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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>54368</law_id><section_number>23.1-612</section_number><catch_line>Unfunded scholarships</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="23.1">Institutions of Higher Education; Other Educational and Cultural Institutions</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Students and Campus</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="6">Financial Assistance</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="2">Scholarships</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The <span class="dictionary">governing board</span> of each <span class="dictionary">public institution of higher education</span> may establish unfunded scholarships that are subject to such regulations and conditions as the <span class="dictionary">governing board</span> establishes and the following limitations and restrictions: <a id="paragraph-199628" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-612/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> All such scholarships shall be applied exclusively to the remission, in whole or in part, of tuition and mandatory fees. <a id="paragraph-199629" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-612/#A1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> The <span class="dictionary">governing board</span> shall determine the number of such scholarships annually awarded to undergraduate <span class="dictionary">Virginia students</span> and <span class="dictionary">non-<span class="dictionary">Virginia students</span></span>. <a id="paragraph-199630" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-612/#A2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> The total value of all such scholarships annually awarded to undergraduate <span class="dictionary">Virginia students</span> shall not exceed the amount of the applicable sum of undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees multiplied by 20 percent of the enrollment of undergraduate <span class="dictionary">Virginia students</span> during the preceding academic year. <a id="paragraph-199631" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-612/#A3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A4" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> The total value of all such scholarships annually awarded by an institution to undergraduate <span class="dictionary">non-<span class="dictionary">Virginia students</span></span> shall not exceed the amount of the applicable per capita out-of-state tuition differential paid by undergraduate <span class="dictionary">non-<span class="dictionary">Virginia students</span></span> for tuition and mandatory fees multiplied by 20 percent of the enrollment of undergraduate <span class="dictionary">non-<span class="dictionary">Virginia students</span></span> during the preceding academic year. <a id="paragraph-199632" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-612/#A4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A5" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">5.</span> All such scholarships awarded to undergraduate students shall be awarded only to students in the first four years of undergraduate work and shall be awarded and renewed on a selective basis to students of character and ability who are in need of financial assistance. For purposes of determining need under this section, each <span class="dictionary">governing board</span> shall use a nationally recognized needs-analysis <span class="dictionary">system</span> approved by the <span class="dictionary">Council</span>. <a id="paragraph-199633" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-612/#A5"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A6" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">6.</span> The <span class="dictionary">governing board</span> of each <span class="dictionary">public institution of higher education</span> shall determine the number of such scholarships annually awarded to graduate students or teachers serving as clinical faculty pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Clinical faculty programs" href="/22.1-290.1/">22.1-290.1</a>. The total value of all such scholarships annually awarded to such graduate students and clinical faculty shall not exceed the amount of the sum of graduate tuition and mandatory fees multiplied by the number of teachers serving as clinical faculty pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Clinical faculty programs" href="/22.1-290.1/">22.1-290.1</a> and graduate students who are employed as teaching assistants, graduate assistants, or research assistants with significant academic or academic support responsibilities and who are paid a stipend of at least $2,000 in the particular academic year. All unfunded scholarships awarded to graduate students or teachers serving as clinical faculty shall be awarded and renewed on a selective basis to such graduate students and clinical faculty of character and ability. <a id="paragraph-199634" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-612/#A6"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A7" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">7.</span> An unfunded scholarship shall entitle the holder to the following award, as appropriate:
				a. An undergraduate <span class="dictionary">Virginia student</span> may receive an annual remission of an amount not to exceed the cost of tuition and mandatory fees;
				b. An undergraduate <span class="dictionary">non-<span class="dictionary">Virginia student</span></span> may receive an annual remission not to exceed the amount of the out-of-state tuition differential required to be paid by the student for tuition and mandatory fees;
				c. A qualified graduate student may receive an annual remission of an amount not to exceed the cost of tuition and mandatory fees; and
				d. A teacher serving as clinical faculty may receive an award as determined by the <span class="dictionary">governing board</span> of the institution. <a id="paragraph-199635" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-612/#A7"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A8" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">8.</span> Notwithstanding the limitations on the awards of unfunded scholarships to undergraduate students pursuant to subdivision A 7, an institution may award unfunded scholarships to visiting foreign exchange students as long as the number of such awards in any fiscal year does not exceed one quarter of one percent of the total institutional headcount enrollment. <a id="paragraph-199636" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-612/#A8"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> No <span class="dictionary">public institution of higher education</span> shall remit any tuition or mandatory fees to any student at such institution except as authorized in this section. Each such institution shall make a report to the <span class="dictionary">Council</span>, upon request, showing the number and value of scholarships awarded under this section according to each student classification. <a id="paragraph-199637" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-612/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent or limit in any way the admission of state cadets at Virginia Military Institute or to affect the remission of tuition, mandatory fees, or other charges to such state cadets as permitted under existing <span class="dictionary">law</span>. <a id="paragraph-199638" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-612/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect or limit in any way the control of the <span class="dictionary">governing boards</span> of the respective institutions over (i) any other scholarships, (ii) any gifts or donations made to such institutions for scholarships or other special purposes, (iii) any funds provided by the federal government or otherwise for the purpose of career and technical education or vocational rehabilitation in the Commonwealth, or (iv) any funds derived from endowment or appropriations from the federal government for instruction in agriculture and mechanic arts at land-grant universities. <a id="paragraph-199639" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-612/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the <span class="dictionary">governing board</span> of any <span class="dictionary">public institution of higher education</span> from fixing a tuition charge for <span class="dictionary">Virginia students</span> reasonably lower than that for <span class="dictionary">non-<span class="dictionary">Virginia students</span></span>. <a id="paragraph-199640" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-612/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="F"><p><span class="prefix-number">F.</span> Nothing in this section or any other provision of <span class="dictionary">law</span> shall prohibit the awarding of 10 full tuition unfunded scholarships each year by Old Dominion University under the terms and conditions provided for in a deed conveying certain property in Norfolk known as the Old Larchmont School made July 5, 1930, between the City of Norfolk and The College of William and Mary in Virginia. <a id="paragraph-199641" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-612/#F"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="G"><p><span class="prefix-number">G.</span> Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit other financial aid programs provided pursuant to state <span class="dictionary">law</span>. <a id="paragraph-199642" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/23.1-612/#G"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1919, &#xA7; 993; 1936, p. 447, &#xA7; 23-31; 1952, c. 139; 1964, c. 440; 1966, c. 621; 1974, c. 317; 1975, c. 397; 1976, c. 189; 1977, cc. 296, 319; 1979, cc. 136, 145, 730; 1990, c. 447; 1992, c. 103; 1996, c. 103; 1999, cc. 424, 437; 2001, c. 483; 2002, cc. 158, 257; 2004, cc. 58, 176, 195, 739; 2014, c. 594; 2016, c. 588.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
