"Commonwealth Senate Bill Number 6" By: Ben Spencer

Education is expected to be a highly debated topic at Model General Assembly (MGA) this year.  Commonwealth Senate Bill number six would allow Virginia to pay full tuition to rising Virginia college students who fill out an application. This tuition will only be paid if the students work in Virginia for five years following the completion of no more than four years at a public institution of higher learning.  Bill patron Abby Michaelson from Randolph-Henry High School, explained why this bill is important by emphasizing that “As a rising Freshman in college, tuition is something that we are starting to think a lot about because we eventually are going to have to pay it off. I believe with this bill the waving of the tuition fee would be a good way to relieve a lot of stress that incoming freshman would have in college.”  

The bill was amended in committee in an effort to harshen the punishment for violating the rules of the work commitment.  The bill formerly called for a Class 3 Misdemeanor charge for people who violated the work commitment; however, it was amended to require all violators to fully repay the tuition that was paid by Virginia. Senator Michaelson expressed her adamant support for the amendment and even mentioned that she might have brought it up herself, had the bill not been amended.

Senator Michaelson acknowledged that the bill might raise taxes in the early years; however, she went on to elaborate on the economic benefits of the bill when she said  “The students who accept the work commitment are working in the state of Virginia for five years. They are really putting back into the economy a lot more. That’s a lot more that could go into local businesses.”  College graduates earn about $17,500 more per year in the age range of 25-32 when compared to those who only completed high school. According to Senator Michaelson, this added money will help the economy in the State of Virginia.  The bill is set to enter the Commonwealth Senate chamber tomorrow after the passage in committee (“Is College Worth It?”).

Sources:

https://stockton.edu/admissions-scholarships-aid/

“Is College Worth It?” Economist, The Economist, 5 Apr. 2015, www.economist.com.