General Assembly>Division of Legislative Services>Publications>Session Summaries>2006>Educational Institutions


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Educational Institutions

Passed

P HB36

Regulation of certain private and out-of-state institutions of higher education; civil penalty. Authorizes the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to recover a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each violation of the chapter relating to regulation of certain private and out-of-state institutions. The civil penalty is available when there has been no criminal prosecution instituted against such postsecondary school.
Patron - Tata

P HB38

Education; accreditation of out-of-state vocational schools. Requires that all out-of-state academic-vocational noncollege degree schools operating in good standing in the Commonwealth prior to July 1, 2006, that have not obtained accreditation by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education secure accreditation candidacy status by July 1, 2009, and full accreditation by July 1, 2012. Further, on and after July 1, 2006 all out-of-state academic-vocational noncollege degree schools, subject to the provisions of Chapter 21.1 of Title 23, must disclose their accreditation status in all written materials advertising or describing the school that are distributed to prospective or enrolled students or the general public.
Patron - Tata

P HB49

Repeal of Virginia Scholars Program. Repeals sections relating to the Virginia Scholars Program by recommendation of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the Code Commission. The Virginia Scholars Program is no longer functional and does not receive appropriations.
Patron - Landes

P HB50

Repeal of Virginia Work-Study Program. Repeals provisions relating to the Virginia Work-Study Program by recommendation of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the Code Commission. The Virginia Work-Study Program is no longer functional and does not receive appropriations.
Patron - Landes

P HB57

Higher education; articulation agreements and transferable credits. Requires that if a student declares an intention to transfer credit from an institution within the Virginia Community College System to a four-year public institution, the articulation agreement in force at the time of the student's declaration will determine those credits that may be transferred if the student (i) completes an associate degree within four years of submitting a written declaration of intent to transfer to a four-year public institution of higher education in Virginia and (ii) enrolls in such institution within 18 months of completing an associate degree.
Patron - Fralin

P HB134

Public institutions of higher education; intellectual property. Removes limitations and requirements currently in place governing the assignment of intellectual property rights at public institutions of higher education. Instead, each institution will be required to adopt its own policies concerning assignment of intellectual property that will govern any research contracts to which it is a party. Each institution must forward a copy of its policies to the Joint Commission on Technology and Science and report annually to the Joint Commission on Technology and Science as to the assignment of any intellectual property interests by that institution. The bill removes the requirement that the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia create guidelines for institutions to follow in developing their policies. This bill is identical to SB 259.
Patron - Cosgrove

P HB305

Higher education; Office of Learning Technology. Creates the Office of Learning Technology within the State Council of Higher Education to facilitate and coordinate the voluntary participation of public and private institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth in technology-enriched initiatives. The Office is charged with establishing and administering agreements with nonprofit public and private institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth and other entities for the identification of unmet needs for technology-enriched educational programs and opportunities, and the development and delivery of technology-enriched initiatives, including distance and distributed learning initiatives, for currently served populations and underserved constituencies. In addition, the Office must (i) review technology-enriched learning initiatives and make recommendations to the Council regarding unnecessary duplication in such initiatives; (ii) assist in the development of standards for improving access to, training for, and efficiency in such learning initiatives; and (iii) enter into contracts for related program development. The bill is contingent on funding in the appropriation act. This bill is identical to SB 172.
Patron - Rust

P HB310

Higher education; State Council of Higher Education student advisory committee. Omits the requirement that appointees to the student advisory committee serve on the committee at least one year before they are eligible to be elected chairman of the committee.
Patron - Rust

P HB346

Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act; campus security. Adds campus safety and security to the several state goals that public institutions of higher education participating in the Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operation Act must commit to the Governor and General Assembly to meet.
Patron - Hamilton

P HB504

Reduced tuition rates for employees of the Virginia Community College System. Allows the State Board for Community Colleges to establish policies and guidelines providing for reduced tuition rates at Virginia's community colleges for employees of the Virginia Community College System.
Patron - Armstrong

P HB517

Higher Education; New College Institute established. Establishes the New College Institute as an educational institution in the area of Martinsville and Henry Counties. The New College Institute is charged with, among other things, expanding educational opportunities in the region by providing access to degree-granting programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, through partnerships with private and public institutions of higher education, the public schools, and public and private sectors; and seeking to diversify the region's economy by engaging the resources of other institutions of higher education, public and private bodies, and organizations of the region and state. The institute will be governed by a 12-member Board of Directors appointed as follows: seven nonlegislative members to be appointed by the Governor, three members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, and two members to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. The Board would direct the development and focus of New College's curriculum. The curriculum would include appropriate and non- degree programs offered by other educational institutions. This bill is identical to SB 40.
Patron - Armstrong

