On Tuesday, I joined a small group of presidential colleagues from throughout the Commonwealth to talk with Gov. Terry McAuliffe about the impact and priorities of private higher education in Virginia. The meeting was arranged by Robert Lambeth, who has served as President of the Council of Independent Colleges of Virginia since 1983.
The group thanked the Governor for his support of Virginia’s private colleges and universities and encouraged his support of the Tuition Assistance Grant and other private college initiatives. More than 23,000 Virginia families benefit from the TAG Program, over 185,000 Virginians since the inception of the program. We discussed the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia recommendation ($3,300/$3,350) and why we support maintaining TAG as a non-need based grant.
In addition, we discussed five other items:
Access
·
72% of undergraduate students at Virginia private colleges
are from under-represented populations (URP) compared to Virginia 4-year public
institutions, which have a 53% URP. URP is defined using characteristics of Pell,
Virginia Localities, race, and age.
·
50% of all undergraduate students at Virginia private
colleges receive Pell, compared to 26% at Virginia 4-year public institutions
and 42% at Virginia 2-year public colleges.
·
Over the past decade, the number of minority undergraduate
students enrolled at Virginia private colleges has increased 84%.
·
Virginia’s private colleges enroll a higher percentage of
African-American undergraduate students than do Virginia’s 4-year public
institutions (17% versus 15%).
Jobs
·
Virginia private colleges have over 21,000 employees.
·
Over $1 billion is spent by Virginia private colleges each
year on salaries, wages, and benefits.
Saving the Commonwealth Money
·
The cost to the Commonwealth to enroll an undergraduate
Virginia student at a private college is $3,100, which is the amount of a
Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) award. The TAG program helps Virginians receive
a high quality education at a fraction of the cost to the Commonwealth.
·
Virginia’s private colleges are a bargain for the
Commonwealth. The cost of an in-state bachelor’s degree at a Virginia private
college is approximately $10,000, versus approximately $37,000 at a 4-year
public college.
STEM Growth/Graduate Students
·
Virginia’s private colleges have a commitment to STEM-H and
high need areas. Over the past decade, the number of STEM-H degrees has
increased 87%.
·
20% of all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Virginia private
colleges in 2014-15 were in STEM-H fields.
·
Virginia private colleges excel at producing educators and
health care workers. They award 47% of all bachelor’s degrees in education and
37% of all bachelor’s degrees in health professions.
Our Work with Special Populations (Veterans, Teachers, Older Students, Women)
·
Almost 10,000 veterans using the GI Bill attend Virginia
private colleges, 12% more than at Virginia 4-year public colleges.
·
89% of CICV members participate in the in the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs Yellow Ribbon Program. The Yellow Ribbon Program is the
post 9/11 GI Bill lowering the actual tuition and fees per academic year at a
private institution. Private institutions that participate in the Yellow Ribbon
Program agree to make additional financial aid available for the Veteran’s
education.
·
Virginia private college alumni serve Virginia public schools
in every region of the Commonwealth. 17,000 teachers currently employed by
Virginia public schools received a degree from a Virginia private college.
·
64% of all undergraduate students in Virginia over the age of
25 are enrolled at Virginia private colleges.
