[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6386277,"mediaKeyId","2118378-cb9129ac3730f4bc9cd6eb0d85c1141c","parentId",2118378,"title","CHEV: Enrollment has rebounded to pre‑COVID levels but long‑term decline in traditional students will force hard choices","audioSeconds",708,"startMs",118000,"endMs",826000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118378-cb9129ac3730f4bc9cd6eb0d85c1141c&start=118&end=826","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118378-cb9129ac3730f4bc9cd6eb0d85c1141c/thumbnail_118000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6386277/Virginia/CHEV-Enrollment-has-rebounded-to-preCOVID-levels-but-longterm-decline-in-traditional-students-will-force-hard-choices","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386277-d7ab551c4d2de4018a24f6e2f5ec5365/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139174&Signature=lrjCmGGk55oUHxHe1yL6M8CARy~VeUh6rsduRDFcwpoCd0s097ArWqybtXFoAkX-2nHjtBuO6rVFA~iuk9UyxlZILegjItVSiqGwCOG2KMGxG4KJzEzPGlr1TC4A3ON1PG90yEOlG29ODRJWFXjN1n5hqkRKlJHf9jveW1YX1E5ip~sGl02NxqaeNsM8PGc3Pt1nF-uPvNSATzRwoeaJDO84M~MDINkODurrBkuPaXsk6ZjTBfE1-gE3f00C8gYLO2yaMeWKPTc0Z8Sumpgq3oZJOfcGtoDRWGNK-CMMGPhiF76Vcl8UtTkNCamv89HDv5xGz6pCFl-R9XARu~SZ4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Virginia Legislature","date","2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","article","Scott Fleming, director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, told the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee’s higher education subcommittee that ‘‘Total enrollment at Virginia's public institutions of higher education has roughly returned to pre COVID levels,’’ while warning that demographic shifts will create sustained headwinds for many campuses.

Fleming said the statewide rebound is stronger than the national trend — roughly 4.6% year‑over‑year in Virginia versus about 2.5% nationally — and credited expanded enrollment of Black, Hispanic and Asian students and growth in dual‑enrollment programs. ‘‘That favorability ... is driven primarily by enrollment of students of color and traditionally underrepresented populations,’’ he said.

The report to the subcommittee laid out uneven results beneath the headline numbers. Fleming said several public four‑year institutions have seen 10‑year undergraduate enrollment declines of 13% to 37%. He warned that projected declines in the number of traditional high‑school graduates — roughly 6% fewer graduates over the next five years followed by an extended period of declines — will require institutions to pursue alternative enrollment strategies or make difficult management and capital‑planning decisions.

Fleming pointed to dual‑enrollment growth as a significant contributor to undergraduate enrollment. He said dual‑enrollment accounted for about 53,000 enrollments in the most recent program year, a roughly 10% increase from the prior year, and that degree and credential completions rose about 10% over the same period.

On affordability and finance, Fleming referenced a Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) finding that ‘‘net price’’ for Virginia public students is higher than peers in some measures, and said the General Assembly’s recent two‑year budget is historically supportive but that much of the surplus is one‑time funding. He told the subcommittee that several financial aid programs — including a program he described as the ‘‘MSDEB stipend,’’ the Tuition Assistance Grant and a workforce credential grant — would require additional appropriations to meet currently authorized maximum award levels.

Fleming also highlighted agency priorities for 2025: funding the Virginia Longitudinal Data System (which he said has operated with a general‑fund deficit), improving data visualization, revising the state strategic plan, and changing the program‑approval process to allow institutions greater agility to launch workforce‑oriented programs while holding them to program‑productivity accountability.

Fleming told the panel that some capital requests might be met by repurposing or renovating existing space rather than new construction if enrollment declines persist, and that institutions should consider leaning into recruiting nontraditional students — including adult learners and underrepresented groups — to mitigate demographic decline.

