Letter to the Editor: Virginia Universities Should Accept More In-State Students

Dear Editor,

It’s January and with January brings the most common concern of high school seniors, that’s college acceptance! Are you in?  Are you out? Where are you going? How will we pay? This is all high school seniors are thinking about right now, as I was right there with them last year applying to Virginia colleges. With many of my high school classmates having their eyes set on William & Mary as their first choice, I did a little research and found out how fortunate I was to have gotten into William & Mary. William & Mary provides 32 percent of our college spots to out of state students. That makes it very difficult for many of our best and brightest Virginia students, including my classmates, to get in. 

That is why I was pleased to hear Delegate Comstock discuss her bill for more in state college spots when I attended the McLean Community Association Town hall last week.  This bill will increase the in-state slots guaranteed for Virginia’s students to 75 percent -- a reasonable and a modest goal.  This increase will allow more qualified Virginia students to attend Virginia’s schools and will provide these students and their parents with more reasonable tuition bills than they would face at a private college.  I appreciate the work Delegate Comstock has done to get us more in state college spots at Virginia colleges and universities and I hope all of our local Delegates and Senators will join her and do the right thing for Virginia students and families.

Kyle McCauley, McLean, Va.