RICHMOND, Va. (CN) — Virginia's governor made extensive cuts to a waiver program for veterans' dependents, calling it unsustainable, but advocates disagree with the move.
"When something dramatic like this happens, it triggers you," said Air Force veteran Pamella Newton, who has post-traumatic stress disorder. "We have a couple of individuals we are keeping an eye on because they may do something dramatic or hurt themselves."
The House of Delegates appropriations committee heard a presentation Tuesday outlining coming reforms to the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program. The program offers tuition waivers and stipends for dependents to attend Virginia public universities.
According to Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, an increasing number of applicants is damaging the initiative's health.
Advocates say language was snuck into Virginia's budget that drastically cuts the program by reenacting a domicile requirement, limiting awards to first undergraduate degrees, requiring completion of the FAFSA, and restoring a satisfactory academic progress requirement.
The proposed change would grandfather all existing students and any new students who formally committed by May 15, 2024. Applicants were given less than 48 hours from when the budget passed on May 13 to May 15 to submit applications under the previous criteria.
Kayla Owen, an aspiring nurse who is married to a 100% disabled veteran and an aspiring nurse, founded Friends of Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program after discovering the proposed cuts would affect her ability to use the program to pay for courses in the fall.
"They've shotgunned this legislation through," Owen said. Referring to Youngkin, she added, "You didn't take the time to talk to stakeholders."
The FAFSA requirement affects Gold Star families, the immediate family members of fallen service members who died during service, in particular, as the life insurance policy of their deceased parent or spouse distorts their application. In addition to paying the FAFSA-calculated share of their student aid index, applicants must apply for funds through the Dependents' Educational Assistance Program before receiving waivers.
"It's a massive gut punch to the veterans and the families," said Newton, the Air Force vet. "If anyone hurts themselves, that is blood on Governor Youngkin's hands."
Legislators did not vote on the changes individually, leaving little space for public input.
"Families that are directly impacted are very upset because they feel like they didn't have a voice in the process," said Republican Delegate Mike Cherry, another Air Force veteran.
After outrage from veterans and their families, Youngkin established a task force to address the cuts' "unintended" consequences.
"I am proud that so many Virginians, especially the many veterans who have already reached out to volunteer on behalf of our military families and all Virginians, are coming together to offer solutions to help preserve and sustain this important program for the future," Youngkin said in a press release.
Virginia has offered free and reduced college educations for dependents of military members killed or disabled in combat since the 1930s. The program that once had rigid application criteria has had its requirements loosened in recent years.
The expanded criteria have come with a cost: A program that once cost around $12 million in 2019 now costs $65.3 million. The financial increase comes as the number of recipients grew from about 1,400 to about 6,400 annually in the same span. Preliminary estimates for 2024 show the cost of the waivers growing to about $84.9 million for about 8,300 recipients.
Owen disputes government data, claiming the statistics unfairly include students using other military benefit programs. She pointed to Virginia's surplus in revenue, which it is using to fund its budget without tax increases.
"How do you have a $2 billion surplus and disabled veterans and Gold Star family kids are the problem?" Owen asked. "Basically, it's the largest cut to veteran benefits in the history of Virginia."
Caitlin Goodale-Porter, an Army and Coast Guard veteran, claims the increase in applicants is attributable to the two wars America participated in in the 21st century and expedited ratings from the Department of Veteran Affairs. For their dependents to access the program, a service member must be deemed 90% or more disabled by the VA.
Virginia's public universities have historically borne the cost of the program's tuition waivers by increasing tuition and fees for tuition-paying students.
In its original form, applicants had to be children of a service member killed or totally disabled in combat between the ages of 16 and 25. The relevant service members had to be citizens of Virginia at the time they entered military service and the applicant had to show academic progress.
In the 2000s, changes included removing the student satisfactory progress requirement, expanding the age requirements to 16 through 29 and allowing spouses to apply. The service member requirement also changed from total and permanent disability to at least 90% disability. The domicile requirement changed in 2014 to allow for any service member who had a physical presence in Virginia within five years of the student's application.
Out-of-state students accounted for $11.8 million, or about 20% of all 2023 waivers.
In 2019, eligibility expanded from only allowing those injured or killed during armed conflicts to all service-related incidents. In 2022, stepchildren became eligible.
Owen hopes Youngkin will recall the General Assembly for a special session to review the cuts. The task force will meet for the first time on June 10.
"We're tired of being used as props," Goodale-Porter said. "They've misjudged not only veterans, Gold Star survivors and spouses. We've been trained to fight."
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