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New UVA president promises free tuition for middle-class students

Posted at 9:32 PM, Oct 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-19 21:49:14-04

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – New University of Virginia President Jim Ryan declared an ongoing commitment to low- and middle-income Virginians by promising free tuition for students in families earning less than $80,000 a year.

The bold promise was made during his inauguration as the university’s ninth president Friday afternoon.

Ryan is a first-generation college student who attended Yale University and UVA’s School of Law on scholarship.

“I see a community that opens wide the door to opportunity for first-generation, low- and middle-income students,” Ryan said. “There is more work to be done in this space, there will be more work done in this space, but we might as well get started.”

Ryan promised that UVA families earning less than $80,000 a year could send their child to the university tuition-free. In addition, Ryan vowed that the school would cover tuition, and room and board for families earning less than $30,000.

There is no word on a timetable of the pledge.

Tuition for in-state students at UVA is $13,682 for the 2018-2019 school year.

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