Participation in volunteer or public service organizations; uniform acceptance of credit earned.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify that volunteers are directly affected by this bill.

Study for Accepting Volunteer Service Credits

This bill requires Virginia's State Council of Higher Education to create a work group that will study how colleges can accept credits earned through volunteer or public service activities like AmeriCorps.

What This Bill Does

• Creates a work group made up of college representatives and other experts to look into accepting credit for volunteer work.
• The work group must think about problems with implementing the idea, ways to make sure the quality is good, and examples from other states that could help.
• Requires the work group to report their findings by November 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

• Virginia's State Council of Higher Education
• Colleges in Virginia

Terms To Know

Work group

A team of people who work together to study a topic and make recommendations.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify which volunteer or public service organizations will be included.
• It is unclear how the findings of the study will be used after November 1, 2026.

Official Summary Text

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; work group; study; uniform acceptance of credit earned through participation in certain volunteer or public service organizations; report.
Requires the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to establish a work group consisting of representatives of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth and such other stakeholders as it deems appropriate to study the feasibility of the uniform acceptance by each such institution of college credit earned through student participation in certain volunteer or public service organizations such as AmeriCorps. The bill requires the work group, in conducting such study, to consider barriers to implementation, strategies for ensuring the rigor and quality of the service-learning opportunities for which credit would be granted, and innovative approaches in other states that could be emulated in the Commonwealth, such as California College Corps or similar state-sanctioned programs whereby students have access to a statewide program of service-learning opportunities through partnerships between campuses and community-based service organizations. The bill requires the work group to submit its findings to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2026.

Current Bill Text

A BILL to require the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to establish a work group to study the feasibility of the uniform acceptance of college credit earned through participation in certain volunteer or public service organizations; report.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.
§ 1.

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia

shall
establish a work group
consisting of representatives of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth and such other stakeholders as it deems appropriate
to
study
the feasibility of
the
uniform
acceptance
by each such institution
of college credit earned through
student participation in certain volunteer or public service organizations
such as AmeriCorps
.
In conducting such stud
y, the work group shall consider barriers to impleme
ntation, strategies for ensuring the rigor and quality of the service-learning opportunities for which credit would be granted, and innovative approaches in other states
that could be emulated in the Commonwea
lth,
such
as California College

Corps or similar state-sanctioned programs whereby students
have access to a statewide
program of service-learning opportunities
through partnerships
between campuses and community-based service organizations
.

The work group shall submit its findings to the
C
hair
men
of the House
Committee on
Education and
the
Senate
Committee on
Education and Health by November 1, 2026.