While there are still barriers at the federal level making it tough for prospective students to receive financial aid, the West Virginia state legislature passed two bills during its special session this week that would provide federal financial aid to certain students starting in the fall semester.
The funding will come about three weeks after Governor Jim Justice explained State of emergency due to complications with the federal government’s implementation of a up-to-date Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. With his declaration, the judge waived the requirement that West Virginia students apply to the FAFSA to access federal financial aid, including the Promise Scholarship and the Higher Education Grant Program.
According to the state Higher Education Policy Commission, FAFSA completion rates for high school students in West Virginia have dropped 40% compared to previous years, as the up-to-date application process has shown Fights for students and their families.
On Tuesday, lawmakers agreed an invoice, Senate Bill 1011, to immediately transfer approximately $83.2 million from the state’s rainy day fund for the Public Employee Insurance Agency to the state’s General Revenue Fund. Through another bill – Senate Bill 1007approved by both the House and Senate on Monday, these funds will be redirected to HEPC for distribution to prospective students for the fall 2024 semester.
“I am incredibly grateful to the Governor and Legislature for prioritizing our state’s students amid ongoing challenges with the FAFSA,” Sarah Tucker, the state’s chancellor of higher education, said in an emailed statement. “This funding will allow us to provide more financial support to our neediest students so they can stay on track to continue their education and achieve their career goals.”
Under the bill’s language, $40 million of the transferred excess funds will go to the Higher Education Grant Program, $32 million will go to support the state’s colleges and universities, and approximately $11.2 million will go to the College Access Grant fund within the HEPC.
Some of these funds are provided directly distributed to students who either apply for and qualify for the Promise Scholarship by September 1, have a prior FAFSA and qualify for the state’s Higher Education Grant Program, or who do not have a prior FAFSA but are eligible for aid by qualifying for several of the state’s safety net programs.
Those who qualify for the Promise Scholarship will receive up to $5,500 for the upcoming academic year. Others who qualify for the need-based college grant will receive up to $3,400, according to HEPC.
Legislative leaders said Tuesday that eliminating money from the PEIA Rainy Day Fund is the ideal scenario to ensure funding for college students in West Virginia. The dollars cannot be touched in their current fund, Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, told reporters Tuesday.
“So we try to help our universities, especially our smaller ones. “It started with a $200 million request and we were able to manipulate money that was parked in PEIA that they didn’t have access to,” Blair said. “It was in purgatory, for lack of a better term.”
During the special session, disagreements arose regarding the enactment of SB 1011, the bill that transferred that money from the PEIA emergency fund to general state revenue. If the bill had not become law upon passage, there would be no money to be appropriated as listed in SB 1007.
House members voted twice Monday against allowing the bill to take effect upon passage. Several lawmakers expressed concerns about putting the money into the state’s unappropriated surplus.
Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, said Tuesday that through discussions with the state’s financial experts, it became clear that it was necessary to move the money into surplus to reallocate it to the HEPC.
“There is hope that this money can be refunded by the federal government, and it must come from the surplus [to make that possible]” said Young. “I hope it can be refunded and we can use this money elsewhere.”
Others on the panel, however, were not so convinced, with tensions between the House and Senate rising Tuesday after the Senate adjourned session indefinitely to force the House to pass a bill to fund the state Department of Human Services. That move was successful for the Senate, with the House reverting its version of the bill to one previously approved by the Senate.
Del. Todd Kirby, R-Raleigh, called for a “no” vote Tuesday on enactment of SB 1011. He said he was frustrated that he was “put in a difficult position again by the Senate” after voting to postpone to postpone indefinitely and did not feel that the body should “agree” with the body.
“How [long] Until we stand up to the Senate and say we will not be their whipping boy,” Kirby said, urging his colleagues to oppose the law’s immediate enactment.
On the Senate side, leaders on Tuesday accused House members of holding certain bills and votes, including the vote to enact SB 1011, “hostage” during the special session to impose their will. It’s the latest example of divisions and fractures within the Legislature, where Republicans overwhelmingly control both chambers with supermajorities.
Del. Rep. Brandon Steele, R-Raleigh, urged his House colleagues to step away from the infighting, even as he expressed criticism of the Senate in the process.
“We were all chosen to be here for this moment to make sure our families and children are taken care of, and I think we have to do that today, and I think we have to do that unanimously,” Steele said. “Let us be the house of reason from now on. I think it was pretty clear that there was complete chaos on the other side of that building. They are in complete chaos. But right now, the House of Representatives can be the voice of reason. I ask all of you to join me in voting yes now on this effective date.”
Ultimately, the members of the House of Representatives Voted 78-12, with 10 members absent and not voting to make SB 1011 effective upon passage.
