The Virginia Commonwealth Emergency Assistance (VCEA) Program was established in the 2024 – 2026 Biennium Virginia State Budget, which allowed public colleges and universities to use up to one percent of the amount allocated in undergraduate need-based financial aid for emergency assistance to students facing an unforeseen situation that poses a risk to the continuation of their studies. 

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) has proposed guidelines for the usage of Virginia Student Financial Assistance Program (VSFAP) general funds for student emergency assistance. The VCEA program is then administered by the public colleges and universities themselves.

The annual funding allocation for the VCEA program depends on the amount of undergraduate financial need-based aid provided by the state to the institution itself. The state has specified that 1% of undergraduate need-based financial aid may be used for emergency assistance. There is currently no data on how much each institution actually utilizes for emergency aid up to that 1% cap.

Students may request up to $2,000 in emergency assistance only once per academic year. Because this program is the newest state emergency aid program, there is no statewide data yet on the amount of emergency assistance disbursed. Implementation is nonetheless underway across the Commonwealth: public institutions, including community colleges such as Virginia Peninsula Community College and Brightpoint Community College, have established VCEA Funds that accept student applications, applied the $2,000 annual cap, and followed the SCHEV eligibility framework, though aggregate award totals have not yet been reported at the state level.

Because this program is relatively new and aggregate usage data are not yet available, the SCHEV guidelines identify the following as eligible uses: food; temporary housing including rent and utilities; medical, dental, and mental health expenses; family emergencies such as travel to visit a seriously ill family member or to attend a funeral; replacement of technology that is damaged or stolen and essential to coursework; transportation costs including primary vehicle repairs or temporary for-hire services; and emergency-related childcare.

Students submit an application through their institution’s designated VCEA Fund process. The application captures contact information, a description of the emergency situation (with documentation where applicable), the amount requested, and any other information the institution deems necessary. The application is reviewed by a designated committee and awarded based on consensus and available funds, with priority given to other outstanding applications as needed. Students are notified as quickly as circumstances require.

The Application Review Committee must have an odd number of members and must include representation from the Office of Financial Aid, with optional participation from other institutional offices. The committee determines awards based on whether providing funds is necessary for and likely to result in continued enrollment or completion for the student. Institutions may review award recipients to confirm funds were used for the designated need and may spell out consequences for inappropriate use. An appeal process is optional; the institution’s final determination is binding.

Emergency assistance funds are not classified as financial assistance and are not reported on the financial aid data file. Projected total dollars for use are reported on the institution’s annual S5 report, and summary results—total students served and total dollars disbursed—are tracked on the annual S1/S2 reports.