1112, the Division of Purchases and Supply (the Division) shall determine the appropriate facial recognition technology for use in accordance with this section. The Division shall not approve any facial recognition technology unless it has been evaluated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as part of the Face Recognition Vendor Test. Any facial recognition technology utilized shall utilize algorithms that have demonstrated (i) an accuracy score of at least 98 percent true positives within one or more datasets relevant to the application in a NIST Face Recognition Vendor Test report and (ii) minimal performance variations across demographics associated with race, skin tone, ethnicity, or gender. The Division shall require all approved vendors to annually provide independent assessments and benchmarks offered by NIST to confirm continued compliance with this section.

C. A campus police department may use facial recognition technology for authorized uses. A match made through facial recognition technology shall not be included in an affidavit to establish probable cause for purposes of issuance of a search warrant or an arrest warrant but shall be admissible as exculpatory evidence. A campus police department shall not (i) use facial recognition technology for tracking the movements of an identified individual in a public space in real time; (ii) create a database of images using a live video feed for the purpose of using facial recognition technology; or (iii) enroll a comparison image in a commercial image repository of a facial recognition technology service provider except pursuant to an authorized use. Following such use as provided in clause (iii), no comparison image may be retained or used further by the service provider except as required for auditing that use or as may be otherwise required by law.

D. A campus police department shall publicly post and annually update its policy on use of facial recognition technology before employing such facial recognition technology to investigate a specific criminal incident or citizen welfare situation. A campus police department that uses facial recognition technology may adopt the State Police Model Facial Recognition Technology Policy. If a campus police department uses facial recognition technology but does not adopt the State Police Model Facial Recognition Technology Policy, such department shall develop its own policy within 90 days of publication of the State Police Model Facial Recognition Technology Policy that meets or exceeds the standards set forth in such model policy. Any policy adopted or developed pursuant to this subsection shall be updated annually. A campus police department shall not utilize any facial recognition technology until after the publication of the State Police Model Facial Recognition Technology Policy and after publication of the department's policy regarding use of facial recognition technology.

E. Any campus police department that uses facial recognition technology shall maintain records sufficient to facilitate discovery in criminal proceedings, post-conviction proceedings, public reporting, and auditing of compliance with such department's facial recognition technology policies. Such department that uses facial recognition technology shall collect data pertaining to (i) a complete history of each user's queries; (ii) the total number of queries conducted; (iii) the number of queries that resulted in a list of possible candidates; (iv) how many times an examiner offered campus police an investigative lead based on his findings; (v) how many cases were closed due to an investigative lead from facial recognition technology; (vi) what types of criminal offenses are being investigated; (vii) the nature of the image repository being compared or queried; (viii) demographic information for the individuals whose images are queried; and (ix) if applicable, any other entities with which the department shared facial recognition data.

F. Any chief of a campus police department whose department uses facial recognition technology shall publicly post and annually update a report by April 1 each year to provide information to the public regarding the department's use of facial recognition technology. The report shall include all data required by clauses (ii) through (viii) of subsection E in addition to (i) all instances of unauthorized access of the facial recognition technology, including any unauthorized access by employees of the campus police department; (ii) vendor information, including the specific algorithms employed; and (iii) if applicable, data or links related to third-party testing of such algorithms, including any reference to variations in demographic performance. If any information or data (a) contains an articulable concern for any person's safety; (b) is otherwise prohibited from public disclosure by federal or state statute; or (c) if disclosed, may compromise sensitive criminal justice information, such information or data may be excluded from public disclosure. Nothing herein shall limit disclosure of data collected pursuant to subsection E when such disclosure is related to a writ of habeas corpus.

For purposes of this subsection, "sensitive criminal justice information" means information related to (1) a particular ongoing criminal investigation or proceeding, (2) the identity of a confidential source, or (3) law-enforcement investigative techniques and procedures.

