WELCOME AND WORDS FROM THE DEAN

Dear Colleagues:

We have just completed the first year of work on AccessUVa, a program which provides full grants as financial aid packages to low income students, and we are very pleased that we have increased the number of students at or below 200% of the poverty level by 49%. These are first-year students whose family incomes are at $37,700 or lower with four in the family. Last year, we enrolled 133 at that income level and this year, the number is 197.

The financial aid packages for these particular students include no loans or jobs, but total grants. Although the tuition for Virginians this fall will be $7200 and $24,500 for out-of-state students, the total financial aid budget will be $16,700 for in-state and $33,400 for non-Virginians. The financial aid funds have been increased by $18 million in order to accommodate this program and more money will be added next year to deal with the increasing numbers of students at this income level as well as our increasing costs.

We are need-blind in admission and we meet the full demonstrated need of every student we offer admission (except international students), even if the financial aid application and FAFSA do not arrive until late in the process. We have no deadlines on financial aid, but we strongly encourage all students and their parents to complete the FAFSA and the U.Va Financial Aid Application right after January 1st.

We look forward to another good year and I hope that we will see you at our annual counselor workshop in September.

Sincerely,

Jack Blackburn
Dean of Admission