Girl’s Got Rhythm

Posted by clara / Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

June Schreiner, a Reston, VA native, plays Ado Annie Carnes in “Oklahoma!” with Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Schreiner will be a senior at the Madeira School in McLean, VA, and has performed with Synetic Family Theater, the Studio Theatre, the McLean Community Players and the Reston Community Players. She spoke with Northern Virginia Magazine’s Clara Ritger about how she got her start on the stage and some of her favorite parts of the show. “Oklahoma!” opens July 8 and will run through October 2 in the Fichandler Stage at the Mead Center.

NoVA: What got you started in theatre?

Schreiner: Both of my parents were involved in the industry so it’s kind of in my blood. My first show, “Honk!,” was in fifth grade and I immediately fell in love. From there I did about five shows with the Reston Community Players. I grew up with them… they’re like a second family to me.

NoVA: What was the moment you knew you wanted to make this your career?

Schreiner: I went through the process of “Oklahoma!” for the first time last year and I saw what an actor’s lifestyle was like. It really got me hooked. I definitely want to be a career actor.

NoVA: How did your parents feel when you broke the news?

Schreiner: They’ve been 100% supportive from the very beginning. My mom was a film, television, and commercial actress. Some of her roles were in “Karate Kid,” “Outbreak,” and “NYPD Blue.” My dad acted on “General Hospital” for a while, but he most identifies with his directing experience at The Groundlings Theatre in L.A. So they’ve been in the industry, and though they’ve never pushed me to follow their paths, they’ve been supportive all the way.

NoVA: What is it like to work with a professional theatre like Arena Stage?

Schreiner: There are so many rules! Everything is more serious. We have scheduled breaks, and rehearsals are very routine because it’s professional and the actors I work with are doing this for a living.

NoVA: You performed in “Oklahoma!” with Arena Stage last year. Are you the only returning member of the cast, or can audiences expect the same?

Schreiner: Last year some of our cast members were involved with “Follies” at the Kennedy Center, which is now headed to Broadway. We’re so happy for them, but unfortunately they couldn’t join us for this second run. The majority of the cast is returning though, but while audiences can expect the same excitement and adrenaline from the first run, I can say that everything is going to be a bit better. Molly Smith is kicking everything up a notch.

NoVA: What’s the best part about being in the show?

Schreiner: Working with the actors. They mentored me. I also like working in the round. You can feel the audience’s laughter all around you, and it’s a great support.

NoVA: Do you have a favorite moment?

Schreiner: I love the opening number of the second act – “The Farmer and the Cowman.” The whole cast is on stage, being silly, and it’s just a great song. But really, there’s never a dull moment!

NoVA: Is there anything new for this show that you can spoil for our readers?

Schreiner: Well… I’ve got new rope tricks! And in general, the cast is a lot better. We’ve been able to build on our talent from last year.

NoVA: Who is your favorite character or actor in the show?

Schreiner: That’s like choosing my favorite child! I’m certainly close to my scene partners, but I just love the whole cast. I’m forever indebted to all the help they’ve given me along the way.

NoVA: After you graduate from Madeira, do you have plans for college?

Schreiner: I’m going to go to a regular four year school. I’m interested in studying psychology, sociology, English, history… I just want to understand the human condition. I think that is really important for an actor.

NoVA: Any particular colleges you’ve got your sights set on?

Schreiner: Well, I’ve been told not to get my hopes up about one particular place, but I’ve got a list. My top two are Wesleyan and Northwestern.

NoVA: Best of luck! Or shall we say… break a leg?

–Clara Ritger

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The Elephant Has Left the Room

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, June 21st, 2010

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Last week I met a long-time college friend for lunch in Reston. I confirmed two truths during this visit. The first is practical: You should always have cash on hand when driving, because you may encounter a toll booth or two, and a debit card is out of the question.

The second truth deals with matters of the heart.

Near the end of our lunch, my friend stood up and announced, “I have to go to the bathroom, but when I get back I’m going to tell you about how I’m gay.”

