Budget panel gets college bill

Legislation to increase the number of in-state students at some top-tier Virginia colleges and universities was sent yesterday to the House of Delegates' budget committee.

The move complicates the fate of the bills, which now are before a panel trying to balance a state budget amid a $3.2 billion deficit.

News of the legislation is spreading on campuses and sparked the College of William and Mary's Student Senate to pass a resolution in opposition of the effort. Four related bills, now all in the House Appropriations Committee, seek to require public colleges and universities to admit at least 70 percent of their undergraduates from within Virginia.

Del. Timothy D. Hugo, R-Fairfax, who is pushing for a 75 percent requirement, said his bill does not affect the state's general fund because it would require schools to raise out-of-state tuition to cover the cost of admitting more in-state students, who pay much less.

Del. Lacey E. Putney, I-Bedford, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said he favors the intent of Hugo's bill but has not studied the specifics, and what price tag it, or others, could carry.

William and Mary and the University of Virginia would be affected most by the proposed changes. William and Mary senior Matt Pinsker, a member of the student Senate, said all undergraduate senators back the resolution against the effort.

"I guess the bottom line is at W&M, students, in-state and out-of-state, are overwhelmingly opposed to lowering the number of out-of-staters," said Pinsker, a graduate of Mills Godwin High School in Henrico County.

"We are in a fiscal crisis because of state budget cuts, and because out-of-staters pay so much more in tuition, decreasing their number will hurt the school as well as result in tuition increases for everyone."

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said he would "have some concerns" about increasing in-state tuition to make up for the funding gap that would result. He said lawmakers should focus on boosting need-based financial aid for Virginia students.

Contact Olympia Meola at (804) 649-6812 or .

Staff writer Jim Nolan contributed to this report.