Michael Newman and his wife and stepson moved from the West Coast to Virginia’s Fairfax County a few years ago because of his wife’s new job.
The family selected the Virginia suburb specifically after researching Northern Virginia Community College’s offerings for students with disabilities.
His stepson has autism, Newman said, and has been getting extra support through a program called College Steps. It offers individualized help for college students with disabilities.
That support helped his stepson pass all his classes last year, Newman said. While Northern Virginia parents pay the cost of the college tuition, Newman said Fairfax County has been paying to cover the extra help.
But a few weeks ago, Newman became disappointed when he learned that Fairfax County’s budget proposal for fiscal 2026 didn’t cover funding for that initiative.
“It’s been very stressful,” Newman said. “If all of a sudden someone calls you up and says, ‘Oh by the way, you need $20,000 to send your kid to school.’ It’s still going to be there, but it’s just not going to be paid.”
The budget reduction will impact 68 people, according to county documents, and is expected to save about $645,000. Fairfax County is facing a nearly $300 million budget shortfall, and has been considering ways to address it.
“I understand how the Self-Directed Services program positively impacts the individuals that it serves, and I am hearing from family members about its importance,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said.
“The Board will closely evaluate the program to ensure we can continue providing high quality, essential services to those who need them while managing our responsibility to taxpayers.”
The program, Newman said, offers his son a “buddy” to attend a class that’s difficult for him in order to help with course material. It includes hours of tutoring help, and also includes social components, “because these kids that have autism really need more social interaction.”
The students are enrolled in regular college courses, Newman said, not special education classes.
Newman’s stepson has also been working with a therapist to help him consider various career paths.
“This College Steps program is integral for his ability to pass these classes,” Newman said. “You want your disadvantaged kids to have an opportunity to survive in the world, right? We’re not there to survive in theirs.”
Families still cover the cost of their students’ tuition, Newman said, which costs about $15,000 each year. But the programming that Fairfax County covers costs almost $20,000 each year, he said.
“We would have to do things outside of school to get him the support, almost a full-time tutor in almost every subject on our own,” Newman said.
Several families are planning to raise awareness about their concerns at upcoming budget town halls, Newman said.
His stepson is “very functional” and can do a lot of things on his own, he said, but “some of these kids just really, really need this type of support, and having it go away is in my mind, problematic.”
Meanwhile, budget decisions won’t be made without community input, McKay said.
“This is a challenging budget year, with all County agencies asked to identify potential reductions,” McKay said.
A final vote on the budget is expected in May.
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