A photo of a man sitting in a wheel chair with a woman standing to his right with her hand on his shoulder. He is looking at a small boy in front of him who is holding up a large stick. Behind the boy is a small girl sitting on the ground playing with other sticks.
VCU participates in the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program, which covers the cost of tuition and fees for spouses and children of military service members who were killed, missing in action, taken prisoner or 90% or more disabled as a result of their military service. (Getty Images)

Oct. 25, 2024

VCU supports military waivers, state funding push

State funding is being assessed for VMSDEP, a growing initiative that helps survivors and dependents achieve higher education goals.

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By Leila Ugincius

Virginia Commonwealth University supports the state program that connects military families to higher education and ongoing efforts by state lawmakers to enact funding changes to allow it to continue.

Virginia has a substantial active-duty military presence and is home to about 700,000 veterans, which is one of highest percentages by population in the nation. In addition to the state’s targeted employment, education and health benefits for service members and veterans, their survivors and dependents can achieve educational goals through a program run by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services in partnership with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the state’s public colleges and universities.

The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program covers the cost of tuition and fees for spouses and children of military service members who were killed, missing in action, taken prisoner or 90% or more disabled as a result of their military service.

Virginia Commonwealth University is among the top state schools that provide individual waivers. More than 1,000 VCU students participated in VMSDEP in the 2023-24 school year, accounting for an estimated 18% of all state waivers.

Destiny Allen is among them. The senior from Norfolk is pursuing a degree in VCU’s School of Nursing — and bringing her father’s dream to fruition.

“I was eligible for this program because my father is a retired veteran of the U.S. Navy. He served for over 10 years and was discharged for a disability,” Allen said. “My father always tells me that his true purpose for joining the military and climbing his way up was to help me pursue higher education.”

VMSDEP has grown significantly at VCU in recent years. The projected 2023-24 class of program students was roughly five times larger than the 2018-19 class.

That growth, however, has come with a cost for VCU. Since fiscal year 2017, the cost of the waivers has increased by more than $14.8 million.

VCU is requesting financial support from the state — more than $20 million for fiscal year 2025 — to help shoulder the cost of providing the VMSDEP waivers. Currently, VCU covers the program costs in their entirety, drawing an increasing share of the university’s tuition revenue.

Stephen Ross, director of Military Student Services at VCU, said the program is important for many reasons – most notably,  because it’s the right thing to do for America’s service members and veterans.

“Less than 1% of the total population serves in our military, and the individuals and families that meet the criteria for VMSDEP have made huge sacrifices in many situations – men and women that have made the ultimate sacrifice and died in service to this country, or others that have disabilities incurred due to their service that they have to endure the rest of their lives,” Ross said.

“These disabilities can impact entire families in so many ways. Imagine a mother or father returning from service in combat that can no longer walk without assistance or struggles to breath, unable to even enjoy a simple walk with their children. Income can be impacted, and that can impact generations to come.”

Allen, the nursing student from Norfolk, reflects how VMSDEP can have a life-changing impact for the better.

“If not for this program, I don’t think I would have been able to fully commit to my studies,” she said. “This program has helped me pay for my tuition, which took away that financial burden of attending college. With these benefits, I have been able to keep up my grades in nursing school and focus more on my future!”

If the state provides sufficient funding for VMSDEP, VCU could continue supporting the educational goals of the spouses and children of service members and veterans who reside in Virginia. Funding would alleviate VCU’s use of tuition and fees to support the program and allow them to be reinvested in the university’s academic mission, and to help address recent inflationary cost increases. Without additional funding, VCU will continue to use tuition and fee funds to support the waivers as it does currently.

VCU is designated as a Military Friendly School, earning a gold award for being in the top tier of institutions based on factors including retention, graduation, job placement, loan default rates and more. Additionally, VCU’s military-friendly approach goes beyond educating students: It also includes trauma care training for military health care professionals; training educators at more than 150 universities to better serve military students; research to improve the lives of service members and veterans; and relationships with local businesses and Fortune 500 companies that lead to jobs and internships, networking and special events.

For more information on the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program, including eligibility requirements and a full explanation of benefits, visit the program webpage.