P HB695

In-state tuition for dependents of active duty military personnel. Provides that all dependents of active duty military personnel assigned to a permanent duty station in Virginia who reside in Virginia shall be deemed to be domiciled in the Commonwealth for purposes of eligibility for in-state tuition and shall be eligible to receive in-state tuition in Virginia. All dependents of such military personnel receiving in-state tuition shall be afforded the same educational benefits as any other individual receiving in-state tuition so long as they are continuously enrolled in an institution of higher education in Virginia or are transferring between Virginia institutions of higher education. This bill incorporates HB 482, HB 1135, and HB 1270 and is identical to SB 121.
Patron - Suit

P HB910

University programs on awareness and prevention of sexual crimes. Directs the governing boards of educational institutions to establish programs, in cooperation with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the Office of the Attorney General, to promote the awareness and prevention of sexual crimes committed upon students.
Patron - Oder

P HB1244

Virginia Mathematics, Science, Engineering, and Technology Career Grant Program. Creates the Virginia Mathematics, Science, Engineering, and Technology Career Grant Program for the purpose of providing higher education grants to domiciles of Virginia who are enrolled in an undergraduate program preparing students for careers in professions in the areas of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is designated as the administering agency for the program and is authorized to promulgate necessary and appropriate regulations for the disbursement of grants and the administration of the program, including the identification of undergraduate programs and careers in the areas of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology. To receive a grant under this program, a person must (i) be a Virginia domicile; (ii) be enrolled in an undergraduate program in the area of mathematics, science, engineering, or technology; (iii) maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5; and (iv) sign a promissory note agreeing to begin employment in the Commonwealth in the area of mathematics, science, engineering, or technology within six months of receiving an undergraduate degree and to continue such employment in the Commonwealth for at least two years. Qualifying students are eligible to receive a grant for four academic years or the equivalent number of credit hours. The bill is contingent on funding in the appropriation act.
Patron - Hugo

P HB1272

Virginia War Orphan Education Program; definition of disability. Amends the Virginia War Orphan Education Program to (i) rename the program as the "Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program"; and (ii) expand eligibility to the spouse or child between the ages of 16 and 29 of a military service member who, during military operations against terrorism, a peace-keeping mission, a terrorist act, or any armed conflict, is killed, missing in action, a prisoner of war, or at least 90 percent disabled as rated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Eligibility for benefits under the Program must be established through documentation from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services is directed to designate a senior-level official to be responsible for developing and implementing the agency's strategy for disseminating information about the Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program to disabled veterans whose dependents qualify and to survivors of veterans who may qualify. The Commissioner of the Department of Veteran Services must report annually to the Governor and General Assembly as to the agency's policies and strategies relating to dissemination of information about the Program and the number of current beneficiaries, the educational institutions attended by beneficiaries, and the completion rate of the beneficiaries.
Patron - Janis

P HB1478

Textbook sales at public institutions of higher education. Requires the governing boards of public institutions of higher education to implement policies, procedures, and guidelines that encourage efforts to minimize the cost of textbooks for students at colleges and universities while maintaining the quality of education and academic freedom. The guidelines must ensure (i) that faculty textbook adoptions are made with sufficient lead time to university- or contract-managed bookstores so as to confirm availability of the requested materials and, where possible, ensure maximum availability of used textbooks; (ii) that, in the textbook adoption process, the intent to use all items ordered, particularly each individual item sold as part of a bundled package, is affirmatively confirmed by the faculty member before the adoption is finalized. If the faculty member does not intend to use each item in the bundled package, he must notify the bookstore, and the bookstore must order the individualized items when their procurement is cost effective for both institutions and students and such items are made available by the publisher; (iii) that faculty members affirmatively acknowledge the bookstore's quoted retail price of textbooks selected for use in each course; (iv) that faculty be encouraged to limit their use of new edition textbooks when previous editions do not significantly differ in a substantive way as determined by the appropriate faculty member; and (v) that the establishment of policies must include provisions for the availability of required textbooks to students otherwise unable to afford the cost. The measure further provides that no funds for financial aid from university bookstore revenue may be counted in the calculation for state appropriations for student financial aid.
Patron - Oder

