Access and Affordability

Governor Youngkin has prioritized the accessibility and affordability of higher education for all learners across the Commonwealth. Since the beginning of his administration, Governor Youngkin has advocated for colleges and universities to decrease their overall operating costs and practice pursue prudent fiscal management to stabilize and even freeze tuition increases.

Reducing Costs and Keeping Tuition Low

At the start of the Governor's Administration in 2022 he called upon each college and university to commit to freezing tuition for in-state students. After close conversations with each institutions' president, rectors, and boards of visitors, all of Virginia's public institutions of higher education pledged to freeze tuition for Virginia's families and students. This action directly benefited more than a quarter-million undergraduate students across the Commonwealth.

After the initial tuition freeze, the Governor has worked closely with each Board of Visitors to keep additional tuition increases to ~3% to match the rate of inflation while sparing Virginia students from additional costs. Additionally, the Governor attempted to codify limits to runaway tuition increases by proposing a restriction on an institution's ability to raise tuition more than 2.5%.

Financial Aid and Tuition Assistance

Crucial to the Governor's goal of increasing access and affordability is ensuring that Virginia's students in need can utilize and benefit from robust financial aid programs. During the Governor's administration he has increased the state appropriation for access and affordability programs, most recently allocating additional $80.5 million during the 2025 General Assembly Session.

Virginia Tuition Assistance Grants:

Tuition Assistance Grants provide students a scholarship to help offset the cost of tuition for qualifying degrees at private colleges and universities in Virginia. The program was created in 1971, and the award amount has successfully been raised twice during Governor Youngkin's term. Additionally, as of July 1, 2025, students attending designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions are eligible for an additional award on top of the base amount.

Two-Year College Transfer Grant:

The Administration has additionally expanded opportunities for students to begin their post-secondary education at their local community college. The Two-Year College Transfer Grant helps low-income students who start their degree path at a 2-year college before transferring to a 4-year institution. The initiative furthermore provides increased grant awards for students seeking STEM-H degrees.

Program Approval Process and Strategic Planning

Governor Youngkin and the leadership at the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia have worked closely with university leadership to redefine the strategic 6-year planning process and procedure for approving new college degrees and classes. Now, colleges and universities must align future programs and strategic planning with workforce needs, institutional sustainability, and tangible outcomes.

This redefined process has allowed the State Council of Higher Education to develop and create the first-ever Higher Education Planning Guide and College Outcomes dashboard. Every citizen of the Commonwealth can now look at enrollment trends, degrees awarded, job placement, wage attainment, and other metrics to enable students and families to make decisions suited to their interests and need using the best data available.

Within the guide and dashboard is a "Fact Pack" for each public institution in the Commonwealth. These Fact Packs contain information specific to each college or university and are designed to increase transparency and enable institutional leadership with the best data to make informed decisions. Specifically, this information is now used in each institution's 6-year planning process, helping shape their strategic mission.

Dual Enrollment

The Governor has emphasized and empowered Virginians to achieve and attain college credit during their time in high school through meaningful experiences such as Dual Enrollment. This allows students to finish their degree program faster, entering the workforce sooner, and saving money in the process. During his Administration, the Governor has launched the Passport Program, a multi-institutional agreement between all Virginia 2- and 4-year public institutions to recognize the transferability of 16 core curriculum classes and the Uniform Certificate of General Studies to satisfy general education requirements for transfer students.

College and Career Ready Virginia:

Under the leadership of Governor Youngkin during the 2024 Session, the General Assembly established the College and career Ready Virginia Program and Fund. The program provides access to the universally transferable 16 Passport dual enrollment classes and the Uniform Certificate of General Studies for all high school students, at no cost to them or their families.