Alexandria - In recognition of the courage and sacrifice of the one out of every eight adult Virginians who is a veteran, Delegate David Englin (D-Alexandria) announced today that he will co-sponsor legislation directing the governing boards of public institutions of higher education in Virginia to admit automatically in-state students applying for admission who have graduated at the top of their class from a public or private high school in Virginia and have been honorably discharged from military service.
“We have a duty to the brave men and women who would trade their own lives for ours to honor their service with more than just words,” said Englin. “Delegate Poission’s initiative does exactly that. As an Air Force veteran, I’m proud to be part of this effort.”
Delegate Delegate David Poisson (D-Loudoun) is the lead sponsor and primary author of this legislation.
“If we expect young people to enlist in the military in larger numbers than they do today, then we must demonstrate more forcefully our appreciation for their service to our country,” said Poisson. “I know of no better way to express our gratitude for the service our veterans have rendered than by telling them that if they have worked hard in high school and served their country well, they will be rewarded with the right to choose whichever college they’d prefer to attend.”
Additional original co-sponsors of this legislation include U.S. Air Force veteran Delegate William Barlow; U.S. Naval Academy graduate and retired U.S. Navy Captain Delegate Joseph Bouchard; U.S. Army veteran Delegate Robert Brink; Delegate Paula Miller; and Delegate Kenneth Plum.
This bill specifically provides that the “board of visitors or other governing body of every public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth shall provide for the automatic acceptance of students applying for admission who (i) are domiciled residents of Virginia . . .; (ii) have graduated from a public or private high school in Virginia with a grade point average in the top 10 percent of such student’s graduating class; and (iii) have been honorably discharged from service in the United States Armed Forces, the United States Armed Forces Reserves, the Virginia National Guard, or the Virginia National Guard Reserve.”