P HB1502

Management agreements with certain institutions of higher education. Provides management agreements between the Commonwealth and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, The College of William and Mary in Virginia, and the University of Virginia, respectively, pursuant to the Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act. This bill is identical to SB 675.
Patron - Callahan

P SB40

Higher Education; New College Institute established. Establishes the New College Institute as an educational institution in the area of Martinsville and Henry Counties. The New College Institute is charged with, among other things, expanding educational opportunities in the region by providing access to degree-granting programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, through partnerships with private and public institutions of higher education, the public schools, and public and private sectors; and seeking to diversify the region's economy by engaging the resources of other institutions of higher education, public and private bodies, and organizations of the region and state. The institute will be governed by a 12-member Board of Directors appointed as follows: seven nonlegislative members to be appointed by the Governor, three members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, and two members to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. The Board would direct the development and focus of New College's curriculum. The curriculum would include appropriate and non- degree programs offered by other educational institutions. This bill is identical HB 517.
Patron - Reynolds

P SB54

Southern Virginia Higher Education Center; board of trustees. Modifies the membership of the board of trustees to allow the Speaker of the House of Delegates to appoint an alternate for any Delegate appointed to the board and the Senate Committee on Rules to appoint an alternate for the Senator appointed to the board.
Patron - Ruff

P SB121

In-state tuition for certain military personnel and dependents. Provides that all dependents of active duty military personnel assigned to a permanent duty station in Virginia who reside in Virginia shall be deemed to be domiciled in the Commonwealth for purposes of eligibility for in-state tuition and shall be eligible to receive in-state tuition in Virginia. All dependents of such military personnel receiving in-state tuition shall be afforded the same educational benefits as any other individual receiving in-state tuition so long as they are continuously enrolled in an institution of higher education in Virginia or are transferring between Virginia institutions of higher education. This bill is identical to HB 695.
Patron - O'Brien

P SB259

Public institutions of higher education; intellectual property. Removes limitations and requirements currently in place governing the assignment of intellectual property rights at public institutions of higher education. Instead, each institution will be required to adopt its own policies concerning assignment of intellectual property that will govern any research contracts to which it is a party. Each institution must forward a copy of its policies to the Joint Commission on Technology and Science and report annually to the Joint Commission on Technology and Science as to the assignment of any intellectual property interests by that institution. The bill removes the requirement that the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia create guidelines for institutions to follow in developing their policies. This bill is identical to HB 134.
Patron - Wagner

P SB486

Admission of state cadets at the Virginia Military Institute. Amends provisions for the admission of state cadets to provide that, upon evidence of fair moral character, sufficient state cadets, selected from the Commonwealth at large, must be admitted by the VMI Board of Visitors. Currently, at least fifty state cadets are selected from each senatorial district and from the Commonwealth at large. The measure also provides for military scholarship cadets. Up to 40 such cadets are to be admitted by the Board of Visitors to receive financial aid in exchange for a commitment to serve as commissioned officers in the Virginia National Guard for a term in accordance with Guard policy and regulation. If a military scholarship cadet fails to fulfill the obligation to serve in the Virginia National Guard, he must repay the scholarship unless excused from the obligation by the VMI Board of Visitors, in consultation with the Virginia National Guard. The financial assistance for the military scholarship cadets must be entirely from federal funds, Virginia National Guard funds, or private gifts that do not have matching requirements.
Patron - Norment

P SB538

Articulation, transfer, and dual enrollment and admissions agreements. Requires all four-year public institutions of higher education to develop articulation, transfer, and dual enrollment and admissions agreements, including dual admissions programs for qualified students to be simultaneously accepted by a community college and, contingent upon the successful completion of an acceptable associate degree program from the community college, by the four-year public institution of higher education. The State Council of Higher Education must include in its guidelines for these agreements conditions required to establish dual admissions programs that set forth the obligations of the students accepted in the programs, including grade point average requirements, acceptable associate degree programs, completion timetables, and the students' access to the privileges of enrollment in both institutions while attending either institution.
Patron - Stosch