G. At least 30 days prior to procuring facial recognition technology, a campus police department shall notify in writing the institution of higher education that such department serves of such intended procurement, but such notice shall not be required if such procurement is directed by the institution of higher education.

H. Any facial recognition technology operator employed by a campus police department who (i) violates the department's policy for the use of facial recognition technology or (ii) conducts a search for any reason other than an authorized use is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor and shall be required to complete training on the department's policy on and authorized uses of facial recognition technology before being reinstated to operate such facial recognition technology. The campus police department shall terminate from employment any facial recognition technology operator who violates clause (i) or (ii) for a second time. A facial recognition technology operator who commits a second or subsequent violation of this subsection is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 537; 2022, c. 737.

A. The governing board of any public institution of higher education that leases, rents, or owns satellite campuses, public buildings, and other property located beyond the limits of such institution has and may exercise full police power over such property and individuals using such property. The governing board may prescribe policies and regulations for the operation and use of such properties and the conduct of individuals using such property and may provide appropriate administrative penalties for the violation of such policies and regulations.

B. The general district court for the locality in which violations of law or policies or regulations established by the governing board of the institution pursuant to subsection A occurs has jurisdiction over all cases involving such violations.

C. It is the duty of each local attorney for the Commonwealth to prosecute all violators of the laws pertaining to the provisions enumerated in this article that occur in such locality.

1991, c. 711, § 23-234.1; 2016, c. 588.

Criminal incident information of any campus police department established pursuant to § 23.1-810, including (i) the date, time, and general location of the alleged crime; (ii) a general description of injuries suffered or property damaged or stolen; and (iii) the name and address of any individual arrested as a result of felonies committed against persons or property or misdemeanors involving assault, battery, or moral turpitude reported to the campus police, shall be open to inspection and copying by any citizen of the Commonwealth, currently registered student of the institution, or parent of a registered student during the regular office hours of the custodian of such information unless such disclosure is prohibited by law. If the release of such information is likely to jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation or the safety of an individual, cause a suspect to flee or evade detection, or result in the destruction of evidence, such information may be withheld until such damage is no longer likely to occur from the release of such information.

1994, c. 457, § 23-232.2; 2016, c. 588.

Nothing in this article shall abridge the authority of the governing board of a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education to establish security departments, whose officers and employees shall not have the powers and duties set forth in § 23.1-815, in place of or in addition to campus police departments, rely upon local or state police forces, or contract for security services from private parties. Nothing in this article shall abridge the authority of the Board of Visitors of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind to establish and maintain a campus security department and to employ campus security personnel therein in accordance with the provisions of subsection F of § 22.1-346.2.

1977, c. 79, § 23-238; 2016, c. 588; 2023, c. 428.

Article 4. Campus Safety; Hazing..

For the purposes of this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Hazing" means the same as that term is defined in § 18.2-56.

"Institution" or "institution of higher education" means any nonprofit private institution of higher education and any public institution of higher education as defined in § 23.1-100.

"Local organization" means a group that is not chartered or recognized by an institution or a national organization but is composed of members who are students at such institution and the institution is aware of the local organization's existence or becomes aware of its existence after a hazing incident is reported to the institution.

"New member" means an individual who has been offered an invitation for membership in a student organization with new members but has not yet been initiated and is not recognized as a full member of the organization.

"New member event" means an official event or gathering hosted by a student organization with new members prior to new members of such organization being initiated into the organization to which all new members and members of the student organization hosting the event are invited or are instructed to attend.

"Potential new member" means an individual who has expressed interest in joining a student organization with new members by signing up to go through a recruitment process for such organization or organizations.

"Student organization recognized by an institution of higher education" means any group or organization on campus, including varsity intercollegiate and club athletic teams, recognized by an institution of higher education.

"Student organization with new members" means a student organization officially recognized by an institution of higher education structured in such a way that upon invitation for membership, individuals do not automatically become members of such organization and have a period of time between invitation for membership and being initiated into membership. "Student organization with new members" does not include any varsity intercollegiate or club athletic team.

