Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
WTKR News 3
JLARC VMSDEP survey raising concerns for some VMSDEP supporters
By Colter Anstaett,
4 days ago
Work continues to be done to study VMSDEP, a program that helps military and first responder families in Virginia pay for college, and now we know a survey is part of the study and it’s creating some concerns.
This is the latest development in a saga News 3 has been following for months.
The letter was sent June 28 and gives the Commission a deadline of September 1 to complete the study.
Fenty is a Virginia Beach resident whose family qualifies to use VMSDEP and is a member of a grassroots group created to fight back against changes to the program.
She questions the need for the survey based on public testimony from impacted families and supporters.
“We want to make sure that any study that is performed is a responsible expenditure of taxpayer dollars and we absolutely want to work with the taskforce, with JLARC and with our legislators to make sure the study is conducted appropriately, the results are reliable and validated and that the advised way forward is the best and most thoroughly researched and presents best options," Fenty explained.
Hampton Roads Families express concern, frustration over change to VMSDEP
JLARC’s associate director, Justin Brown, said the Commission worked with members of the grassroots group to address concerns.
“They had some suggestions for some different types of questions that we actually added on, I thought those were helpful" said Brown. "We had some, I would say, spirited discussion about the wisdom of us asking about changes that could be made to the program."
He also emphasizes the survey is just one part of the overall study.
“We’re going to use those results in combination with all these other things that we’re doing," Brown said.
New legislation could help Virginia families retain critical health care benefits
Fenty said whether the group supports the results of the study and what the next step will be after the results are presented will depend on the results.
As of Monday, the results of the JLARC study were expected to be presented to lawmakers in September or October for lawmakers to consider.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0