Current:Home > MarketsVirginia lawmakers repeal restrictions on popular tuition waiver program for military families -FundPrime
Virginia lawmakers repeal restrictions on popular tuition waiver program for military families
View
Date:2025-04-12 18:37:19
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to legislation that will repeal new restrictions on a tuition waiver program for military families.
The House of Delegates and state Senate each voted unanimously to fully restore the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program, which offers free college tuition at state schools for families of military veterans who were killed or seriously disabled while on active duty.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin returned to Richmond on Thursday from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee to sign the legislation into law.
The program’s costs have risen from $12 million to $65 million in five years. The state budget passed earlier this year restricted eligibility for the program to associate and undergraduate degrees, required participants to apply for other forms of financial aid and tightened residency requirements.
Veterans and their families vehemently protested the new restrictions, but state lawmakers struggled for weeks to reach an agreement on a solution.
The Washington Post reports that the bills approved Thursday set aside $45 million a year over the next two years to help colleges and universities deal with the expense, on top of $20 million per year that was already included in the budget.
Several groups are working on a long-term solution to control the costs of the program, including a task force appointed by Youngkin and a separate task force appointed by the Senate. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission is also studying how to preserve the program. Lawmakers said they would take the issue up again in the General Assembly regular session in January.
veryGood! (85449)
Related
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
Ranking
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Average rate on 30
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
Recommendation
Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast