Ask any University student where he or she is from, and you're likely to hear the ubiquitous "Northern Virginia" reply. That response could become even more popular if Republican Del. James O'Brien of Fairfax has his way.
On Nov. 15, the General Assembly will vote on O'Brien's proposal to cap out-of-state enrollment at 33 percent in all of Virginia's state universities, including the University, James Madison University, William & Mary and Virginia Tech.
Having received numerous letters from constituents concerned about their children's placement in Virginia schools, O'Brien said he recognized that Virginia citizens should have an edge over out-of-state applicants.
Virginians "pay taxes, live in Virginia, their kids were raised and went to school here and [parents] don't want to have to send their children to an equally fine school in another state when they can stay in Virginia," O'Brien said.
Dean of Admissions John A. Blackburn said this bill should not affect the University significantly.
"We aim for a 65 to 35, in-state to out-of-state ratio," Blackburn said.
Recently, though, incoming classes have been 67 percent Virginian, meaning the cap would not change the University's ratio.
Blackburn said he is hesitant to cap out-of-state admissions because of the quality and diversity non-Virginians have to offer.
"Some of our most qualified applicants come from the out-of-state pool," he said.
O'Brien ultimately said this is a case of the haves versus the have-nots. Virginians want to keep the current status quo because it benefits them financially, but applicants from other states may see the cap as another obstacle to receiving an education at a Virginia institution, he said.
Students recognize their own biases, depending on where they're from. "U.Va. is a state-supported school, and when I was applying to schools I figured I should have some financial advantage as a Virginian," said Julia Bright, a second-year College student from Roanoke.
As fair as this proposal may sound, Virginia universities could be hit hard financially by the decreased amount of out-of-state students, prompting higher out-of-state tuition fees. The loss for each school would be in the millions, O'Brien admitted.
He also said schools would suffer from decreased alumni donations because out-of-state graduates tend to donate larger sums of money than their in-state counterparts.
However, O'Brien said the loss will only be financial and the cap would not discourage diversity on Virginia campuses.
Some out-of-state students recognize that schools should give priority to state citizens.
"To be a state school, you have to have a majority of Virginians. But I think that U.Va. is generous in the number of out-of-state students it accepts and ultimately benefits from that diversity," said Melissa Kahn, a second-year College student from California.
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