University President John T. Casteen III met with the General Assembly House Education Committee Wednesday to defend the University's admissions policies regarding the ratio of in-state to out-of-state students.
The discussion was in response to a bill that would prohibit the University from admitting more than 33 percent out-of-state students in 2001.
The Committee voted earlier this month not to vote on the bill until next year.
Del. James K. O'Brien (R-Clifton) sponsored the bill.
Casteen and Timothy Sullivan, president of the College of William & Mary, attended the Committee meeting to defend the schools' current admissions policies.
The bill states that public four-year institutions in Virginia must "maintain a ratio of the in-state and out-of-state student population in each freshman class that is not less than 67 percent in-state students."
Casteen said he supports the University's admissions policy, which limits in-state students to 64-68 percent of incoming first-year classes.
He said the bill is unnecessary because "it proposes to accomplish by law what is already accomplished without law."
William & Mary's current freshman class has about 61 percent in-state students.
O'Brien's legislative aid Ian Little said the bill's purpose is to cap out-of-state admissions to "insure that Virginia students are given an opportunity to attend Virginia schools."
O'Brien could not be reached for comment.
Dean of Admissions John A. Blackburn agreed with Casteen's defense of the University's admissions policy.
"I wouldn't want to see the number of out-of-state students reduced," Blackburn said. "We think 65-[to]-35 is a good ratio."
He said two-thirds of the University's applicants are out-of-state and that increasing the proportion of in-state students would "reduce diversity and diminish the national sense of the institution."
He added that the University's budget is built on having 35 percent out-of-state students.
Casteen, who was the University's dean of admissions from 1975 to 1982, said out-of-state students pay 35 percent more than the actual cost of an individual's education, which means out-of-state students pay part of the cost of educating in-state students.
The bill would have a "considerable fiscal impact," he said.
The bill excludes Virginia Military Institute, Norfolk State University and Virginia State University.
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