P SB542

In-state tuition; limitation on eligibility. Provides that students entitled to in-state tuition will be assessed a surcharge upon satisfactorily completing 125 percent of credit hours needed to obtain a degree in the student's chosen program. The surcharge will be an amount calculated to equal 100 percent of the average cost of the student's education at the relevant institution less tuition and mandatory educational and general fee charges assessed to a student meeting Virginia domiciliary status who has not exceeded 125 percent of such credit hours. Certain courses and credit hours are excluded from the calculation of the 125 percent of the credit hours needed to satisfy the degree requirements for the "credit hour threshold," e.g., remedial courses and credits obtained through advanced placement or international baccalaureate programs or dual enrollment while in high school. A waiver of the surcharge may be granted by the relevant institution, in accordance with the guidelines and criteria established by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). Waiver criteria may include, but need not be limited to, illness or disability or active service in the armed forces of the United States. A second enactment clause requires SCHEV to revise its guidelines for determining in-state tuition charges, which are not subject to the Administrative Process Act, to include these requirements by July 1, 2006, including, but not limited to, notice to students who may be or may become subject to the surcharge and determinations of extenuating circumstances.
Patron - Stosch

P SB675

Management agreements with certain institutions of higher education. Provides management agreements between the Commonwealth and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, The College of William and Mary in Virginia, and the University of Virginia, respectively, pursuant to the Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act. This bill is identical to HB 1502.
Patron - Houck

Failed

F HB154

Campus police; certain reports required; participation and cooperation in investigations. Requires, regardless of whether a public or private institution of higher education has entered into a mutual aid agreement to maintain peace and good order with the governing bodies of localities pursuant to § 15.2-1727, the campus police chief or other chief law enforcement officer of such institution of higher education or his designee to immediately notify the primary local law-enforcement agency of the jurisdiction in which the institution is located of (i) the death of any person on the property of the institution when such person is medically unattended and (ii) any report alleging a rape has occurred on the property of the institution. Campus police and all other employees of such institution of higher education must participate in any subsequent investigation and cooperate with the-law enforcement agency leading the investigation. This bill was incorporated into HB 1036.
Patron - Alexander

F HB262

Admission of illegal aliens to public institutions of higher education. Provides that an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible for enrollment in any public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth. This bill incorporates HB 892.
Patron - Hargrove

F HB272

Geographical equity in admission to institutions of higher education; pilot program. Directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to develop and implement a pilot program for the purpose of providing geographical equity in the admission of Virginia domiciles to the public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth. The Council must determine which areas of the Commonwealth routinely experience disproportionately low acceptance rates at Virginia's public institutions of higher education by calculating the percentage of applicants in each locality that are accepted and enrolled at Virginia's public colleges and universities and comparing such percentages with the aggregate percentages of Virginia domiciles that are accepted and enrolled in Virginia's public colleges and universities. Any academically qualified student residing in an area experiencing a disproportionately low acceptance rate who is a domicile of Virginia and is denied admission to a public institution of higher education in Virginia shall be admitted and enrolled in such institution for the following academic year if such student completes, within one month prior to the commencement of the academic year immediately following the academic year for which he was denied admission, at least 20 hours of community service per week for a period of 30 weeks. The Council shall determine the types of community service that will meet this requirement and make available a list of such community service opportunities. The provisions of this act shall expire on July 1, 2009.
Patron - Poisson

F HB361

Admission of state cadets at the Virginia Military Institute. Amends provisions for the admission of state cadets to provide that sufficient state cadets, selected from the Commonwealth at large, must be admitted by the VMI Board of Visitors. Currently, at least fifty state cadets are selected from each senatorial district and from the Commonwealth at large. The measure also provides for military scholarship cadets. Up to 40 such cadets are to be admitted by the Board of Visitors to receive financial aid in exchange for a commitment to serve as a commissioned officer in the Virginia National Guard for a term in accordance with Guard policy and regulation.
Patron - Lingamfelter

F HB480

Commonwealth Scholars Program. Creates the Commonwealth Scholars Program, consisting of scholarships awarded to Virginia public high school graduates finishing in the top 5 percent of their respective classes, passing the required Standards of Learning assessments, and enrolled as full-time undergraduate students in any accredited, degree-granting public institution of higher education in Virginia. Scholarships shall support the full cost of tuition for one year only and may not be applied to fees, room, board, or other educational expenses. Should available funds be insufficient to provide full tuition, the State Council of Higher Education will determine the amounts of scholarship awards.
Patron - Frederick

