In Virginia, sufficient state support is essential to the vitality of the state's network of public higher education institutions as it currently exists. Unfortunately, a crisis in the funding of Virginia's public higher education system has been evolving over the last two decades. Between 1992 and 2010, general fund appropriations to public higher education in Virginia fell from 14% to 11% of total state appropriations. It should be noted that Virginia's General Assembly has worked to increase base adequacy funding from 85% of guideline-calculated need in 2004 to 92% as of fiscal year 2008. However, the fact remains that the Commonwealth's support for higher education continues to lag behind most of the country. This report examines how state support for public higher education in Virginia has evolved over time to its current state, as well as the steps being taken by one of its neighboring states to address a similar crisis in the funding of that state's public higher education system. Appended are: (1) Percent of General Fund Support to Public Higher Education in Virginia; (2) Average Funding per FTE Student at Four-Year Institutions (in 2009-10 constant dollars); (3) Average Funding per FTE student at Virginia Community Colleges (in 2009-2010 constant dollars); (4) FY2008 Public Higher Education Support per Student; (5) Resolution from SCHEV Council Meeting Minutes for October 21, 2008; and (6) Eight general principles of higher education funding of the 1973 Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. (Contains 1 table and 12 endnotes.)