HOUSE BILL NO. 502

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

(Proposed by the House Committee on Education

on February 11, 2026)

(Patron Prior to Substitute—Delegate McAuliff)

A BILL to require the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to assess the potential impact of a fixed Virginia student tuition policy; report.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (the Council), in consultation with each baccalaureate public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, shall assess the potential impact of a policy whereby such institutions are required to establish a fixed in-state tuition rate for each incoming first year undergraduate Virginia student enrolled in a four-year baccalaureate program and declare each such student eligible for such rate for four academic years or any portion or term thereof during which the student makes satisfactory progress toward completing such degree program, provided that the student maintains continuous enrollment. The Council shall report its findings to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Education, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations no later than November 30, 2026.