F HB482

In-state tuition for certain military personnel and dependents. Provides that all military personnel on active duty for more than 30 days, both regular and reserves, who are domiciled in Virginia or are assigned to a permanent duty station in Virginia and their dependents living in Virginia, who are not otherwise eligible for in-state tuition, shall be entitled to in-state tuition for as long as they are continuously enrolled. This bill was incorporated into HB 695.
Patron - Frederick

F HB682

Student Financial Security Program. Creates the Student Financial Security Program to provide supplemental funding for state-funded, need-based financial aid at two- and four-year public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth. The funding is designed to ensure that resources for student financial aid programs based in whole or in part on need are available to offset tuition increases at the various public institutions.
Patron - Rust

F HB702

Southern Virginia Higher Education Center. Changes the title of the supervisor and manager of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center from executive director to president.
Patron - Hogan

F HB734

Community College Transfer Grant program. Establishes the Community College Transfer Grant program, to be administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, for the purpose of providing need-based higher education grants to domiciles of Virginia who have successfully completed an acceptable associate degree program at a Virginia community college and have been admitted to an accredited nonprofit public or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth. To be eligible to receive a grant under this program, students must be Virginia domiciles and must have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher while enrolled in an associate degree program at a Virginia community college. Students may receive grants for up to two academic years. This bill was incorporated into HB 1136.
Patron - Jones, S.C.

F HB892

Prohibiting admission of illegal aliens to public institutions of higher education. Provides that persons who are unlawfully present in the country may not be admitted to any public institution of higher education in Virginia. This bill was incorporated into HB 262.
Patron - Gear

F HB1050

In-state tuition for aliens. Provides that an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States, and therefore ineligible to establish domicile pursuant to § 23-7.4, shall not be eligible on the basis of residency within Virginia for any postsecondary educational benefit, including in-state tuition, unless citizens or nationals of the United States are eligible for such benefits in no less an amount, duration, and scope without regard to whether such citizens or nationals are Virginia residents. This bill incorporates HB 1135.
Patron - Reid

F HB1053

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; service charge. Clarifies that the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is within the category of "educational institution" and thus exempts the museum from the assessment and levy of a service charge pursuant to § 58.1-3400.
Patron - Reid

F HB1102

Community College Transfer Grant program. Establishes the Community College Transfer Grant program, to be administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, for the purpose of providing higher education grants to domiciles of Virginia who have successfully completed an acceptable associate degree program at a Virginia community college and have been admitted to an accredited public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth. To be eligible to receive a grant under this program, students must be Virginia domiciles and must have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher while enrolled in an associate degree program at a Virginia community college. Students may receive grants for up to two academic years. The amount of grants awarded is based on the difference between the cost of tuition and educational and general fees paid by the recipient at a community college and the cost of such tuition and fees at the public institution of higher education in which the student has been enrolled. As an incentive to institutions of higher education enrolling grant recipients, each such college or university will receive a grant of an amount specified in the appropriation act for each student it enrolls who receives a community college transfer grant. This bill was incorporated into HB 1136.
Patron - Athey

F HB1135

In-state tuition and educational benefits for illegal aliens and certain military personnel and dependents. Provides that an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible on the basis of residency within Virginia for any postsecondary educational benefit including, but not limited to, in-state tuition and state financial aid, unless citizens or nationals of the United States are eligible for such benefits in no less an amount, duration, and scope, without regard to whether such citizens or nationals are Virginia residents. The measure further provides that all military personnel on active duty for more than 30 days, both regular and reserves, who are domiciled in Virginia or are assigned to a permanent duty station in Virginia and their dependents living in Virginia, who are not otherwise eligible for in-state tuition, shall be entitled to in-state tuition for as long as they are continuously enrolled. This bill was incorporated into HB 695 and HB 1050.
Patron - Cline

F HB1136

Community College Transfer Grant program. Establishes the Community College Transfer Grant program, to be administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, for the purpose of providing higher education grants to domiciles of Virginia who have successfully completed an acceptable associate degree program at a Virginia community college or public two-year educational institution and have been admitted to an accredited nonprofit public or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth. To be eligible to receive a grant under this program, students must be Virginia domiciles and must have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher while enrolled in an associate degree program at a Virginia community college or public two-year educational institution. Students may receive grants for up to two academic years. The amount of grants awarded is based on the difference between the cost of tuition and educational and general fees paid by the recipient at a Virginia community college or public two-year educational institution and the average cost of such tuition and fees at a Virginia public institution of higher education, as determined by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. This bill incorporates HB 734 and HB 1102.
Patron - Cline

