VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Going to college may have just gotten a little harder for some military families in Virginia thanks to a change in the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program.
“I was a little dismayed," Kristen Fenty said about the changes.
Fenty's husband was killed in Afghanistan. She's not shy about sharing her thoughts on the changes lawmakers made to a program her family depends on.
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"When I learned that it had been legislated away without the opportunity for public comment, i was horrified," Fenty said.
The Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program provides education benefits, including waiving tuition, for eligible military family members.
During the 2024 General Assembly session, state lawmakers passed a bill requiring family members not committed to a college or university before May 15, 2024, to apply for financial aid first, and possibly pay out of pocket, before applying for a tuition waiver.
“I suspect many of the families who are in this struggle are not at the point of preparing financially right now because they are fighting this fight," Fenty said. "Folks are floored."
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Fenty’s daughter committed to UVA before May 15, so she may be okay, but as of Tuesday, there was still no guarantee.
“It’s frustrating," said Peyton Richardson, a high school senior.
Peyton and his brother, John, have committed to Longwood University intending to use the tuition waiver to cover the cost.
Without the waiver, they might have to drop out.
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“These people go and protect this country and you promise something to us and then you just take it away," Peyton said. "It’s just not fair."
"I probably would go to (Tidewater Community College) to get something and work," John said when asked what he would do if he can't go to Longwood. "Then, maybe later on finish if I can."
Their mother, Amanda Goldstein, said this is about sharing the cost of war.
"This program is a benefit for specifically that," she said. "The cost of war is what we have given."
Her now ex-husband suffered from mental health issues when he came back from deployment.
"The cost of war is not just on the service member, but on the spouses, on the family members," said Goldstein. "This is a promise the state made to offset that cost."
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She and Fenty are some of the members of a grassroots group called VMSDEP Friends, formed in response to the legislation when it was going through the state legislature.
"We are just grateful at this point that people are coming to the table," group co-founder Kayla Owen said, referring to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's decision June 3 to call for a special session to address the issue.
The group and its roughly 2,000 members had been pushing for a special session.
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Owens is hoping to use the tuition waiver to go back to school.
“I think that one of the reasons that this was passed was they thought it was a small population that, potentially, would not fight back," said Owen. "The reality is, as veterans and military spouses and dependents, we know how to fight."
Gov. Youngkin said he’s committed to working with veterans.
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"I've been a staunch advocate to have a study period to listen and then come back with changes," Youngkin said. "There was language in the budget that made those changes. I think we have all heard from this amazing community, their dissatisfaction with those changes. I think it is a big chance for the General Assembly to come back and to pass a bill that reverses those substantial changes and puts us on the right path."
In May, in response to the discussion about the program, the Virginia House Appropriations Committee took up the issue in the form of a presentation. The presentation highlighted the history and financial challenges of the program.
As of Tuesday, Youngkin said a special session would likely happen no later than June 30 but an exact date had not been set.