2022, cc. 693, 694.

Each institution shall provide to each current member, new member, and potential new member of each student organization with new members hazing prevention training that includes extensive, current, and in-person education about hazing, the dangers of hazing, including alcohol intoxication, and hazing laws and institution policies and information explaining that the institution's disciplinary process is not to be considered a substitute for the criminal legal process. If a student organization with new members has an advisor, such advisor shall receive such hazing prevention training.

2022, cc. 693, 694.

A. The governing board of each institution of higher education shall include as part of its policy, code, rules, or set of standards governing hazing a provision for immunity from disciplinary action based on hazing or personal consumption of drugs or alcohol where such disclosure is made by a bystander not involved in such acts in conjunction with a good faith report of an act of hazing in advance of or during an incident of hazing that causes injury or is likely to cause injury to a person.

B. Upon learning of any alleged act of hazing, each institution shall use its disciplinary process to investigate such acts and the students involved in such acts.

C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the governing board of any institution from requiring access to services to support individuals who receive disciplinary immunity in accordance with the provisions of subsection A, including (i) counseling specific to alcohol abuse or drug abuse, or both, or (ii) inpatient or outpatient (a) alcohol counseling or treatment programs, (b) drug counseling or treatment programs, or (c) both alcohol and drug counseling or treatment programs.

2022, cc. 693, 694.

A. Each institution shall maintain and publicly report actual findings of violations of the institution's code of conduct or of federal or state laws pertaining to hazing that are reported to campus authorities or local law enforcement. Investigations that do not result in findings of violations of codes of conduct or convictions in a court of law shall not be included in the report. The report shall include:

1. The name of the student organization recognized by an institution of higher education or local organization, as such name of the local organization is known to the institution;

2. When the student organization recognized by an institution of higher education or local organization was found responsible or convicted of misconduct pertaining to hazing;

3. The date on which such hazing misconduct occurred and the dates that the investigation was initiated and concluded by the institution or local law enforcement; and

4. Subject to the limitations in subsection B, a comprehensive description of the incident, including the findings, charges, and sanctions placed on the organization.

B. Any reports made pursuant to subsection A shall not include any personally identifiable information of any students involved in the hazing misconduct and shall be subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g.

C. Each institution shall update the report described in subsection A at least 10 calendar days before the start of fall and spring academic semesters.

D. Reports required pursuant to this section shall be available on each institution's homepage and Greek Life homepage, or its equivalent in a prominent location, and a hardcopy notice of the nature and availability of the reports, including the website address where they can be found, shall be provided to all attendees at student orientations.

E. Each institution shall publicly maintain reports for a minimum of 10 years from the date of the initial disclosure of a report.

F. Each institution shall annually update and report actual findings of violations of the institution's code of conduct or of federal or state laws pertaining to hazing made pursuant to this section to the Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform at The Pennsylvania State University to update each organization's national card and provide easily accessible documentation of all hazing incidents and provide additional awareness and easily accessible information on hazing.

2022, cc. 693, 694.

Chapter 9. Academic Policies.

Article 1. General Provisions.

A. As used in this section, "sexual violence" means physical sexual acts perpetrated against a person's will or against a person incapable of giving consent.

B. The registrar of each (i) private institution of higher education that is eligible to participate in the Tuition Assistance Grant Program pursuant to the Tuition Assistance Grant Act (§ 23.1-628 et seq.) or to receive project financing from the Virginia College Building Authority pursuant to Article 2 (§ 23.1-1220 et seq.) of Chapter 12 and (ii) public institution of higher education, or the other employee, office, or department of the institution that is responsible for maintaining student academic records, shall include a prominent notation on the academic transcript of each student who has been suspended for, has been permanently dismissed for, or withdraws from the institution while under investigation for an offense involving sexual violence under the institution's code, rules, or set of standards governing student conduct stating that such student was suspended for, was permanently dismissed for, or withdrew from the institution while under investigation for an offense involving sexual violence under the institution's code, rules, or set of standards. Such notation shall be substantially in the following form: "[Suspended, Dismissed, or Withdrew while under investigation] for a violation of [insert name of institution's code, rules, or set of standards]." Each such institution shall (a) notify each student that any such suspension, permanent dismissal, or withdrawal will be documented on the student's academic transcript; (b) adopt a procedure for removing such notation from the academic transcript of any student who is subsequently found not to have committed an offense involving sexual violence under the institution's code, rules, or set of standards governing student conduct; and (c) adopt a policy for the expungement of such notation for good cause shown and after a period of three years.

