Legislation, introduced by House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn and Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw that establishes a program to provide financial support to cover tuition, fees, and books for eligible students at the Commonwealth’s two-year public institutions, is making its way through the House and Senate. HB 2204 /SB 1405 create the G3 Program, which makes tuition-free community college available to low- and middle-income Virginians who enroll in pathways that lead to jobs in high-demand fields. On January 20, the House Education Committee’s Post-Secondary and Higher Education Subcommittee recommended reporting HB 2204 on a unanimous vote of 8-0. In the Senate, SB 1405 was reported unanimously from the Senate Education and Health Committee on January 21 on a 14-0 vote. This bill is supported by Governor Ralph Northam, and his proposed budget includes $36 million in FY 2022 to fund the program.
VACo supports this workforce development and education initiative as it will provide a funding increase to a number of students leaving the K-14 system with workforce-ready credentials and will strengthen the school-to-workforce pipeline.
VACo Contact: Jeremy R. Bennett