Tuition and Fee Waiver for Survivors of Virginia Public Safety Officers Killed in the Line of Duty
Virginia public colleges and universities (Code of Virginia § 23.1-609)
Free undergraduate tuition, mandatory fees, and books and supplies at Virginia public colleges for the spouse and children (16-25) of Virginia police, firefighters, rescue squad members, corrections officers and others killed in the line of duty.
- How much
- Waiver of undergraduate tuition, mandatory fees, and books and supplies (not room and board)
- Who qualifies
- Surviving spouse or child (16-25) of a Virginia law-enforcement officer, firefighter, rescue squad member, corrections/jail officer, sheriff/deputy, ABC agent, forest warden, or Virginia National Guard / Defense Force member killed in the line of duty
- Employer certification that the individual was killed in the line of duty while serving or living in Virginia; admitted to and enrolled at a Virginia public institution; satisfactory academic progress to renew.
- For students starting college, undergrads, transfer students
- When to apply
- Apply any time No statewide deadline; apply to the institution before or during each term.
- How to apply
- Get the line-of-duty certification from the deceased's employer (chief executive officer), get admitted to a Virginia public college or university, and apply to that institution (usually its financial aid or registrar's office) for the waiver
- What you'll need
- See how to apply
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (law.lis.virginia.gov)
The details
Virginia law entitles the surviving spouse, and any child between 16 and 25, of a person killed in the line of duty while employed or serving as a law-enforcement officer (including campus police), sworn officer, firefighter, special forest warden, rescue squad member, Virginia ABC special agent, state correctional or regional/local jail officer, jail superintendent, sheriff or deputy sheriff, or a Virginia National Guard or Virginia Defense Force member on qualifying state or federal (Title 32) duty, to a waiver of undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees at any Virginia public college or university. Colleges waive tuition, institutional charges, mandatory educational and auxiliary fees, and books and supplies, but not room and board. The deceased person's employer must certify the death in the line of duty while serving or living in Virginia. Renewable with satisfactory academic progress.
More money from Virginia
- Virginia Space Grant Undergraduate STEM Research ScholarshipUp to $8,500 per year
- Virginia Space Grant Graduate STEM Research Fellowship$6,000 per year
- Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG)Up to $5,250 per year for undergraduates (2026-27 maximum); $5,000 for eligible graduate health-professions students; higher at Hampton and Virginia Union
- Two-Year College Transfer Grant (CTG)Up to $1,000 per year base; plus up to $1,000 STEM-N bonus; plus $1,000 incentive at NSU, ODU, Radford, UVA Wise, VCU and VSU
- Granville P. Meade Scholarship$2,000 per year for four years (most recent cycle)
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.