C. The institution shall remove from a student's academic transcript any notation placed on such transcript pursuant to subsection B due to such student's suspension if the student (i) completed the term and any conditions of the suspension and (ii) has been determined by the institution to be in good standing according to the institution's code, rules, or set of standards governing such a determination.

D. The provisions of this section shall apply only to a student who is taking or has taken a course at a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education on a campus that is located in the Commonwealth; however, the provisions of this section shall not apply to any public institution of higher education established pursuant to Chapter 25 (§ 23.1-2500 et seq.).

2015, c. 771, § 23-9.2:18; 2016, c. 588; 2020, c. 433.

A. Each public institution of higher education and private institution of higher education may provide any diploma or other proof of education to requesting individuals or entities using the method that it deems most appropriate, in either electronic or paper form.

B. The Council shall post on its website a statement in accordance with the provisions of subsection A.

2018, c. 515.

Repealed by Acts 2018, c. 751, cl. 2.

Article 2. Programs of Instruction.

A. Public institutions of higher education shall promote the development of student life skills by including the principles of economics education and financial literacy within an existing general education course, the freshman orientation process, or another appropriate venue. Such principles may include instruction concerning personal finance such as credit card use, opening and managing an account in a financial institution, completing a loan application, managing student loans, savings and investments, consumer rights and responsibilities, predatory lending practices and interest rates, consumer fraud, identity theft and protection, and debt management.

B. The Council shall encourage private institutions of higher education to include such principles as part of their student orientation programs.

2005, c. 741, § 23-9.2:3.5; 2007, c. 47; 2016, c. 588.

A. Education preparation programs offered by public institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education shall meet the requirements for accreditation and program approval as prescribed by the Board of Education in its regulations.

B. The Board of Education may prescribe in its regulations requirements for admission to approved education preparation programs in the Commonwealth.

C. Any candidate who fails to achieve the minimum score established by the Board of Education may be denied entrance into an education preparation program on the basis of such failure, but any such candidate who gains entrance and enrolls in an education preparation program shall have the opportunity to address all deficiencies.

D. Education preparation programs offered by public institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education shall ensure that, as a condition of degree completion, each student enrolled in the education preparation program receives instruction on positive behavior interventions and supports; crisis prevention and de-escalation; the use of physical restraint and seclusion, consistent with regulations of the Board of Education; and appropriate alternative methods to reduce and prevent the need for the use of physical restraint and seclusion.

2006, cc. 27, 349, § 23-9.2:3.6; 2016, c. 588; 2019, cc. 63, 407; 2020, c. 870.

Each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education that leads to a degree, concentration, or certificate for reading specialists shall include a program of coursework and other training in the identification of and the appropriate interventions, accommodations, and teaching techniques for students with dyslexia or a related disorder. Such program shall (i) include coursework in the constructs and pedagogy underlying remediation of reading, spelling, and writing and (ii) require reading specialists to demonstrate mastery of an evidence-based, structured literacy instructional approach that includes explicit, systematic, sequential, and cumulative instruction.

2018, cc. 282, 588.

A. As used in this section, "evidence-based literacy instruction" and "science-based reading research" have the same meanings as provided in § 22.1-1.

