Contact:
Bob Spieldenner
bobspieldenner@schev.edu
(804) 718-9443 (cell)
RICHMOND — The State Council for Higher Education of Virginia (SCHEV) released three new reports today that provide updates on SCHEV initiatives designed to help the Commonwealth meet its goal to become the best state for education by 2030.
2023-24 Degree and Certificates Awarded Report: This report details Virginia degree completions and other awards in academic year 2023-24. Virginia’s public and private nonprofit colleges and universities and ECPI University awarded 132,287 undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates, which was 2,387 more than the prior year. Of the 57,562 bachelor’s degrees awarded, public four-year institutions conferred 38,529, which was 483 fewer than the previous year. Private nonprofit institutions and ECPI conferred 19,033 bachelor’s degrees, 483 more than the previous year. The report also includes details on the growth of STEM-H degrees and a list of the top programs at public institutions.
Pathways to Opportunity: The Virginia Plan for Higher Education Annual Report: The report details Virginia’s progress toward achieving its goal of a 70% educational attainment rate for all 25- to 64-year-old working-aged Virginians. The most recent data (2022-2023) were largely unchanged from the baseline year (2019-2020) data. However, Virginia has seen a persistent overall attainment gain. Persisting gaps remain for certain groups in enrollment, access and wages. The annual report also highlights activities undertaken by SCHEV in 2024 that directly support The Plan’s goals and strategies.
Office of the Qualified Education Loan Ombudsman Annual Report: The report outlines the work done by the Office of the Education Loan Ombudsman to assist Virginians with student loan problems. The office assisted 831 Virginians with education loan issues during its first six years of operation. In addition, the office’s website (virginiastudentloanhelp.org) saw approximately 25,000 unique users participate in one or more education modules during 2024. The report details the challenges created by several recent changes to the federal student loan program.
The full reports are available at schev.edu/reports.
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The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is the state’s coordinating agency for higher education. With Pathways to Opportunity: The Virginia Plan for Higher Education, SCHEV is dedicated to making Virginia the best state for education by 2030. For more on this statewide strategic plan, visit schev.edu/TheVirginiaPlan.
