RD306 - 2007 Annual Report on the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program


Executive Summary:
Under the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP), tuition and required fees are waived at Virginia public colleges and universities for the qualified survivors and dependents of certain military service members. Through the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependent Education Fund (VMSDEF), financial assistance is provided to offset the costs of room, board, books, and supplies.

As required by the Code of Virginia, the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services must report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly on the agency’s policies and strategies relating to dissemination of information about the Program. The report must also include the number of current beneficiaries, the educational institutions attended by beneficiaries, and the completion rate of the beneficiaries.

Strategies for information dissemination include reaching out to counselors and students at the high school level, contacting dependents with remaining eligibility, targeting the spouses and dependents of Afghan and Iraq war veterans, and partnering with other state agencies to notify eligible spouses of VMSDEP benefits.

As of October 31, 2007, 523 VMSDEP students were enrolled at a public college or university. Of these 523 students, 398 attended full-time, while 125 attended part-time. The majority (301, or 57.5 percent) attended a community college or two-year institution, while 222 (42.4 percent) attended a four-year institution. Ninety-three students – or almost 18 percent, attended Tidewater Community College. Virginia Commonwealth University was second with 44 students, and Thomas Nelson Community College and Old Dominion University tied for third at 34 students each.

The Department of Veterans Services is working with the State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV) to accurately define and quantify the completion rate of beneficiaries. After agreeing on a standard definition of completion rate, DVS and SCHEV will put in place the procedures to accurately track completion rates.