B. Each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education or alternative certificate program that provides training for any student seeking initial licensure by the Board of Education or a certificate of microcredential in early literacy or literacy coaching shall:

1. Include a program of coursework and require all such students to demonstrate mastery in science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction. Each such program of coursework and the student mastery required to be demonstrated therein shall be consistent with definitions and expectations established by the Board of Education and the Department of Education after consultation with a commission consisting of independent literacy experts and stakeholders with knowledge of science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction that has reviewed the requirements established in subdivision 6 of 8VAC20-23-130, subdivision 6 of 8VAC20-23-190, subdivision 2 a of 8VAC20-23-350, 8VAC20-23-510 through 8VAC20-23-580, and 8VAC20-23-660; and

2. For any such student seeking initial licensure by the Board of Education as a teacher with an endorsement in early childhood, elementary education, or special education or with an endorsement as a reading specialist, ensure that reading coursework and field practice opportunities are a significant focus of the education preparation program.

C. The Department of Education shall audit at least once every seven years each education preparation program, in alignment with each program's accreditation cycle, for compliance with the requirements set forth in subsection B.

D. Each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education that leads to a degree, concentration, endorsement, or certificate for reading specialists shall include a program of coursework and other training in the identification of and the appropriate interventions, accommodations, and teaching techniques for students with dyslexia or a related disorder. Such program shall (i) include coursework in the constructs and pedagogy underlying remediation of reading, spelling, and writing and (ii) consistent with subdivision B 1, require reading specialists to demonstrate mastery in science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction, including appropriate application of instructional supports and services and reading literacy interventions to ensure reading proficiency.

2018, cc. 282, 588; 2022, cc. 549, 550, 757.

Each public institution of higher education shall include in its strategic plan information indicating to what extent, if any, it will use distance learning to expand access to, improve the quality of, and minimize the cost of education at such institution. For institutions that use distance learning or plan to use distance learning in the future, such information shall include the degree to which distance learning will be integrated into the curriculum, benchmarks for measuring such integration, and a schedule for the evaluation of distance learning courses.

The Council shall assist the governing board of each public institution of higher education in the development of such information.

2004, c. 146, § 23-9.2:7; 2016, c. 588.

A. As used in this section, "study abroad program" means a program sponsored, offered, or approved for credit by an institution of higher education in which program participants travel outside the United States in connection with an educational experience.

B. The Council shall develop guidelines for study abroad programs.

2016, c. 572.

Any public institution of higher education that awards medical degrees shall create and support at least one clinical rotation in a hospital or clinic located in a medically underserved area of the state as determined by the Virginia Department of Health, in an area of the state that has an unemployment rate of one and one-half times the statewide average unemployment rate, or in a locality with a population of 50,000 or less in the Commonwealth.

2016, c. 691.

Every public institution of higher education that offers a degree in mortuary science shall require students to complete practical experience in the areas of funeral service and embalming prior to graduation from such program.

2018, c. 186.

A. There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to be known as the Innovative Internship Fund (the Fund). The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All funds appropriated for such purpose and any gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds received on its behalf shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the Fund. Interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Moneys in the Fund shall be used solely for the purposes of the Innovative Internship Program established pursuant to subsection B. Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request signed by the Director of the Council.

B. There is hereby established the Innovative Internship Program (the Program). The purpose of the Program is 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.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. The Council shall partner with the Office of Education and Labor Market Alignment to collect and utilize data that includes the gaps that are most significant in hindering the Commonwealth from achieving the goals listed in subdivision 2. The Council and the Office of Education and Labor Market Alignment shall identify, at minimum: (i) state or regional workforce needs for which the lack of work-based learning opportunities is negatively impacting the success of regional economic growth and diversification plans and (ii) degree programs, the graduates of which describe themselves as underemployed, that would benefit from incorporating work-based learning into the curriculum. The Council and the Office of Education and Labor Market Alignment shall use the needs and degree programs identified in this subdivision to collaboratively determine priorities for: (a) using the portion of student financial aid authorized by the budget to be awarded as grants to students participating in work-based learning; (b) redesigning of curricula at public institutions of higher education; (c) garnering regional support and services to ensure the readiness of students and employers; (d) awarding grants to institutions of higher education to ensure their readiness to support students through detailed planning and implementation of best practices for scaling work-based learning; (e) providing or raising funds to provide matching funds so that students with limited resources, who have traditionally participated in the Program at lower rates, may intern at small Virginia-based employers; and (f) enhancing data collection and analysis.

