The Dovell Act, or Stephens-Dovell Act,[1] was legislation in the U.S. state of Virginia that provided out-of-state tuition to its African American residents, who were barred from attending in-state public institutions of higher learning during
segregation. It passed in 1936 after
Alice Jackson was denied admittance to the
University of Virginia.[2]
Jackson applied to UVA in 1935. After she was denied admission a graduate school was established at
Virginia State University in
Petersburg, Virginia.[3] The Foster brothers were among those who used the tuition support program to study out of state.[4] Jackson went on to pursue her studies at Columbia University.[5] Several other states had similar programs.[6]