A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 6 of Title 23.1 an article numbered 2.1, consisting of sections numbered 23.1-616.1 through 23.1-616.5, and by adding in Chapter 13 of Title 23.1 a section numbered 23.1-1311, relating to certain public institutions of higher education; enrollment limitations in incoming freshman classes; Virginia Higher Education Scholarship Act Fund and Program established.
HB990 would create the Virginia Higher Education Scholarship Act, establishing a new state fund and scholarship program for a narrow group of high-achieving Virginia public high school graduates. Beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year, eligible students could apply for a scholarship covering the cost of tuition, room and board, and mandatory fees for up to eight semesters at designated public institutions of higher education. The scholarships would be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis from the fund, and the Council would be directed to create program guidelines and an application form outside the normal Administrative Process Act rulemaking procedures.
The bill also sets strict eligibility rules. A student must graduate from a Virginia public high school, rank in the top two percent of the class by GPA (or be the top student in a class under 50 students), qualify for in-state tuition, and be admitted to one of the listed institutions. The scholarship would be revoked if the student is dismissed from the institution. In addition, the bill limits the number of eligible students at each high school to no more than two percent of the graduating class, with the principal deciding ties.
HB990 would also impose a new enrollment cap on most baccalaureate public institutions of higher education, requiring that beginning with the 2027 incoming freshman class, the percentage of undergraduate non-Virginia students in each incoming freshman class not exceed 45 percent. This cap would not apply to Norfolk State University, Virginia Military Institute, or Virginia State University. The bill therefore affects both state scholarship spending and admissions/enrollment policy at public universities.
The scholarship program is limited to a specific set of public institutions, including Norfolk State, VMI, Virginia State, and several other named universities, with some institutions available only to students from specified regions or localities. The geographic restrictions make the benefit highly targeted by both school performance and home locality, suggesting the bill is designed to steer top Virginia students toward particular public campuses while also limiting out-of-state freshman enrollment at most institutions.
There is little recorded committee or floor discussion in the available materials, and no votes are listed. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Education and was left in Education, which suggests it did not advance. Based on the text alone, the measure appears to combine a merit scholarship proposal with a broader policy goal of preserving access for Virginia residents at public universities, but the lack of recorded debate means no formal sentiment or opposition arguments are documented in the provided history.
HB990 would add a new article to Title 23.1 creating the Virginia Higher Education Scholarship Act Fund and Program, and it would add a separate section imposing a 45 percent cap on non-Virginia students in incoming freshman classes at most baccalaureate public institutions. It would affect the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the State Treasurer, the Comptroller, public high schools, and the boards of visitors of public universities. The bill would also alter admissions and enrollment practices at specified public institutions and create a new state-funded scholarship obligation for qualifying students.
The available record shows no committee transcript, no recorded votes, and no formal debate, so there is no documented public sentiment beyond the bill’s referral and failure to advance out of the House Committee on Education. The structure of the bill suggests a policy preference for rewarding top Virginia public high school graduates and limiting nonresident enrollment, but the legislative history provided does not show explicit support or opposition from members.
The main points of contention likely would be the bill’s cost and scope, since it promises full tuition, room and board, and mandatory fees for up to eight semesters for a defined group of students, while also creating a nonreverting special fund. Another likely issue is the enrollment cap on non-Virginia students, which could be viewed as restricting university autonomy and potentially affecting institutional revenue and admissions diversity. The locality-based eligibility rules for certain universities and the two-percent class cap at each high school could also be controversial because they make the benefit highly selective and uneven across the Commonwealth.