F HB1137

Closure of Richard Bland College. Provides that, as an alternative to establishing a public four-year institution of higher education in the Southside region of the Commonwealth, Richard Bland College shall be closed on August 1, 2007. The President and Board of Visitors of the College of William and Mary are directed to transfer all real and personal property held in the name of Richard Bland College to the Executive Director and Board of Trustees of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center on July 1, 2007. Enactment clauses provide that (i) the Commonwealth will incur no costs resulting from the provisions of this act; (ii) the transition to close Richard Bland College shall begin on July 1, 2006; (iii) the Board of Visitors of the College of William and Mary must institute an orderly phase-out of programs at Richard Bland College in a manner to assist the students who are enrolled at Richard Bland College on January 1, 2006, to complete their educational programs including, but not limited to, providing such students as may be eligible an opportunity to transfer to the College of William and Mary; (iv) any entity, location, or precinct including the title "Richard Bland College" is not affected by the provisions of this act; and (v) Richard Bland College shall not accept or enroll any new students after January 1, 2006.
Patron - Cline

F HB1247

Admissions policies. Requires the board of visitors or other governing body of each public institution of higher education in Virginia to establish admissions policies that prohibit discrimination on the basis of the geographical region of the Commonwealth where the applicant resides.
Patron - Hugo

F HB1270

In-state tuition for certain military personnel and dependents. Provides that all military personnel on active duty for more than 30 days, both regular and reserves, who are domiciled in Virginia or are assigned to a permanent duty station in Virginia and their dependents living in Virginia, who are not otherwise eligible for in-state tuition, shall be entitled to in-state tuition for as long as they are continuously enrolled. This bill was incorporated into HB 695.
Patron - Janis

F HB1342

Virginia College Savings Plan; deferment for military service. Provides that, notwithstanding any prepaid tuition contract or savings trust agreement to the contrary, if a qualified beneficiary serves in the military following graduation from high school, the period of time specified in such contract or trust agreement for unclaimed moneys to be reported to the State Treasurer shall be tolled for the amount of time such qualified beneficiary was called to active duty in the armed forces of the United States.
Patron - Bell

F HB1393

Virginia Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Grant Program and Fund. Creates the Virginia Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Grant Program and Fund for the purpose of providing higher education grants to residents of Virginia who are enrolled in a chemistry, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, mechanical engineering, or physics undergraduate or graduate degree program. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is designated as the administering agency for the program and is authorized to promulgate necessary and appropriate regulations for the disbursement of grants and the administration of the program. To receive a grant under this program, a person must (i) be a Virginia domicile; (ii) be enrolled in one of the above mentioned degree programs; (iii) maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0; and (iv) sign a promissory note agreeing to begin employment in the Commonwealth in the area of mathematics, science, engineering, or technology within six months of receiving an undergraduate or graduate degree and to continue such employment in the Commonwealth for at least four years. Qualifying students are eligible to receive a grant for five consecutive academic years. This bill was incorporated into HB 1244.
Patron - Cosgrove

F HB1459

Higher Education; tuition lock certificate program. Authorizes the governing bodies of the public institutions of higher education to establish, beginning with the 2006-2007 academic year, a tuition lock certificate (TLC) program that prospectively fixes the cost of tuition and fees for incoming undergraduate freshmen students for four consecutive years under the following conditions: (i) eligible students shall be enrolled full-time and remain continuously enrolled as full-time students for the period of eligibility for the TLC; (ii) a class rate is annually established, in accordance with any requirements set forth in the appropriation act; (iii) rules are clearly established for the TLC to address eligibility of undergraduate freshmen, the eligibility of transfer students, and any unforeseen circumstances that may require eligible students to take a leave of absence from the institution; and (iv) literature is disseminated to all students applying to the relevant institution that clearly and concisely explains program eligibility, costs, and terms vis-a-vis the costs associated with part-time enrollment. Any TLC program must provide a class rate for instate students and may also establish a higher class rate for out-of-state students.
Patron - Kilgore

F HB1572

University rules and regulations relating to students with concealed handgun permits. Provides that no board of visitors or other governing body of an educational institution shall have the authority to establish rules or regulations limiting or abridging the ability of a student with a valid concealed handgun permit from lawfully carrying a concealed handgun. However, boards of visitors or other governing bodies of educational institutions may establish such rules or regulations relating to (i) students receiving military training in the Reserved Officers' Training Corps or other military training program administered by the educational institution, (ii) students engaging in athletic events, and (iii) the storage of firearms in campus dormitories.
Patron - Gilbert

