Bill > SB92

This bill updates the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program, which is a state initiative that waives tuition and mandatory fees at public colleges and universities for the spouses and children of military service members who were killed, missing in action, taken prisoner, or severely disabled due to their service. Specifically, the legislation requires the Commissioner of Veterans Services to waive certain residency and physical presence requirements—which usually mandate that a service member live in the Commonwealth for at least five years—under two specific circumstances. First, the residency requirement is considered met if a family fails to fulfill it solely because they were forced to move out of Virginia due to official military orders. Second, the requirement is waived for a qualified survivor or dependent who has moved into Virginia by military order, established residency in the state, and previously participated in a similar higher education tuition-waiver program for military families in another state.