Out-of-state students may be out of luck under proposal

RICHMOND

Their kids got straight A's in high school, scored high on standardized tests and spent mini-lifetimes in extracurricular activities.

But when it was time to get into college, the University of Virginia and the College of William and Mary turned them down.

Loads of Virginia parents lodge such complaints with state legislators each year. A group of sympathetic lawmakers this winter has decided it's time to act.

They've introduced a variety of bills that would restrict the percentage of out-of-state students most publicly supported colleges could admit. The action, they say, would create more room for Virginia's finest at state schools - particularly U.Va., William and Mary, Virginia Tech and James Madison University.

"We've got so many kids getting 4.0 averages and great SAT scores being forced to go out of state," said Del. Tim Hugo, R-Fairfax, who sponsored one of the bills. "For every out-of-state kid that comes here, we're driving one in-state kid across the border."

About 81 percent of students attending public universities in Virginia are state residents, according to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. But the figure is lower at the four top-ranked schools: U.Va., 66.6 percent are state residents; William and Mary, 68.2 percent; James Madison, 70.3 percent; and Virginia Tech, 73.6 percent.

Hugo has introduced legislation, HB2475, that would require most universities to have at least 75 percent in-state enrollments. Two similar bills also are circulating: One would set the minimum Virginia enrollment at 70 percent; the other, at 80 percent. They are HB2325 and HB2324, respectively.

All of the measures are pending before the House Appropriations Committee. The influential chairman of the panel - Del. Lacey Putney, I-Bedford - said he has not read the bills but supports their general concept.

Even so, there is much doubt that any quota bill will be successful. The measures are opposed by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, many university officials and a good number of legislators. They say the mandate would create deep financial hardships at the state's elite schools.

"Right now, universities charge higher tuitions to out-of-state students, and they use that money to subsidize in-state tuitions," Kaine said. "To cap out-of-state entrance and then not give the universities money, then the cost to in-state students is going to go up."

At U.Va., for example, a Virginia resident pays an estimated $9,490 a year for tuition and fees, while an out-of-state student pays $29,790, according to the university's Web site.

A 75 percent mandate would cost the four top-ranked universities $57.3 million a year in lost tuition receipts, according to the state's Department of Planning and Budget. The influx of more Virginians at the schools would cost the state taxpayers an additional $28.4 million in tuition subsidies.

All this would come at a time when the state must cut its recession-racked budget to balance a $2.9 billion revenue shortage. Kaine is proposing a 15 percent cut in state funding to four-year colleges.

Hugo said some of the universities could cover some of the costs of an in-state admission mandate by raising tuitions for out-of-state students.

Hugo exempted from his bill historically black colleges such as Norfolk State University. Those schools, he said, have traditionally relied on high out-of-state enrollments and could not withstand losses in revenues.

Critics say the dictate would erode the diversity of Virginia's top colleges.

"Out-of-state students are vitally important members of William and Mary - not only because of the funding they bring - but also because of their talent and passion," said Brian Whitson, a school spokesman. "Like in-state students, they love this college, and many remain in Virginia after graduation and contribute to the commonwealth."

Many also warn that the quota would undercut the supposed autonomy of college boards of visitors to run their schools.

"I think it's a philosophical question," said Del. Bob Tata, R-Virginia Beach, chairman of the House Education Committee. "If we want Virginia schools to have top national reputations, then we ought to let the schools determine their own admission policies."

Kirsten Nelson, spokes woman for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, which oversees public colleges and universities, said: "We think it's up to the boards of visitors to decide their own admissions policies. And the reason why we feel so strongly is because there is a place for every Virginia student who wants to go to a school in Virginia. It might not be your first choice, but there's a spot for everyone who is truly college-bound."

Warren Fiske, (804) 697-1565, warren.fiske@pilotonline.com

Denise Watson Batts, (757) 446-2504, denise.batts@pilotonline.com