HB961: Higher educational institutions; alternative tuition or fee structures to students, report.


VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY -- CHAPTER
An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23-7.4:8, relating to alternative tuition or fee structures.
[H 961]
Approved

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 23-7.4:8 as follows:

§ 23-7.4:8. Alternative tuition or fee structures.

Any public institution of higher education may offer alternative tuition or fee structures to students that result in lower costs of attendance, including discounted tuition, flat tuition rates, discounted student fees, or student fee and student services flexibility, to any first-time, incoming freshman undergraduate student who (i) has established domicile, as that term is defined in § 23-7.4, in the Commonwealth and (ii) 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. Such an alternative tuition or fee structure may be renewed each year if the recipient maintains eligibility for the alternative tuition and fee structure. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall offer guidance, upon request, to any public institution of higher education in establishing an alternative tuition or fee structure pursuant to this section.

2. That the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (the Council) shall develop recommendations regarding financial incentives and benefits that might be offered to public institutions of higher education that offer alternative tuition or fee structures pursuant to this act. Such incentives and benefits may be related to targeted economic and innovation incentives pursuant to subdivision A 3 of § 23-38.87:16 of the Code of Virginia, base adequacy funding, or biennial assessments of institutional performance as set forth in Part 4 of the general appropriation act and § 23-9.6:1.01 of the Code of Virginia. The Council shall report its recommendations to the Joint Subcommittee on the Future Competitiveness of Virginia Higher Education no later than November 1, 2016.


HOUSE BILL NO. 961
FLOOR AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by Senator Norment
on March 4, 2016)
(Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Rush)
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23-7.4:8, relating to alternative tuition or fee structures.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 23-7.4:8 as follows:

§ 23-7.4:8. Alternative tuition or fee structures.

Any public institution of higher education may offer alternative tuition or fee structures to students that result in lower costs of attendance, including discounted tuition, flat tuition rates, discounted student fees, or student fee and student services flexibility, to any first-time, incoming freshman undergraduate student who (i) has established domicile, as that term is defined in § 23-7.4, in the Commonwealth and (ii) 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. Such an alternative tuition or fee structure may be renewed each year if the recipient maintains eligibility for the alternative tuition and fee structure. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall offer guidance, upon request, to any public institution of higher education in establishing an alternative tuition or fee structure pursuant to this section.

2. That the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (the Council) shall develop recommendations regarding financial incentives and benefits that might be offered to public institutions of higher education that offer alternative tuition or fee structures pursuant to this act. Such incentives and benefits may be related to targeted economic and innovation incentives pursuant to subdivision A 3 of § 23-38.87:16 of the Code of Virginia, base adequacy funding, or biennial assessments of institutional performance as set forth in Part 4 of the general appropriation act and § 23-9.6:1.01 of the Code of Virginia. The Council shall report its recommendations to the Joint Subcommittee on the Future Competitiveness of Virginia Higher Education no later than November 1, 2016.


HOUSE BILL NO. 961
AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by the House Committee on Education
on February 10, 2016)
(Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Rush)
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23-7.4:8, relating to alternative tuition or fee structures.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 23-7.4:8 as follows:

§ 23-7.4:8. Alternative tuition or fee structures.

A. Any public institution of higher education may offer alternative tuition or fee structures to students.

B. In order to receive the benefits set forth in subsection C, a public institution of higher education shall offer alternative tuition or fee structures, including discounted tuition, flat tuition rates, discounted student fees, or student fee and student services flexibility, to any first-time, incoming freshman undergraduate student who (i) has established domicile, as that term is defined in § 23-7.4, in the Commonwealth and (ii) 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 (Council). The Council shall determine whether an institution's alternative tuition or fee structure complies with the guidelines established by the Council. Such an alternative tuition or fee structure may be renewed each year if the recipient maintains continuous full-time enrollment. If a recipient fails to maintain continuous full-time enrollment, subsequently enrolls in a noneligible degree program, or fails to complete the eligible degree program within four years, the institution shall convert the financial benefit received by the student pursuant to this subsection to a financial obligation payable by the student to the institution on terms established by the institution and approved by the Council.

C. Each student who receives the benefits of an alternative tuition or fee structure pursuant to subsection B shall count one and a half times for the purpose of (i) targeted economic and innovation incentives pursuant to subdivision A 3 of § 23-38.87:16, (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 § 23-9.6:1.01.

HOUSE BILL NO. 961

Offered January 13, 2016
Prefiled January 12, 2016
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23-7.4:8, relating to alternative tuition or fee structures.
Patron-- Rush

Committee Referral Pending

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 23-7.4:8 as follows:

§ 23-7.4:8. Alternative tuition or fee structures.

A. Any public institution of higher education may offer alternative tuition or fee structures to students.

B. In order to receive the benefits set forth in subsection C, a public institution of higher education shall, with the approval of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (Council), offer alternative tuition or fee structures, including discounted tuition, flat tuition rates, discounted student fees, or student fee and student services flexibility, to any first-time, incoming freshman undergraduate student who (i) has established domicile, as that term is defined in § 23-7.4, in the Commonwealth and (ii) 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. Such an alternative tuition or fee structure may be renewed each year if the recipient maintains continuous full-time enrollment. If a recipient fails to maintain continuous full-time enrollment, subsequently enrolls in a noneligible degree program, or fails to complete the eligible degree program within four years, the institution shall convert the financial benefit received by the student pursuant to this subsection to a financial obligation payable by the student to the institution on terms established by the institution and approved by the Council.

C. Each student who receives the benefits of an alternative tuition or fee structure pursuant to subsection B shall count one and a half times for the purpose of (i) targeted economic and innovation incentives pursuant to subdivision A 3 of § 23-38.87:16, (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 § 23-9.6:1.01.