The Virginia War Memorial in Richmond. (Graham Moomaw/Virginia Mercury)
For much of the past week, some Virginia political leaders have been pushing the message that the General Assembly will reverse a recent policy change that has angered military families.
But on Thursday it became clear that the Senate and the House of Representatives have not yet agreed on a way out of the controversy surrounding the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program. The program waives the cost of college tuition for spouses and children of military members who were killed or severely disabled as a result of their service.
Senate leaders announced that their chamber will return to Richmond on June 18, 10 days before the June 28 date the House had already selected. That schedule raises numerous logistical questions about what might happen if the two legislative chambers meet on different days to try to pass different bills on the same topic.
Participation in the VMSDEP program has soared over the past five years, raising concerns among higher education leaders that they are being asked to educate a growing number of students for free. The General Assembly’s attempt to reduce these costs by limiting the program has drawn fierce opposition from veterans groups. And the public backlash has forced political leaders to make a difficult choice: withdraw or cling to the need to quickly address VMSDEP’s growing financial impact.
The recent revisions to the program impose a stricter Virginia residency requirement, prevent the waivers from being used for advanced degrees or a second bachelor’s degree and require participants to first pursue other forms of financial aid and use VMSDEP only for remaining costs.
In a press release, Senate Democrats indicated they will not push for a complete repeal of recent changes limiting eligibility for VMSDEP benefits. Instead, they will seek a partial rollback, which runs counter to the full repeal position Gov. Glenn Youngkin And Leaders of the house.
“If we were to put it back in place, there would be a huge rush to sign up for the program,” Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said in an interview Thursday. “And then we’re probably looking at a program that costs well over $100 million and is even more difficult to adapt.”
In the news release, Senate Finance and Appropriations Chairwoman Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, noted that the budget containing the disputed VMSDEP overhaul passed with bipartisan support.
“We are committed to taking this necessary step to correct unintended consequences as we continue to work together to conduct an independent review to find a long-term solution for VMSDEP,” Lucas said in the Democrats’ press release. Senate. “After my personal experience with tremendous resistance, I have dedicated my entire career as a legislator to ensuring that everyone has access to educational opportunities and can reach their full potential. Our budget reflects this belief and the proposed changes reinforce my support for all students.”
The lack of agreement between the two chambers of the General Assembly, both controlled by Democrats, could add more fuel to the controversy that erupted last month after the swift passage of an overdue state budget.
“The idea that Senator Lucas thinks it is acceptable to go rogue in this area makes it clear that she does not value veterans,” said Kayla Owen, a military spouse and co-founder of the advocacy group Friends of VMSDEP, which has been pressuring lawmakers move to restore recovery. the program as it was before the budget was adopted.
Senate Democrats pointed to state data showing the program ballooning from 1,387 students in 2019 to 6,125 students in 2023, boosting the financial impact to an estimated $65.3 million annually.
That growth has raised concerns in both parties, but leaders have struggled to balance sympathy for veterans with concerns that the state has created an overly generous program that makes college virtually free for some families and free for all others. more expensive.
Advocates for military families have questioned this claim and disputed the state’s cost estimates, arguing that adding the amount of uncollected tuition is not necessarily an accurate measure for determining VMSDEP costs.
Democratic leaders in the Senate said the legislation they will introduce will ensure that anyone using VMSDEP to register for classes this fall will not be affected by the eligibility changes, and will exempt the families of veterans who have been killed or wounded in combat with a 90% disability. , require more guidance from the state on how to interpret the new rules and direct the Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission to study VMSDEP ahead of the 2025 General Assembly session.
That approach would keep some of the cost-saving measures in place without erasing them all and starting over under full repeal.
Pro-VMSDEP activists say a partial restoration of the program would exclude families affected by post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as service members killed or injured in training accidents or other non-combat scenarios.
It’s unclear how the House and Senate can resolve their differences, but if the Senate acts first, the Senate could gain more power to dictate the terms of what the VMSDEP solution will be. However, several Senate Democrats have expressed support for fully repealing the changes, creating uncertainty over whether the caucus leadership will get the votes needed to pass the bill outlined in Thursday’s release is described.
The House appears to be sticking to its plan for a complete rollback of the VMSDEP changes. In a statement issued Thursday, House Appropriations Chairman Luke Torian, D-Prince William, said he will support legislation “to restore the program to its previous form” if a task force convened by the governor works on longer-term policy recommendations. a complete repeal bill Sponsored by Torian and a bipartisan group of deputies who have been working on the issue, it was pre-filed Thursday.
“Veterans have many choices when deciding where to call home, and this program is a major reason why some families choose Virginia after their service,” Del said. Jackie Glass, D-Norfolk, in the news release from Torian’s office. “I have heard from countless families in my district and across the Commonwealth how these changes have disrupted the lives of their children and their spouses’ efforts to further their education.”
The governor also indicated that he still wants to see the VMSDEP changes completely reversed. In a social media message On Thursday afternoon, Youngkin said, “It is time for us to come together and for the General Assembly to send me a clean bill that solely and completely repeals and undoes the eligibility changes made to VMSDEP.”
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The report that the Virginia House and Senate will receive military tuition on separate days first appeared on the Virginia Mercury.
