“They get about two and a half million dollars total,” said Troy Martin, Director of Financial Aid at EMU. Martin is referring to VTAG (Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant), a state-funded grant program that helps students at private colleges pay for school. “We have about 500 students at EMU that receive VTAG,” he says, each of them able to receive as much as $5,250 in aid for the 25-26 school year. To be eligible to receive the grant you must be a Virginia student, enrolled full-time as an undergraduate, graduate, or professional student, and be enrolled in an eligible degree according to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
Martin says “this is very helpful” for Virginia students. That is why every year a delegation of students from private universities visit the state capitol to advocate for the program. Martin says it’s important to “let our state legislators know how beneficial this is to students at EMU.” CICV (Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia) is an association of private colleges in Virginia that he says sponsors the trip.
Martin is one of the CICV liaisons for EMU, and so on February 16, he took a group of EMU students to Richmond to meet with their elected officials. He says he scheduled appointments for each student to meet with their senator or delegate to “tell them a little bit about their personal story, how VTAG assisted them and their family.” Five students from EMU attended the trip along with Martin and Luke Litwiller, Director of Undergraduate Admissions.
Unfortunately, this year the students were not able to meet directly with the officials. Martin says the Senate and House went into session early that day, meaning the students had to talk to the official’s legislative aids. “The aids are very influential of course,” he says, “so the day wasn’t a complete failure.” He also says the whole CICV group got to be in the gallery of the session and was even recognized in front of the House. Martin says the goal of the trip is to “thank the legislators for their support and encourage their continued support.”
Chase Comer, a senior at EMU who went on the trip, says he is “always happy to advocate for the student body in any way I can.” Comer, who receives financial support from VTAG, wrote in an email that it was an “amazing experience” and regrets not being able to go next year. He says that he went last year and “was able to talk directly with the representatives.” Although he didn’t have that opportunity this year, he says it was still “a really cool experience” and felt like his “advocacy and feedback was delivered to the representatives.” Comer says “as a first-generation student who did not come from a wealthy background, that money has helped me afford college.”
As a part of the planning for the trip, Martin looked for students like Chase that he thought would benefit from the experience. “First of all I looked at students who went last year,” he says, “then I looked at political science and history majors that were receiving VTAG, then I looked at SGA members who were receiving VTAG.” Martin stressed, however, that any students who receive VTAG are interested in going should reach out to him. “I will be happy to put them on the list for next year.” He says he wants this to be an educational experience as well for the students.
Martin also expressed his gratitude to President Shannon Dycus for her support of the trip. One resource he provided was the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. On their website students can find information about eligibility and the application process. Martin says that the continued support for this program is “an investment into Virginia’s future.”
