The United Campus Workers of the University’s faculty committee published an article in The Cavalier Daily Aug. 26. There are innumerable items to debate in the UCWVA-UVA editorial, which is rife with inaccuracies and misrepresentations. I will focus on one very key topic that gets short shrift, and which they clearly either do not understand or are grossly misrepresenting — the prohibitive cost of a University education for the middle class. UCWVA-UVA says, “The University is ranked first for financial aid among public universities — it is one of only two public universities that fully meet all demonstrated financial need … Does this sound like a University in crisis?”
That’s a total obfuscation of the facts. AccessUVA takes care of poor and lower middle class families, which is both admirable and necessary, but is focused solely on in-state Virginia undergraduate students. Below are the key summary points:
- Applicants with family incomes under $50,000 get at free tuition, room and board and covers the cost of fees
- Applicants with family incomes between $50-100,000 get free tuition and covers the cost of fees
- Applicants with family incomes between $100-150,000 get $2,000
However, I would ask about middle-class families with incomes over $150,000. They get nothing. The cost of a University education must become a primary focus of the new University administration. This can only be addressed through a drastic reduction of the administrative expenses bloat that has accumulated at the University over the past few decades.
Below are summary data showing the cost of attendance, specifically for off-campus students, according to the US News & World Report top 50 ranked U.S. universities — universities that would be considered strong competitors for potential University students. This is particularly germane for out-of-state parents who are seeking an Ivy League quality education at a lower cost. They are considering state universities across the nation for the best combination of cost, educational quality and culture. We are losing qualified students whose families cannot or will not pay the large differential in the University’s educational expenses when they can attend other universities of comparable quality…