VMSDEP A Recent History, Spring 2024

Since some people were not previously familiar with the program or may not have heard about the challenges it's facing we wanted to make a primer so anyone not up to speed can do so quickly.

VMSDEP: The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP) is a Commonwealth of Virginia program that provides education benefits to spouses and children of qualifying Veterans who have been rated by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (USDVA) as totally and permanently disabled or at least 90 percent permanently disabled as a result of military service or qualifying Military Service Members killed, missing in action, taken prisoner, or who have been rated by the USDVA as totally and permanently disabled or at least 90 percent permanently disabled as a direct result of involvement in covered military combat for up to eight semesters, the equivalent of four academic years. Military service includes the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces Reserves, or the Virginia National Guard. (Taken from VMSDEP website)

3/25/24 The Virginia state proposed budget HB30 had language “snuck in” (the words of numerous legislators not my own) which attempted to massacre the program.  Most legislators appeared to not be aware of the changes as there was no language surrounding them that named the program by name or indicated that they were at all related to Veterans or Veteran benefits in Virginia.  

Changes included (https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Introduced/CR/4-5.01/2c/):

• The program will become a "last payer", FAFSA will be required, and if a student receives any other aid (local, state, federal) it will be applied first. The bill specifies this includes all funding under 38 USC III. This is particularly problematic because most students who qualify for VMSDEP also qualify for Chapter 35 benefits and typically use those Chapter 35 benefits to cover housing costs. 
• The above change will also be heavily impacted by "Expected Family Contribution", an amount that is calculated through FAFSA SAI (previously EFC), ie. if your family EFC is calculated to be $12,000, you would be expected to pay $12,000 before VMSDEP waivers are applied. 
• Graduate degree education would no longer be eligible for waiver. This would impact families and individuals who made strategic graduate school decisions based on VMSDEP funding.
• First bachelor's degree only, students will be unable to "course correct" at a later life stage.
• The changes will go into effect this year, but there will be a one-year grace period (through July 2025) for those already enrolled in approved plans. This means that students who have faithfully applied to institutions this year with plans to begin attendance in the 24-25 school year will not benefit, and students who are mid-course of study, will face a major financial disruption next year. 

Early April 2024: a petition was started that gathered 4,000 signatures in 10 days.  Many people inside and outside of Virginia that cared about Veterans benefits lobbied state officials to “Save VMSDEP”. 

https://www.change.org/p/support-virginia-military-survivors-and-dependents-education-program-vmsdep

4/8/2024: Governor Youngkin responded to the changes with two Amendments  62 and 230 on April 8.  These Amendments called for a formal study to be completed by November, 2024 with one beneficiary of the Program to be designated by the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs. (https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/amendment/2024/1/HB30/Enrolled/GR/)

4/17/24:  Members of the ad hoc Friends of VMSDEP group went to Richmond to meet with legislators on “vote day” for the budget, which also happened to be the day of the Military Child.  The house rejected the budget changes by Governor Youngkin to HB30 in their entirety, which caused the budget to be redrafted in its entirety.

5/11/24: The new budget language was released and was "hidden" on page 641 of HB/SB 6001.  This language was more restrictive than HB30.  It requires VMSDEP to be the last payer and requires families to complete a FAFSA and contribute their expected family contribution, pay Chapter 35 benefits and any other funding prior to VMSDEP contributing a single dollar.  In addition, it excludes the program to first degree only,  https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/get/budget/4966/HB6001/ 

7. Waivers and Related Stipends

a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, individuals eligible for any financial aid waivers and related stipends contained

in § 23.1, Chapter 6 shall:

1) Establish domicile as provided in § 23.1-502 and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) domicile

guidelines.

2) Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or equivalent state financial aid application.

3) Make satisfactory academic progress as defined by the institution for the purposes of eligibility under Title IV of the federal

Higher Education Act, as amended.

b) Waivers and related stipends under this section are limited to a certificate or associate degree at a public two-year institution

and certificate or first bachelor's degree at a public four-year institution of higher education. Eligibility is restricted to a

combined total of no more than four years or its equivalent.

c) 1) Waivers granted under this section shall cover the last-dollar cost of the in-state undergraduate tuition, mandatory

Education & General Program (E & G) fees and mandatory non-E & G fees after applying, in the following order: (i) all federal

aid under 38 USC Part III dollar-for-dollar; (ii) all state grants and scholarships dollar-for-dollar; and (iii) a proportion of all

federal gift aid (Pell) and expected family contribution (EFC) or its equivalent under FAFSA Simplification as determined by

SCHEV.

2) The proportion in c)1) (iii) shall be determined by SCHEV based on undergraduate tuition, mandatory Education & General

Program (E & G) fees and mandatory non-E & G fees as a percentage of the total cost of attendance.

3) Mandatory non-E & G fees in c) 1) are fees charged to all students regardless of degree program or as defined by SCHEV.

Mandatory non-E & G fees do not include room and board.

d) Students enrolled in the Program in 2023-2024 or who formally committed to the institution to enroll in Summer or Fall

2024 courses by May 15, 2024 shall not be subject to the provisions of a) 1), b), c) 1) and c) 2) of this section.

5/13/24: HB/SB 6001 was passed by the House and Senate and then signed by Governor Glenn Youngkin, with no veto to the VMSDEP added language.

5/15/24: Governor Glenn Youngkin issued ED7 after close of business on the day of the grandfather deadline. This directive asks for a task force to be set up to study the "unintended consequences" based on the passage of HB/SB60001.  Sadly, ED7 is  even more limiting than the budget bill, by including the following in  number 2 of his directive, “The guidance shall clearly state that the  grandfather clause at § 4-5.01(b)(7)(d) applies for the duration of the  student’s enrollment in his or her program of study, or the students  four years of program eligibility, whichever comes first.” This means  that students who are enrolled in community college with the hopes of  transferring to a 4 year institution may not do so, students who are  enrolled in prerequisites are limited to that only, students who are  graduating early and were hoping to use one year for grad school will  not be able to use that extra year. There are students who are on  waitlists that could not satisfy the May 15 deadline as well.

https://www.governor.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/governor-of-virginia/pdf/ed/ED-7---Addressing-Changes-to-the-Virginia-Military-Survivors-and-Dependents-Education-Program.pdf

TODAY WE ARE HERE:

The Commonwealth of Virginia has made a Compact with Veterans that lays the foundation for Virginia to become America's most veteran-friendly state, the passage of HB/SB 6001 is a violation of that.  

We continue to call on Governor Glenn Youngkin and the Virginia General Assembly to call a special session specifically asking for the following:
-Virginia to uphold its Compact with Veterans.
-The VMSDEP program to be restored to its previous state prior to HB/SB6001.
-The program be evaluated in the form of a study that is comprehensive  and specifically examines the date provided by SCHEV which is  inconsistent with DVS and Colleges and Universities, and should seek to  examine, not only the "unintended consequences" as outlined in Governor  Youngkin's ED7, but the program at large as well as options to promote  sustainability.