2019, cc. 794, 795; 2022, c. 420.

Article 3. Course Credit.

A. The governing board of each public institution of higher education shall implement policies that provide students called to active military duty during an academic semester with the opportunity to earn full course credit. Such policies shall provide, as one option, that such students who have completed 75 percent of the course requirements at the time of activation and who meet other specified requirements receive full course credit.

B. The governing board of each public institution of higher education shall, in accordance with guidelines developed by the Council, implement policies for the purpose of awarding academic credit to students for education, experience, training, and credentials gained from service in the Armed Forces of the United States.

C. The governing board of each public institution of higher education shall, in accordance with guidelines developed by the Council, implement policies that recognize the scheduling difficulties and obligations encountered by active duty members of the Armed Forces of the United States.

2009, c. 190, § 23-9.2:3.7; 2012, cc. 167, 169; 2016, c. 588; 2022, c. 330.

A. Each public institution of higher education shall develop policies for counting credit received for successful completion of foreign language courses, including American Sign Language courses, either in a secondary school or another institution of higher education toward satisfaction of the foreign language entrance, placement, and course credit requirements of the public institution of higher education that are uniform across each foreign language program offered by the institution.

B. Each public institution of higher education shall count credit received for successful completion of American Sign Language courses at the institution toward satisfaction of its foreign language course credit requirements.

2011, c. 762, § 23-9.2:3.9; 2016, c. 588; 2017, c. 292.

A. The Council, in consultation with each public institution of higher education, shall establish a policy for granting undergraduate course credit to any entering student who has successfully completed a dual enrollment course. The policy shall:

1. Outline the conditions necessary for each public institution of higher education to grant course credit for the successful completion of a dual enrollment course;

2. Identify whether each dual enrollment course offered in the Commonwealth is transferrable to a public institution of higher education as (i) a Uniform Certificate of General Studies Program or Passport Program course credit, (ii) a general elective course credit, or (iii) a course credit meeting other academic requirements of a public institution of higher education, or if such course is not likely to transfer for course credit. The policy shall also require that each school division and comprehensive community college offering a dual enrollment course clearly specify such transfer information on any website, literature, or other materials describing or advertising the course;

3. Require each public institution of higher education offering a dual enrollment course to identify the equivalent non-dual enrollment course;

4. Ensure that the grant of course credit is consistent across each public institution of higher education and each such dual enrollment course; and

5. Require that the following information be made available on the online portal maintained by the System pursuant to subsection C of § 23.1-908: (i) a description of each dual enrollment course offered in the Commonwealth; (ii) the specific academic, career, or technical programs in the System that will accept the course credit and which specific comprehensive community colleges offer such programs; and (iii) if available, the pathway maps in which the dual enrollment course is included.

B. The Council and each public institution of higher education shall make the policy available to the public on their websites. The Council shall also forward the policy to the System for inclusion in the online portal maintained by the System pursuant to § 23.1-908.

C. The Council shall annually report to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health on the implementation of the course credit policy by each public institution of higher education.

2017, cc. 309, 316; 2018, cc. 832, 845.

A. The Council, in consultation with the governing board of each public institution of higher education, shall establish a policy for granting undergraduate course credit to entering freshman students who have taken one or more Advanced Placement, Cambridge Advanced (A/AS), College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), or International Baccalaureate examinations. The policy shall:

1. Outline the conditions necessary for each public institution of higher education to grant course credit, including the minimum required scores on such examinations;

2. Identify the course credit or other academic requirements of each public institution of higher education that the student satisfies by achieving the minimum required scores on such examinations; and

3. Ensure, to the extent possible, that the grant of course credit is consistent across each public institution of higher education and each such examination.

