Subcommittee advances bill removing state selective-service FAFSA requirement

House Bill 414, introduced for Delegate Guzman, was reported out of the House Appropriations Education Subcommittee on a unanimous 6–0 voice tally after the sponsor and a state higher-education official described the change as a corrective alignment with federal FAFSA practice.

"Back in 2021, the federal government got rid of the selective service form for male applicants for financial aid," Delegate Guzman told the subcommittee, arguing Virginia’s continued requirement harms low-income male students by blocking access to the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant when the form is not filed in time.

Ellen Davenport of the Virginia Community College System told the panel the system “wholeheartedly support[s] this bill,” saying it reduces administrative burden for staff who have monitored the inconsistent requirement since the federal change. She emphasized removing the state requirement would align Virginia practice with the federal FAFSA and ease processing for students.

Delegate David Reed moved to report the bill; a second was recorded in the proceeding though the speaker who said "second" was not explicitly named in the transcript. The chair recorded the committee’s preference and announced the bill passed the subcommittee 6–0.

The bill’s purpose, as presented to the subcommittee, is to eliminate a state-level FAFSA selective-service question that remained after a 2021 federal change. No fiscal or physical impacts were reported by staff at the hearing. The subcommittee’s action sends HB 414 to the next stage of consideration in the House process.