RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — For months, 8News has been telling you about disabled military veterans upset over changes to a state program designed to help pay for their kids’ college tuition.
Now, for the first time, we are getting a detailed breakdown of why the changes may have been made.
The program in question is called the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program.
Previously, kids of qualified disabled veterans were able to get their tuition waived for up to eight semesters at a public college or university in Virginia.
However, changes to the program will require students enrolled after May 15 to apply for financial aid and potentially pay out of pocket before accessing the waiver. Plus, the program will be limited to those seeking their first undergraduate degree.
“Now we have to scramble to figure out how else to pay for college,” Air Force Veteran Pamella Newton told 8News earlier this month.
However, on Tuesday, we learned for the first time why some of those changes were made.
In a presentation to lawmakers, staff from the House Appropriations Committee presented data showing that from 2019 to 2023, the program cost grew 445% — from $12 million in 2019 to $65 million in 2023. The number of students using the program also grew by more than 300%.
Staff from the House Appropriations Committee added that because waivers lead to a loss in revenue for schools, they often make up for that by charging other students more in tuition.