B. The Council and each public institution of higher education shall make the policy available to the public on its website.

2015, c. 578, § 23-9.2:3.10; 2016, c. 588.

The governing board of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education shall adopt policies requiring that participation in an internship or work-based learning experience be integrated into a student's degree program so as not to extend the time to complete the degree.

2023, c. 758.

Article 4. Articulation, Transfer, and Dual Enrollment.

A. The board of visitors of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education shall develop, consistent with Council guidelines and the institution's six-year plan as set forth in § 23.1-306, articulation, dual admissions, and guaranteed admissions agreements with each associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education. Such guaranteed admissions agreements may provide for the guaranteed admission of a student who earns an associate degree concurrently with a high school diploma through a dual enrollment program, in addition to any guaranteed admission for a student who earns an associate degree post-high school.

B. The System, in cooperation with the Council and each public institution of higher education, and consistent with the guidelines developed pursuant to subdivision 20 of § 23.1-203, shall establish a one-semester Passport Program and a one-year Uniform Certificate of General Studies Program. The Passport Program shall consist of 15 course credit hours and shall be a component of the 30-credit-hour Uniform Certificate of General Studies Program. Each Uniform Certificate of General Studies Program and Passport Program course shall be transferable and shall satisfy a lower division general education requirement at any public institution of higher education. The Uniform Certificate of General Studies Program and Passport Program shall be available at each comprehensive community college and through the Online Virginia Network.

C. The Council shall establish procedures under which a baccalaureate public institution of higher education may seek a waiver from the Council from accepting the transfer of a Uniform Certificate of General Studies Program or Passport Program course to satisfy the requirements for the completion of a specific pathway or degree. A waiver shall not be granted allowing a baccalaureate public institution to (i) generally reject the transfer of all coursework that is a part of the Uniform Certificate of General Studies Program or Passport Program or (ii) generally reject the transfer of a course from the Uniform Certificate of General Studies Program or Passport Program for all pathway maps and degrees. An application for a waiver shall identify with particularity the course for which the institution is seeking a waiver and the particular pathway or degree to which the waiver would apply. The application shall provide justification for the waiver and shall designate alternative courses offered through the System that may be completed by a student in order to complete a transferable, 30-credit-hour Uniform Certificate or 15-credit-hour Passport. The Council shall adopt guidelines regarding the criteria to be used to review and issue decisions regarding waiver requests. Such waiver requests shall only be granted if the baccalaureate public institution of higher education provides evidence that the specified pathway or degree requires a specialized, lower division course not available through the System. Once approved, notice of a waiver granted by the Council shall be included in the online portal established pursuant to § 23.1-908.

D. The Council shall develop guidelines for associate-degree-granting and baccalaureate public institutions of higher education to use in mapping pathways for the completion of credits in particular programs of study, including the courses recommended to be taken in a dual enrollment, comprehensive community college, and baccalaureate public institution setting in order to pursue a specific degree or career. Such guidelines shall define the elements of a pathway map and identify the pathway maps to be developed. Initial guidelines adopted for mapping such pathways shall establish a multiyear schedule for the development and implementation of pathway maps for all fields of study.

E. Each baccalaureate public institution of higher education, in cooperation and consultation with the System, shall develop pathway maps consistent with the guidelines established pursuant to subsection D. Such pathways maps shall clearly set forth the courses that a student at a comprehensive community college is encouraged to complete prior to transferring to the baccalaureate institution. The goal of the career education pathway maps shall be to assist students in achieving optimal efficiencies in the time and cost of completing a degree program. Such program map shall also clearly identify the courses, if any, for which the baccalaureate institution has received a waiver from transfer pursuant to subsection C.

F. The Council shall prepare a comprehensive annual report on the effectiveness of transferring from comprehensive community colleges to baccalaureate public institutions of higher education, including a review of the effectiveness of the use of pathway maps in achieving efficiencies and cost savings in the completion of a degree program. The report shall include the following elements: completion rates, average time to degree, credit accumulation, post-transfer student academic performance, and comparative efficiency. The Council shall adopt guidelines for data submission from public institutions of higher education necessary for such report, and all institutions shall report such data in accordance with the guidelines. The report shall be made publicly available on the Council website and on the online portal maintained pursuant to § 23.1-908.

G. Each comprehensive community college shall develop agreements for postsecondary attainment with the public high schools in the school divisions that such comprehensive community college serves specifying the options for students to complete an associate degree, the Passport Program, or the Uniform Certificate of General Studies Program concurrent with a high school diploma. Such agreements shall specify the credit available for dual enrollment courses and Advanced Placement courses with qualifying exam scores of three or higher.

H. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any public institution of higher education established pursuant to Chapter 25 (§ 23.1-2500 et seq.).

2005, c. 818, § 23-9.2:3.02; 2006, cc. 379, 531; 2007, c. 46; 2011, cc. 828, 869; 2012, cc. 142, 794; 2014, c. 628; 2016, c. 588; 2017, c. 521; 2018, cc. 593, 832, 845.

A. The Council shall develop, in cooperation with the System and each public institution of higher education, a State Transfer Tool that designates each general education course, in addition to the courses that comprise the Uniform Certificate of General Studies Program and the Passport Program, that is offered in an associate degree program at an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education and transferable for course credit to a baccalaureate public institution of higher education. In developing the State Transfer Tool, the Council shall also seek the participation of private institutions of higher education.

B. The Council shall develop guidelines to govern the development and implementation of articulation, dual admissions, and guaranteed admissions agreements between associate-degree-granting public institutions of higher education and baccalaureate public institutions of higher education. Dual admissions agreements shall set forth (i) the obligations of each student accepted to such a program, including grade point average requirements, acceptable associate degree majors, and completion timetables, and (ii) the extent to which each student accepted to such a program may access the privileges of enrollment at both institutions while he is enrolled at either institution. Such agreements are subject to the admissions requirements of the baccalaureate public institutions of higher education.

C. Each baccalaureate public institution of higher education shall update its transfer agreements immediately following any program modifications and shall send a copy of its updated agreement and any other transfer-related documents and resources to the System. The Council shall also send to the System a copy of any transfer-related guidelines and resources that it possesses. The System shall maintain an online portal that allows access to all such agreements, documents, and resources. The online portal shall also include (i) documents and resources related to course equivalency, (ii) pathway maps established pursuant to subsection E of § 23.1-907, (iii) the transfer tool established pursuant to subsection A, (iv) information regarding dual enrollment courses as described in § 23.1-905.1, and (v) any other information required to be included by law or deemed relevant by the System. The online portal shall be available to the public on the websites of the Council, the System, each public institution of higher education, and each school division offering a dual enrollment course.

2004, c. 553, § 23-9.14:2; 2005, c. 818; 2006, c. 379; 2014, c. 628; 2016, c. 588; 2017, c. 521; 2018, cc. 832, 845.

A. The Secretary of Education and the director of the Council, in consultation with each public institution of higher education and nonprofit private institution of higher education, shall develop a plan to establish and advertise a cooperative degree program whereby any undergraduate student enrolled at any public institution of higher education or nonprofit private institution of higher education may complete, through the use of online courses at any such institution, the course credit requirements to receive a degree at a tuition cost not to exceed $4,000, or the lowest cost that is achievable, per academic year.

B. No later than October 1, 2016, the Secretary of Education and the director of the Council shall report to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, and the Senate Committee on Education and Health on the progress made toward developing a cooperative degree program plan pursuant to this section.

2015, c. 664, § 23-7.4:7; 2016, c. 588.