Subcommittee moves bill to reform state aid programs, creates Secretary-led work group

The appropriations subcommittee reported House Bill 1221 by a 7-0 vote after the bill sponsor and supporting witnesses described it as the start of a multi-year process to reform state financial aid programs.

An analyst told members HB 1221 consolidates provisions of long-standing state aid programs and implements recommendations previously made by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC). The bill would repeal current programs and create a work group led by the Secretary of Education to review award eligibility, renewal and program structure and return recommendations to the General Assembly.

Caitlin Reed of James Madison University told the committee she supported the bill and relayed support from the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University and Radford University. "James Madison supports the bill," she said, adding the change would improve predictability for families planning college financing.

Connor Andrews, Deputy Secretary for Education, said the administration supports the bill.

Committee members discussed the bill briefly and then moved the report; the clerk recorded HB 1221 as passing 7-0.

The transcript lists a report-back date that appears garbled in the record; members should consult the bill text for the precise statutory deadline and implementation dates.