The Appropriation Act directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) to submit an annual report to the Governor and the chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees on the annual change in total charges for tuition and fees approved by the boards of visitors at Virginia public institutions of higher education (Item 4-2.01.b.4.b).

The following are key findings from the 2019-20 Tuition and Fees Report.

1. Tuition and mandatory educational and general (E&G) fees (those fees related to instruction and supported by the state) did not increase for the majority of in-state undergraduate students, primarily as a result of additional state funding.

2. Mandatory non-educational and general E&G fees (those fees related to non-instructional activities) increased $155 (4.0%).

3. The average tuition and all mandatory fees for in-state undergraduates is $12,836, a $155 (1.2%) increase from the prior year and the lowest increase since FY 2000.

4. Room and board charges average $11,000 at baccalaureate institutions, an increase of $367 (3.5%).

5. Total charges from baccalaureate institutions — the average sum of tuition, all mandatory fees and room and board —are $24,699 for the 2019-20 academic year, an increase of $543 (2.2%) for in-state undergraduate students, the lowest percentage increase since FY 2000.

6. In 2019-20, Virginia undergraduate students will pay, on average, 52% of the costs of education-related funding, while the state share is 48%.

7. SCHEV staff estimate that if the state funded at the level of the cost-share policy (67%), tuition could be as much as $2,800 (37%) lower than current levels.

8. The total charges for in-state undergraduates as a percentage of per-capita disposable income remain higher than the national average at nearly 47%, although this is a decrease from 48.1% the prior year.

9. Students who complete an associate degree at a community college and transfer to a baccalaureate institution can save an average of $18,612 on the cost of a bachelor’s degree.