SD11 - Public Funding of Higher Education in Virginia


Executive Summary:
Overview

The 2004 General Assembly created the joint Subcommittee Studying Public Funding of Higher Education in Virginia on the heels of an economic recession that resulted in significant general fund budget reductions and sizeable tuition increases. The uncertainty of higher education funding was exacerbated by growing concerns in the Commonwealth that projected increases in student enrollment might outstrip institutional capacity by the end of the decade. So, even as the economy improved, both legislators and higher education leaders voiced concerns that simply returning to "business as usual" would not be sufficient in meeting Virginia's needs for higher education in the coming years.

The joint Subcommittee's Charge

In establishing the Joint Subcommittee, the 2004 General Assembly saw an opportunity to reflect broadly on the status of higher education in the Commonwealth, to challenge old assumptions about how higher education services are provided, - and to look for new opportunities to serve Virginia students better. Specifically, through Senate joint Resolution 74 (2004), the joint Subcommittee was charged with considering:

• alternatives to the current formulas and methods used by the Commonwealth to fund institutions of higher education;

• alternatives for paying for a college education including, but not limited to, interest-free loans guaranteed by the Commonwealth;

• the efficacy and appropriateness of delivering degree programs through distance learning; and

• access to Virginia -institutions of higher education by residents of the Commonwealth, including the feasibility of guaranteeing placement at a four-year institution of higher education in the Commonwealth for certain graduates of Virginia's community colleges satisfying an agreed upon curriculum and grade point average.

As prescribed by the resolution, the joint Subcommittee was tasked with completing its work prior to the first day of the 2006 legislative session.