I INTRODUCED House Bill 1429 to the Virginia House of Dele-gates, which would limit the out-of-state enrollment at Virginia public colleges and universities to 33 percent of the incoming freshman class beginning in the fall of 2001.
I believe that Virginia's residents (and taxpayers) should have the assurance that at least two-thirds of the enrollment at our public colleges and universities are reserved for their children. Every year I hear from some of my constituents in Fairfax whose children were denied admission to one of our fine institutions of higher learning in spite of outstanding high school transcripts and SAT scores. This situation has been exacerbated by recent revelations that some out-of-state enrollees at the University of Virginia actually had lower GPAs or SATs than Virginia applicants who were denied admission.
There has been an increase of high school students enrolling in Honors, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes, and rising academic achievement due, in part, to instruction related to the Standards of Learning Tests. Our public and private high school and homeschooled students are top-quality and fiercely competitive.
The hard work and the effort devoted to these courses, in addition to extracurricular activities such as employment, sports, theater and clubs, deserves to be recognized and rewarded by the college admissions process. Admissions policies are complicated and at times, a subjective process. Many components factor into deciding a student's admission, and there should be the minimum assurance that there is a place for well deserving in-state students.
During testimony on my bill, we learned of the case of a Virginia student who was denied admission to the University but was accepted by Princeton. The exorbitant cost of enrolling at this private school, instead of at one of Virginia's finest public universities, shows the cost to taxpayers of denying enrollment to our residents.
I recognize the desire of our university presidents to attract out-of-state students to enhance diversity and improve the learning experience for all. My only desire is to set a limit on that out-of-state enrollment at one-third of the incoming class. The General Assembly has expressed concern with this issue for at least 20 years, but has never passed a bill mandating a ceiling for out-of-state enrollment.
As drafted, the language of my legislation would only directly affect three state schools: The University of Virginia with 34 percent out-of-state enrollment, the College of William and Mary with 39 percent, and Mary Washington College at 40 percent. Other universities and colleges, however, are approaching the limit (many are at the 30 percent out-of-state enrollment already). With proactive legislation we can ensure places for our in-state students. Norfolk State University and Virginia Military Institute are exempted because of their designation as a historically black institution and a military academy, respectively.
My bill was "carried-over" until the 2001 session of the General Assembly. Meanwhile, The State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) has drafted a letter to the rectors and presidents of the Virginia State-Supported Colleges and Universities to inform them of the intent of my bill and ask for their comments.
This legislation may not be well received by out-of-state applicants. While I do not want to limit their college choices, my first and main priority is to the residents of my state. Virginia's families need to be assured that their taxes are not going to educate an unreasonable amount of out-of-state students at the expense of their equally deserving children.
I am not proposing a carte blanche acceptance for Virginia residents to our colleges and universities. I do believe Virginia taxpayers should have minimal two-thirds acceptance because they are primarily supporting these institutions with their money. It is important that of out-of-state students pay full tuition at our institutions, but that doesn't compensate for lost slots for Virginia residents.
Virginia will remain competitive in attracting quality and driven students. In addition, our higher education system will continue to be held in higher esteem among other colleges and universities in addition to future employers and the business world.
As a representative of many college-bound students, I will continue my fight to give them the best chance to enroll in our renowned state-supported colleges and universities.
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