HD67 - A Review of the Use of Discretionary Aid Within the Commonwealth's System of Higher Education
Executive Summary: House Joint Resolution 639, sponsored by Delegate Marian Van Landingham, directed the Council of Higher Education to review the "use of discretionary aid funds for undergraduate and graduate study" and to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and to the 1994 Session of the General Assembly. The resolution noted that: 1. The costs of college education continue to escalate, potentially endangering the opportunity for many prospective students to pursue the goal of higher education. 2. The cost of a college education is more prohibitive for most minority families than for white families. 3. Financial aid is critical to student retention. Insufficient funds is a major reason why students do not continue their educational programs. 4. Graduate discretionary aid may be disproportionally used for students without financial need and for out-of-state students. A copy of the resolution is in Appendix A. of the Report. Virginia has been a leader in implementing programs to assist students and parents in coping with the costs of attending state colleges and universities. In 1992 and 1993,the Governor recommended and the General Assembly appropriated additional student aid funds to partially offset large tuition increases which have occurred over the past several years. The rapid increases in cost raise questions about not only how much money is available but also how it is divided among different groups of Virginians. To better understand these questions, the Council staff analyzed individual student data by race, income, type of institution and type of financial aid. Analyses show that a slightly greater portion of financial aid goes to needy minority Virginians than to needy white Virginians. |
Menu
Published Documents
