Virginia faces a future in which higher education will play an increasingly important role. Virginians will need deeper and broader knowledge and skills to be engaged, productive participants in our evolving Commonwealth and its economy. At the same time, the demographics of the emerging generation are changing, as an increasing share of our youth will come from populations that historically are underrepresented in both higher education and the highly educated sectors of our workforce. These changes transpire at a time when the cost of attending college has increased beyond the capacity of many Virginians.

In 2014, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) developed The Virginia Plan for Higher Education with the objective to place the Commonwealth as the best-educated state by 2030. It is designed to identify trends that the Commonwealth must address if it is to prosper and succeed. It serves as a vision for Virginia’s future through a common framework. This framework is built on the premise that all partners in higher education must work together to help Virginia, its citizens and its regions.

The General Assembly endorsed the plan by passing joint resolutions in 2015 and requested an annual report. The following report includes findings, recommendations and updates on initiatives, measures and related indicators from 2018.