Virginia House Bill HB981

Virginia 2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/9/24
• Refer: 1/9/24

Caption

Higher ed. institutions, public; tuition and financial aid, dependency override application form.

Impact

The enactment of HB 981 is expected to significantly enhance the financial aid process for students facing unique personal circumstances. By standardizing the availability and content of the dependency override application form across public institutions, students will have clearer pathways to access necessary financial support. Additionally, the State Council of Higher Education is tasked with developing model language for informational materials, ensuring that institutions have up-to-date resources to guide students effectively.

Summary

House Bill 981 is legislation aimed at improving access to financial aid for students at public institutions of higher education in Virginia. The bill mandates that each public higher education institution create and maintain a 'dependency override application form' that informs students about what qualifies as unusual circumstances that may allow them to be classified as independent students for the purposes of financial aid. This includes situations such as estrangement from parents, abuse, incarceration of guardians, or inability to contact parents.

Contention

One notable point of contention around HB 981 may arise from concerns regarding the broad definition of circumstances that permit a dependency override. While the legislation aims to provide inclusive access to financial aid, some may argue that the criteria for qualifying circumstances need further specification to prevent misuse and ensure that overrides are granted fairly. This discussion reflects the ongoing balance between providing access to necessary resources and maintaining integrity within the financial aid system.