F HB1596

Admission of in-state students at public institutions of higher education. Provides that the board of visitors or other governing body of each public institution of higher education must establish rules and regulations requiring that at least 75 percent of students admitted and enrolled at the institution be Virginia domiciles.
Patron - Hugo

F SB92

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; service charge. Clarifies that the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is within the category of "educational institution" and thus exempts the museum from the assessment and levy of a service charge pursuant to § 58.1-3400.
Patron - Watkins

F SB94

Student Financial Security Program. Creates the Student Financial Security Program to provide supplemental funding for state-funded, need-based financial aid at two- and four-year public institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth. The funding is designed to ensure that resources for student financial aid programs based in whole or in part on need are available to offset tuition increases at the various public institutions. A second enactment clause requires that this act will not become effective unless an appropriation of general funds is included in the general appropriation act, passed by the 2006 Session of the General Assembly, and becomes law.
Patron - Houck

F SB130

Community College Transfer Grant program. Establishes the Community College Transfer Grant program, to be administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, for the purpose of providing higher education grants to domiciles of Virginia who have successfully completed an acceptable associate degree program at a Virginia community college and have been admitted to an accredited nonprofit public or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth. To be eligible to receive a grant under this program, students must be Virginia domiciles and must have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher while enrolled in an associate degree program at a Virginia community college. Students may receive grants for up to two academic years. The amount of grants awarded is based on the difference between the cost of tuition and educational and general fees paid by the recipient at a community college and the cost of such tuition and fees at the institution of higher education in which the student has been enrolled. As an incentive to institutions of higher education enrolling grant recipients, each such college or university will receive a grant of an amount specified in the appropriation act for each student it enrolls who receives a community college transfer grant. This bill was incorporated into SB 540.
Patron - O'Brien

F SB172

Higher education; Office of Learning Technology. Creates the Office of Learning Technology within the State Council of Higher Education to facilitate and coordinate the voluntary participation of public and private institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth in technology-enriched initiatives. The Office is charged with establishing and administering agreements with nonprofit public and private institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth and other entities for the identification of unmet needs for technology-enriched educational programs and opportunities, and the development and delivery of technology-enriched initiatives, including distance and distributed learning initiatives, for currently served populations and underserved constituencies. In addition, the Office must (i) review technology-enriched learning initiatives and make recommendations to the Council regarding unnecessary duplication in such initiatives; (ii) assist in the development of standards for improving access to, training for, and efficiency in such learning initiatives; and (iii) enter into contracts for related program development. A second enactment clause provides that this act will not become effective unless funded in the general appropriation act passed by the 2006 Session of the General Assembly.
Patron - Quayle

F SB539

Private College Enrollment Grant Program. Creates the Private College Enrollment Grant Program for the purpose of providing higher education grants on a per capita basis to private nonprofit institutions of higher education that agree, in the interest of providing access to higher education for Virginia's burgeoning student population, to enroll Virginia domiciles. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is designated as the administering agency of the program and is authorized to solicit or receive unsolicited grant proposals and enter into contracts with private nonprofit institutions of higher education having their main campus in Virginia to provide grants on a per capita basis to such institutions on behalf of enrolled Virginia domiciles. The Council is also authorized to promulgate necessary and appropriate regulations to administer the program, including measures to ensure the reduction of out-of-pocket tuition costs to Virginia's student population. An enactment clause declares that the provisions of the act shall not become effective unless an appropriation of general funds effectuating the purposes of the act is included in the general appropriation act passed by the 2006 Session, which becomes law.
Patron - Stosch

