Partners' president Dr. James Toscano was recently featured in the Richmond Times-Dispatch article, Virginia lawmakers want to freeze college tuition again, but with a slant, that highlights a proposal by the Virginia House of Delegates to hold down in-state tuition for two additional years.

In the wake of last year's historical tuition freeze, which saved Virginia families $52.5 million, this year's House proposal would allocate an additional $112 million for state colleges and universities who voluntarily freeze tuition for the 2020-2021 academic year and limit tuition increases to 2-percent for the 2021-2022 academic year.

“Those who accept the money are sending a clear message to Virginia that they care about affordability,” said James Toscano, the president of Partners for College Affordability and Public Trust, a Washington-based higher education advocacy organization.

While the budget proposed by the Virginia Senate does not include funding for a tuition freeze, the two legislative bodies will meet in conference committee to negotiate the final version.

“If passed, three straight years of tuition freezes would give Virginians a chance to play financial catch-up when it comes to the share of household income they’ve been spending on college education,” said Toscano, encouraging lawmakers to make a “parallel attempt to address the underlying cost of higher education.”

Read the full article HERE.

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