# Virginia HB2156: Students from foreign countries; student exchange programs, tuition and fee waivers.

Virginia HB2156, Students from foreign countries; student exchange programs, tuition and fee waivers., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Betsy B. Carr (Democratic); status to governor, last action 2025-03-21 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0248)) (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB2156-2025
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB2156
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: Students from foreign countries; student exchange programs, tuition and fee waivers.
- Status: to governor
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-07
- Last action: 2025-03-21, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0248)
- Sponsor: Betsy B. Carr (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 8 (334 yes, 1 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Public institutions of higher education; student exchange programs; tuition and mandatory fee waivers; conditions. Clarifies that tuition and mandatory fees may be waived for a student from a foreign country enrolled in a public institution of higher education through a formalized student exchange program between such institution and another institution of higher education, provided that the number of full-time equivalent inbound students from a foreign country for whom tuition and mandatory fees has been waived does not exceed during any three-year period the number of full-time equivalent outbound students who are enrolled through such student exchange program and who pay full tuition and mandatory fees to the institution. Current law permits tuition and mandatory fees to be waived for a student from a foreign country enrolled in a public institution of higher education through a student exchange program approved by such institution, provided that the number of students from a foreign country for whom tuition and mandatory fees has been waived does not exceed during any three-year period the number of students from a foreign country who are enrolled through such student exchange program and who pay full tuition and mandatory fees to the institution. This bill is identical to SB 1229.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Betsy B. Carr (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-02-19 | House | Senate substitute agreed to by House | pass | 96 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-18 | Senate | Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-17 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-14 | Senate | Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute | pass | 14 | 0 |   |
| 2025-02-13 | Senate | Reported from Education and Health and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations | pass | 15 | 0 |   |
| 2025-01-28 | House | Read third time and passed House | pass | 98 | 1 |   |
| 2025-01-22 | House | Reported from Education with substitute | pass | 22 | 0 |   |
| 2025-01-20 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute | pass | 10 | 0 | 1 |

## Actions (38)

- 2025-03-21: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0248) (Governor)
- 2025-03-21: Approved by Governor-Chapter 248 (Effective 07/01/25) (Governor)
- 2025-03-11: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 (Governor)
- 2025-03-11: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 11, 2025 (House)
- 2025-03-10: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2156) (House)
- 2025-03-10: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-03-07: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB2156ER) (House)
- 2025-03-07: Enrolled (House)
- 2025-03-07: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-02-19: Senate substitute agreed to by House (96-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2025-02-18: Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-02-18: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Senate)
- 2025-02-18: Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to (Senate)
- 2025-02-18: Read third time (Senate)
- 2025-02-18: Reading of substitute waived (Senate)
- 2025-02-17: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2156) (House)
- 2025-02-17: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-02-17: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2025-02-17: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2025-02-14: Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (14-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-02-14: Committee substitute printed 25107567D-S1 (Senate)
- 2025-02-13: Reported from Education and Health and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2025-02-10: Assigned Education sub: Higher Education (Senate)
- 2025-01-29: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate)
- 2025-01-29: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2025-01-28: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB2156) (House)
- 2025-01-28: Read third time and passed House (98-Y 1-N) (House)
- 2025-01-27: Engrossed by House - committee substitute (House)
- 2025-01-27: Education Substitute agreed to (House)
- 2025-01-27: Read second time (House)
- 2025-01-27: Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar (House)
- 2025-01-24: Read first time (House)
- 2025-01-22: Reported from Education with substitute (22-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2025-01-22: Committee substitute printed 25105233D-H1 (House)
- 2025-01-20: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2025-01-16: Assigned Educ sub: Higher Education (House)
- 2025-01-07: Referred to Committee on Education (House)
- 2025-01-07: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-13-2025 25101816D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2025-03-21: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1072899.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1072898.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2025-03-07: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1064392.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1064391.PDF)
- Substitute, 2025-02-17: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1054367.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1054366.PDF)
- Substitute, 2025-01-22: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1023486.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1023485.PDF)
- Introduced, 2025-01-07: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1015327.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1015326.PDF)

## Related bills

- HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care. (adopted)
- SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty. (failed)
- HB1746: Public safety officer; definition. (failed)
- HB1600: Budget Bill. (failed)
- SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility. (failed)
- HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for infertility treatment. (to governor)

## Sources
- [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1072899.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1072898.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1064392.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1064391.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1054367.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1054366.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1023486.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1023485.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1015327.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1015326.PDF)

## Related
- [HR671: Commending JR's Auto Care.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HR671-2025)
- [SB941: Robbery; use of air or gas operated weapon, etc., penalty.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB941-2025)
- [HB1746: Public safety officer; definition.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1746-2025)
- [HB1600: Budget Bill.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1600-2025)
- [SB1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB1449-2025)
- [HB1609: Essential health benefits benchmark plan; Commission to consider coverage for i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1609-2025)
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- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB2156-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).