Virginia’s accredited nonprofit private colleges and universities fulfill an important public purpose in strengthening local economies, creating jobs, and preparing the Commonwealth’s workforce for future success. The 28 members of the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (“CICV”) members employ nearly 30,000 Virginians and produce $2 billion in wages and benefits, with $157 million in state and local tax revenue and a $4.6 billion significant overall economic output. Degree production and talent retention meet the needs of an evolving workforce with students who are well-prepared for high-demand careers and contribute economically to communities across the state.
Virginia’s economic vitality should continue to benefit from the presence of nonprofit private higher education in all regions of the Commonwealth, including underserved areas like Southwest and Southern Virginia, where public higher education opportunities remain limited. Unfortunately, without support from the Virginia General Assembly, these proud and celebrated institutions, many of which were founded long before some of the state’s public institutions, face mounting challenges, including rising business costs from increasingly burdensome federal regulation and extraordinary enrollment disruptions from the federal government’s recent bungled efforts to “simplify” its financial aid process. Moreover, declining birth rates since 2008 mean a shrinking pool of 18-year-olds heading to college. The Hechinger Report highlights a 15% drop in national enrollment from 2010 to 2021, illustrating a growing strain on institutions. While the sky is not falling in Virginia now, the Cardinal News editorial page recently detailed sobering news that over 500 nonprofit private colleges closed in the past decade — a rate three times higher than the previous decade. So, while federal regulations, mandates, and demographic pressures are outside the direct control of Virginia lawmakers, state leaders have a unique opportunity to provide certainty for students and families of private colleges by creating a stable funding environment where colleges can thrive.
Virginia legislators should consider these colleges as necessary parts of the state’s full higher education spectrum. Like their public counterparts, private colleges are places of innovation, degree production, and economic impact that can continue to serve as gateways to prosperity for students, families, and the Commonwealth. To assist, CICV has outlined to the General Assembly its key legislative priorities to support students and families in Virginia’s nonprofit private college sector:
- Increase the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) to $6,000: Raising the TAG award to $6,000 will significantly expand affordability for Virginia students and families, helping stabilize enrollment. Under the current state budget, TAG will only increase from $5,000 to $5,250 over four years.
- Restore parity to Undergraduate and Graduate TAG increases: Half of all student debt is debt from graduate degrees. The only graduate programs eligible for TAG are those in the health professions. Virginia needs all the nurses, pharmacists, and physical therapists we can train. Graduate students with advanced degrees tend to remain in the state for work. The two awards were decoupled during the last budget cycle and should be restored.
- Address the nursing workforce crisis and expand student mental health supportive services: There are 15 private nonprofit colleges with nursing programs. Private colleges’ nursing programs produce an extraordinary 40% of all nursing degrees in Virginia. With a critical nursing shortage, legislators can support the creation of a nursing workforce center and expand clinical placements grant opportunities through investment in Earn2Learn programs. Virginia Association of Colleges of Nursing President Cindy Rubenstein provided the Richmond Times-Dispatch an excellent Commentary, “A nursing shortage threatens to upend health care in Virginia,” summarizing many critical initiatives. Because mental health does not distinguish between a public student and a nonprofit private college student, legislators can render student support by allowing private colleges access to the Mental Health Workforce Pilot program. A statewide virtual mental health contract will further enhance student support options.
With this state support, private colleges can meet enrollment challenges, improve affordability, and expand student access to underserved populations. By pairing federal programs with the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG) and providing substantial student aid, nonprofit private colleges empower these students to pursue a high-quality education at little to no cost through “Promise Programs.” Such opportunities allow students to attend nearly tuition-free, ensuring access for underserved populations and opening pathways to success without the burden of student debt.
With strategic investment from state leaders, private colleges can overcome demographics, regulatory, and policy challenges while expanding their pivotal roles in driving innovation, opportunity, and economic growth. As The Hechinger Report highlights, “If we don’t keep our edge in innovation and college-level education, we’ll have a decline in the economy and ultimately a decline in the living standard.” By supporting CICV’s legislative priorities, state leaders can ensure these venerable institutions remain cornerstones of opportunity, innovation, and economic growth, securing a prosperous future for Virginia and its citizens.
Chris Peace is president, Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia, Inc.