RD80 - State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Optometry Study - January 26, 2009


Executive Summary:
According to Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB) records, Virginia has been a member of the SREB since 1950 and has participated in the Optometry contracts since 1989-90.

The SREB Regional Contract Program enables qualified students wishing to pursue professional health degrees to gain entrance to schools outside their home states for the price of in-state tuition and fees at public institutions, and reduced tuition at private institutions. The program helps students in the fields of dentistry, medicine, optometry, podiatry, veterinary medicine and osteopathic medicine. Participating states contract, through SREB, with schools to maintain a specific number of “spaces” in their professional programs for residents of the contracting state. States save the expense of building, staffing and supporting of these programs and institutions. SREB is the fiscal agent for the program and handles administrative duties for and between participating states and institutions.

Most recently, Virginia contracted, via SREB, with the Southern College of Optometry and the University of Alabama-Birmingham for a total of 10 “spaces” at $10,600 per student in 2003-04. Under a separate agreement, Virginia also provided grants to Virginians enrolled into the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO). No formal contract was in place for this initiative as Virginia’s funding was provided to students in the form of a grant. At various times, Virginia funded up to 27 PCO Virginians at an annual average of just under $4,500 each with a high of $5,238 in 2003-04.

Due to the budget reductions of 2003, all Regional Contracts programs – including Optometry – were directed to be phased-out via attrition by not adding new students to the program. The phase-out is complete and Virginia currently is under no obligation to any individual students, nor are the institutions obligated to reserve spaces for Virginia residents. Any Virginia resident seeking to pursue professional studies must do so on their own accord.

The 2007 General Assembly has now expressed interest in determining the viability and necessity of reviving the Optometry portion of the Regional Contracts program. Though the program in Virginia is currently inactive, SREB staff report that Virginia’s prior Optometry contract option remains open (assuming spaces are available at participating institutions) and only requires refunding in order to be reactivated.