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Virginia private colleges urge lawmakers to bolster TAG as federal aid changes loom
Summary
Leaders of Virginia’s 28 private nonprofit colleges told the Senate subcommittee that the Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) is critical to affordability and workforce supply, and asked for roughly $20 million in the next biennium to restore purchasing power of the maximum TAG award amid federal aid changes they say could cut about $238 million.
Frank Shushock, president of Roanoke College, and Chris Peace, president of the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (CICV), told the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee’s Education Subcommittee that state support for the Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) is essential to preserve access at private nonprofit colleges and sustain local economies.
Shushock summarized CICV’s case in numbers: “Our institutions generate nearly $5,000,000,000 in economic impact across the state and employ more than 30,000 Virginians,” he said, adding the sector educates “well over 100,000 students each year” while receiving “only 3.7% of Virginia's general fund spending on higher education.” He urged the subcommittee to maintain TAG’s value, saying, “For every $1 in state the state invests in TAG, $2 is returned.”
Why it matters: CICV speakers argued that TAG stabilizes costs for families and pairs with institutional and federal aid to make private college tuition comparable to public peers, supporting workforce development in smaller communities. They warned that recent and pending federal policy shifts — including changes to Pell and Grad PLUS/parent loan rules — will reduce federal support and, they estimated, could reduce resources related to Virginia students by about $238,000,000.
Key proposals and data: Shushock and Peace asked the subcommittee to back higher TAG investment. Shushock said the sector’s fiscal picture is fragile: a 5% undergraduate enrollment decline would translate to roughly 4,000 fewer students and about $60,000,000 in lost revenue; a comparable decline in graduate enrollment would cost roughly $101,000,000. CICV’s advocacy materials and presenters referenced a CHEVE/SCHEV recommendation that would require slightly more than $20,000,000 in the biennium to raise the maximum TAG award from $5,250 to $5,350 and preserve purchasing power.
CICV context and priorities: Peace and Shushock emphasized that the 28-member group includes institutions statewide and produces a high share of nursing and other workforce degrees (the presenters cited that 15 private nursing colleges produce about 40% of private nursing degrees). They also listed policy priorities beyond TAG: an HBCU infrastructure/preservation proposal, continued representation on SCHEV, and limited access to certain state credit or bond programs for low‑enrollment institutions.
What was not decided: Presenters only asked for support and information; the subcommittee did not take a vote or adopt a formal amendment on TAG during the session. Staff thanked the presenters and moved the agenda to the staff budget overview.
The committee is scheduled to meet again on Thursday, January 22 at 3:00 p.m.
