VA HJR9

Requests the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and Department of Education to study offering reduced in-state tuition at public colleges to dependents of public K-12 school teachers as a teacher retention incentive

Study must analyze financial feasibility of reduced tuition, evaluate effectiveness for improving teacher retention, and identify potential eligibility terms such as extended contract periods or minimum teaching time requirements

Study must also identify other eligibility criteria including residency requirements for teachers and dependents, and possible limits on the number of eligible dependents per teacher

Notes that teaching vacancies in Virginia more than doubled between 2019 and 2021, and Virginia's in-state undergraduate tuition costs exceed the national average

SCHEV must complete meetings by November 30, 2026, and submit findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by the first day of the 2027 legislative session