In his most recent proposed budget, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced his intention to end a popular college-grant program for students pursuing a degree online. Proponents argue that the change, which is currently under consideration by the state legislature, will help ensure that state grant money only goes to top-quality schools. Concerns about Virginia taxpayers funding poor-quality programs are valid, but discrimination between online and brick-and-mortar programs is a ham-fisted and shortsighted way to fix this problem.
Virginia’s Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) awards up to $3,400 in tuition aid to state residents who attend a private nonprofit college in the Commonwealth. Twenty-three thousand students benefitted from the grant this year, including many at Liberty University, a Virginia-based private institution that runs one of the largest online programs in the country.
There are few restrictions on which institutions are eligible: the schools must do most of their business in Virginia, funds cannot be used for religious training or education, and a regional accrediting agency must recognize the institution.