With the American economy in a recession, many college students are starting to worry about tuition costs. But according to the Princeton Review’s list of “2009 Best Value Colleges,” University students are better off than others. The Princeton Review ranked the University as the number one public college on the list above the No. 2 New College of Florida and the No. 3 College of William & Mary.
The Princeton Review collected data and student surveys from 650 of the top undergraduate institutions in the country. It used academic strength, cost of attendance, and financial aid statistics to determine each school’s overall “value.” Princeton Review VP-Publisher Robert Franek said that in the face of economic downturn, the colleges on the list were ones with “outstanding academics at a relatively low cost of attendance and generous financial aid.”
AccessUVa, the University’s financial aid program, provides more than traditional aid, Student Financial Services Director Yvonne Hubbard said.
“We help students stay here; we provide them with aid and good advice, we try to keep loans down; we work to create financial plans,” Hubbard noted.
Hubbard also said that even though the economic crisis is a concern for the University and the need for financial aid is rising, AccessUVa will remain completely committed to its aid program. President John T. Casteen, III explained in a University press release that “even as our nation’s colleges and universities face new budget shortfalls and funding reductions, it is more important than ever that we keep education affordable.”
In addition to the University’s strong financial aid system, the cost of attendance remains relatively low, Franek noted. Including tuition, fees, and boarding it totaled $20,173 for in-state students and $40,473 for out-of-state students. In comparison, tuition, fees and boarding total $10,300 and $19,800 for in-state and out-of-state students, respectively, at the College of William & Mary. Though the University is more expensive, cost was just one factor in determining a school’s overall value. The other was academic strength — a top-rated school had to provide a quality education at a low price.
Hubbard stressed the fact that although the University is accessible and affordable, “it is first and foremost a great institution.”
Franek said the University’s academic strength comes mostly from the faculty. Students reported on surveys that their professors were often available outside of the classroom and were extremely engaging during lectures, he explained.
University spokesperson Carol Wood added that incredible students, as well as incredible faculty, “make U.Va. an academically rigorous institution.”
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