The subcommittee did not take formal action at the meeting. The chair noted the panel will meet again on Thursday, Jan. 16, and that the full Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee will convene in the same room later that day to hear member amendments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","January 14, 2025 - SFAC: Education - SR 1300 - 3:30 pm","oneSentenceSummary","Scott Fleming, director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, told the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee’s higher education subcommittee that ‘‘Total enrollment at Virginia's public institutions of higher education has roughly returned to pre COVID levels,’’ while warning of a long‑term decline in traditional undergraduate students.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature VA, Virginia","taxId",77687,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386273,"Council of Independent Colleges urges $6,000 TAG, nursing and mental‑health investments to sustain nonprofit colleges",785,856000,1641000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118378-cb9129ac3730f4bc9cd6eb0d85c1141c&start=856&end=1641","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118378-cb9129ac3730f4bc9cd6eb0d85c1141c/thumbnail_856000.jpg","/articles/6386273/Virginia/Council-of-Independent-Colleges-urges-6000-TAG-nursing-and-mentalhealth-investments-to-sustain-nonprofit-colleges","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386273-684c448a1c39fe143ac611452a039b81/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139174&Signature=j1IMrGA4DuuthhM-hBTNeVHqSJxTaVbfTgiGhPre0bMVK8QblMggsezUMDqnV30mYH~1O056-8~qXMUmH41x~leGZfYo-NJhuwE5pSM0jdGuvNUggxo9ysvWyoZJkxgTwPZKORTc3wV6VdCCyHBeXmo6zPXgmNp4CaGasNKvuXhxKrHRJznKtq~-mKzpWda9d7kv01i2NtxSJVXVcVSce8giRAxqx~0Nyhi2fve4UQnB0O-x4YDKNlvSfy1fSEUmL8lETB0K~5Iv50cPMm-8so~asPGFLkeNmMl9mEG5m1PCgFlbKhHtQx3Ez1y8z0jaeXEbax0HLtX180FrSL4KHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mary Dana Hinton, president of Hollins University and chair of the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia, and Frank Shuschak, president of Roanoke College and vice chair of CICV, told the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee’s higher education subcommittee that Virginia’s 28 private nonprofit colleges are key access institutions and asked for sustained support for the Tuition Assistance Grant.

‘‘Investing in Virginia students is not only an investment in education, it's an investment in the Commonwealth's prosperity, workforce readiness, and community well‑being,’’ Frank Shuschak said, urging lawmakers to back a proposal to increase TAG to $6,000.

Shuschak described CICV colleges as serving a higher share of lower‑ and middle‑income, Pell‑eligible and first‑generation students than many public institutions. He told the committee that, collectively, the sector supports roughly 28,000 direct and indirect jobs, generates about $2.2 billion in wages and benefits, and contributes about $4.6 billion in total economic output.

CICV requested several specific actions in the 2025 General Assembly session: increase the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant to $6,000, restore parity between undergraduate and graduate TAG increases, create a nursing workforce center and degree‑and‑incentive programs, allow nonprofit colleges to access the CHEV‑run mental‑health workforce pilot or a statewide virtual student mental‑health contract, and recognize nonprofit campus police under the Line of Duty Act.

Mary Dana Hinton emphasized the sector’s role in access and workforce development, noting that many CICV institutions enroll high percentages of Pell‑eligible and first‑generation students. ‘‘We serve as access institutions for lower and middle income students and first‑generation students with a large percentage of Pell eligible students,’’ she said.

Shuschak outlined challenges facing the nonprofit sector since the 2024 budget: a modest enrollment drop (he said a 1% decline last fall), executive retirements, rising operational costs, regulatory reporting burdens, FAFSA‑related enrollment disruption, and public debate over the value and affordability of college degrees. He said TAG, combined with institutional scholarships and federal aid, often makes private college costs comparable to public peers for many students.

The presenters asked senators to consider the budget amendments and priorities they provided and offered to meet individually with members. The subcommittee did not take action during the meeting.","Leaders of Virginia’s Council of Independent Colleges (CICV) told a Senate subcommittee that private nonprofit colleges enroll a high share of Pell‑eligible and first‑generation students and asked legislators to raise the Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) to $6,000 and support nursing and mental‑health initiatives.","actionData","errors"]

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CHEV: Enrollment has rebounded to pre‑COVID levels but long‑term decline in traditional students will force hard choices

Council of Independent Colleges urges $6,000 TAG, nursing and mental‑health investments to sustain nonprofit colleges