F SB540

Community College Transfer Grant Program. Establishes the Community College Transfer Grant Program for the purpose of providing higher education grants or vouchers to domiciles of Virginia who have successfully completed an acceptable associate degree program at a Virginia community college or Richard Bland College and have been admitted to an accredited nonprofit public or private institution of higher education in the Commonwealth. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) is designated as the administering agency of the program and must promulgate necessary and appropriate regulations for its administration. The amount of the award will either be based on the difference between the cost of tuition paid by the recipient at a Virginia community college and the cost of such tuition at the four-year institution of higher education in which the student has been enrolled, or in the case of transfer to a private four-year college or university, the difference between the cost of tuition paid by the recipient at a Virginia community college and the average cost of such tuition at a Virginia public four-year institution of higher education. The grants must be used to reimburse the eligible students for a portion of the tuition and mandatory fees paid by the student to such institution for the academic year. Eligibility for the program is limited to domiciles of the Commonwealth, and recipients of grants or vouchers may only receive such tuition assistance for two academic years or the equivalent number or credit hours. Enactment clauses provide that after July 1, 2011, grant payments under the Program must be paid from higher education cost savings resulting from increased enrollments at Virginia community colleges and Richard Bland College and that the provisions of the act will not become effective unless an appropriation of general funds effectuating the purposes of the act is included in a general appropriation act passed by the 2008 Session. This bill incorporates SB 130.
Patron - Stosch

F SB581

Educational institutions; required disclosure by governing body. Requires the governing bodies of public institutions of higher education to annually disclose all factors used in admission decisions, such as geographic diversity, academic achievement, race, ethnicity, religion, or extracurricular activities.
Patron - Cuccinelli

Carried Over

C HB935

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; creation of nonstock corporation to support academic research. Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to establish a nonprofit, nonstock corporation under Chapter 10 (§ 13.1-801 et seq.) of Title 13.1 as a public instrumentality exercising public and essential governmental functions, to assist the Council in (i) supporting academic research in Virginia; (ii) encouraging research initiatives, with an emphasis on biological systems and nanotechnology, to support Virginia industry; and (iii) conducting or undertaking other activities useful in carrying out the provisions of this section. The Council shall require such corporation to report to it at least annually on its activities. The bill sets out the composition of the board of directors for such corporation.
Patron - Nutter

C HB1107

Higher education; articulation agreements. Requires that articulation agreements between public four-year institutions of higher education and institutions within the Virginia Community College System include minimum numbers of associate degree graduates the institution of higher education will admit and enroll annually as transfer students from Virginia's community colleges. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Virginia Community College System, and each institution of higher education must agree on the minimum number of associate degree graduates each institution of higher education will annually admit and enroll as transfer students from community colleges. The State Council of Higher Education must submit an annual report to the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education specifying the total number of transfer students each institution of higher education accepted from community colleges and whether such numbers meet the minimum number of such transfer students each institution agreed to accept.
Patron - Athey

C HB1293

Virginia Early Graduation Incentive Grant Program. Establishes the Virginia Early Graduation Incentive Grant Program for the purpose of providing grants to Virginia students who (i) have received an undergraduate degree within three years from an accredited institution of higher education in Virginia, (ii) are enrolled in a graduate program preparing students for careers in professions having workforce shortages, and (iii) have agreed to work in Virginia upon receiving a graduate degree. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is designated as the administering agency for the program and must promulgate necessary and appropriate regulations for the disbursement of grants and the administration of the program. Before grants are awarded, recipients must sign a promissory note under which they agree (i) to begin employment in the Commonwealth within six months of receiving a graduate degree and (ii) to continue such employment in the Commonwealth for at least three years. Only students who maintain a 3.0 grade point average while enrolled as an undergraduate are eligible to participate in the program, and eligibility is limited to two academic years or the equivalent number of credit hours.
Patron - Saxman

C SB490

Sexually transmitted infections; testing. Requires Virginia four-year public colleges and universities to provide STI testing free of charge to students. In order to fund the requirement, the institutions may raise their student activities fee by $5.
Patron - Quayle

C SB677

In-state tuition rates; prohibited for certain individuals. Prohibits the board of visitors or other governing body of a public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth from authorizing in-state tuition rates for individuals who are not citizens or nationals of the United States, are unlawfully present in the United States, or do not possess a valid visa. However, a new subsection provides that, notwithstanding the provisions regarding the governing bodies' mandates, any person meeting certain conditions will be eligible for instate tuition, i.e., resided in Virginia while attending high school; graduated from a public or private high school in Virginia; resided in the Commonwealth for at least three years prior to the date of high school graduation; registered in an institution of higher education; provided an affidavit stating that he has filed an application to become a permanent resident of the United States and is actively pursuing such permanent residency or will do so as soon as he is eligible; and has submitted evidence that he or, in the case of a dependent student, at least one parent, guardian, or person standing in loco parentis, has filed, unless exempted by state law, Virginia income tax returns for at least three years prior to the date of enrollment.
Patron - Hanger

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