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2016 SESSION

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HB 961 Higher educational institutions; alternative tuition or fee structures to students, report.

Introduced by: Nick Rush | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED:

Four-year public institutions of higher education; alternative tuition or fee structures. Permits each public institution of higher education to offer alternative tuition or fee structures that result in lower cost of attendance to students. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (the Council) shall offer guidance, upon request, to any public institution of higher education in establishing such alternative tuition or fee structure. The Council is also directed to develop recommendations regarding financial incentives and benefits that might be offered to public institutions of higher education that offer alternative tuition and fee structures and to report its recommendations to the Joint Subcommittee on the Future Competitiveness of Virginia Higher Education by November 1, 2016.

SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE:

Four-year public institutions of higher education; alternative tuition or fee structures. Permits each public institution of higher education to offer alternative tuition or fee structures to students. The bill provides that if a public institution of higher education offers alternative tuition or fee structures, including discounted tuition, four-year flat tuition rates, discounted student fees, or student fee and student services flexibility, to any Virginia-domiciled, first-time, incoming freshman undergraduate student who enrolls full time with the intent to earn a degree in a program that leads to employment in a high-demand field in the region, according to guidelines established by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, each student who receives the benefits of such an alternative tuition or fee structure shall count one and a half times for the purpose of (i) targeted economic and innovation incentives to increase degree completion in a timely or expedited manner, (ii) the base adequacy funding guidelines adopted and periodically updated by the Joint Subcommittee Studying Higher Education Funding Policies, or (iii) biennial assessments of institutional performance as set forth in Part 4 of the general appropriation act and consistent with § 23-9.6:1.01.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Four-year public institutions of higher education; alternative tuition or fee structures. Permits each public institution of higher education to offer alternative tuition or fee structures to students. The bill provides that if a public institution of higher education, with the approval of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (the Council), offers alternative tuition or fee structures, including discounted tuition, four-year flat tuition rates, discounted student fees, or student fee and student services flexibility, to any Virginia-domiciled, first-time, incoming freshman undergraduate student who enrolls full time with the intent to earn a degree in a program that leads to employment in a high-demand field in the region, according to guidelines established by the Council, each student who receives the benefits of such an alternative tuition or fee structure shall count one and a half times for the purpose of (i) targeted economic and innovation incentives to increase degree completion in a timely or expedited manner, (ii) the base adequacy funding guidelines adopted and periodically updated by the Joint Subcommittee Studying Higher Education Funding Policies, or (iii) biennial assessments of institutional performance as set forth in Part 4 of the general appropriation act and consistent with § 23-9.6:1.01.