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1) Meets 100 percent of demonstrated need for all admitted undergraduate students.</p>
<p>2) Replaces need-based loans with grants in the financial aid packages of low-income students those whose family income is equivalent to 200 percent of the federal poverty line or less.</p>
<p>3) Caps the amount of need-based loans offered to any student at approximately 25 percent of U.Va.s in-state cost of attendance over four years, and will meet all need above that amount with grants. All students, regardless of state residency, will receive the in-state cap level.
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<p>The poverty line in 2007 for a family of four in the contiguous US (it's a bit higher in Alaska and Hawaii) was $20,650, so 200 percent is $41,300. Certainly, it is a good thing to substitute grants for loans for these students but that is still a pretty low threshold. There are an awful lot of families above that point who could also use that assistance. </p>
<p>It sounds as though you are a fairly recent UVa graduate so I'm guessing you probably haven't had to fill out a FAFSA to determine your EFC (expected family contribution) to send a child to college. While many colleges say they will meet 100% of need, that "need" is based on a formula that assumes a very sizable percent of your family's income is available to pay college costs. So "need" is a matter of opinion, and most middle class families think that their need is more than the formula says. That is what all the concern and debate is about.</p>
<p>Access UVa and Gateway W&M (which is a fairly recent program so not yet to the level of Access UVa) and similar programs at other institutions have addressed the cost of college for the neediest students -- they certainly have had everything else against them and if they have managed to somehow come out of it with the qualifications to get accepted at UVa or W&M or UNC or wherever, the cost of college shouldn't be the straw that breaks their backs. But this is only addressing the most pressing need. Middle class families find themselves falling into a limbo land in between those who qualify for full aid and those who can easily afford to pay full ticket anywhere they choose to go. I will give kudos to the new aid programs at several of the Ivies that are trying to address the middle income problem.</p>
<p>My son is fortunate that he comes from a family that is at the upper income end of what is considered middle class and we have saved some money for our children's college educations so we are able to send them to most schools they could get into. Well, we wouldn't go for the $45-50K/year that the big bucks privates charge, especially while there are options like UVa, W&M, Virginia Tech, UNC, University of Delaware (our in-state option that would have been the best bargain for us) and many, many very good privates that give significant merit aid (the two privates that my son got into and turned down would have been cheaper due to merit awards/scholarships than OOS at W&M and U. Maryland). </p>
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I don't think Virginia tax payers have to worry about financial aid money going to out-of-state students. UVa has a $5 billion endowment, and that's where it gets its money for Access UVA.
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<p>To a Virginia resident in that middle income limboland whose kid can't go to UVa because they just can't afford it doesn't care where the aid going to a kid from some other state comes from, it's still aid that his kid isn't getting.</p>
<p>I hope you don't think that I'm bashing UVa (although as a W&M grad and dad it is veeerrry tempting). It's a great school and I had many friends who went there and I visited often. In fact, one of my fondest memories was sitting in Scott Stadium in 1986 with my best friend from high school/tennis doubles partner/best man at my wedding, a UVa grad and now an associate dean at the UVa law school, as William & Mary dealt a crushing 41-37 gridiron defeat to those 'Hoos. Yeah, good times . . .</p>