I gave him a reassuring smile and said, “Good.”

My friend and I first met during our freshman year of college in theater arts class. I always had a hunch about his sexuality and even asked him once. After all, his Facebook pictures show him mainly posing with dudes, he’s a meticulous and trendy dresser from head to foot, and he appreciates designer labels more than any of my girlfriends. In any case, he denied that he was gay at the time, so I let it go.

We talked about his news when he returned to the table. It was a comfortable conversation. He felt relieved to share his secret since it was a discussion he had always avoided in the past. I felt relief, too. As my dad says, “If you can’t be true to yourself, you can’t be true to anyone else.” Finally, we have an opportunity to be more open and honest with each other. And this lesson is transferable to a cross-section of relationships.

Share your “elephant in the room” story. Email me at littleredbook@northernvirginiamag.com.

–Katie

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Hot Zones

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

How area colleges adapt their overseas study programs to today’s political climate

By Lexi Gray Andrews

Jenn Young, a senior at the University of Maryland (UMD) in College Park, had no reservations about embarking on a study abroad program that took her to Egypt and Israel during the summer of 2008. As a Middle Eastern history major, Young had already taken several classes focused on Israeli history, and she was excited for the opportunity to experience first-hand the region she had been learning about for so long.

“I know a bunch of people who have traveled to the region, and they all assured me it wasn’t as dangerous as it’s made to seem in the news. I kept hearing that the news makes it look worse than it actually is,” Young says.

Despite her confidence, Young was still cognizant of the fact that the program to Egypt and Israel is categorized as being potentially risky. “It was one of the only study abroad programs that required students to read a really lengthy document acknowledging the potential danger of the region,” Young notes.

“My parents were slightly concerned about me going to Israel, but I definitely wasn’t nervous at all,” the Severna Park, Md., resident says. Young’s parents are certainly not the only people who considered the many news stories about political unrest in the Middle East, and how that situation might affect students traveling to the area. In early 2009, several U.S. colleges and universities canceled their abroad programs to the Middle East—in some cases at the last minute, according to the Jerusalem Post. Reports of violence in the Gaza Strip led universities including Rutgers, Duke and the University of Pennsylvania to cancel study abroad programs in Israel.

Nearer to Northern Virginia, three programs through Washington, D.C.’s American University (AU) that facilitated studies abroad in Yemen and Lebanon were suspended—the former explicitly due to security concerns. AU regularly performs risk assessment on each of its study abroad programs in order to determine whether they should continue, according to the website for AU Abroad.

AU still offers several nontraditional study abroad programs, most notably two programs in Tajikistan, which are organized through the American Councils for International Education. The Tajikistan programs focus on immersion in the country, its language and its culture. Students live with approved host families and have the opportunity to meet with local Tajikistani peer tutors for several hours a week.

In addition to UMD and AU, colleges and universities throughout our region are accommodating students who wish to study in these nontraditional countries, even during times of political unrest. Georgetown University offers semester and summer-session programs in Egypt, Jordan and Qatar, which each emphasize Middle East and North African culture and politics.

Many students like Young are working toward careers in fields like conflict resolution and community organization, and consider study abroad to be a cornerstone of their preparation for the workforce.

At the top of the priority list for universities is providing mandatory safety education before students enter any type of program abroad, no matter where they are traveling. Students should know what to expect from the country and its culture, says Lee Sternberger, James Madison University (JMU) associate provost and executive director for the school’s Office of International Programs.

JMU, located in Harrisonburg, offers a summer study tour that visits several major cities in Europe and the Middle East, so students encounter a wide range of cultural differences during the relatively short program.

“We teach the local customs and how to be safe and how to dress in cultures that are less similar than ours,” Sternberger says. “Study abroad has more of an impact than many things students will do during their college careers, and it is important that students are safe during their time in these programs. The experiences from study abroad will often stay with a person their whole life.”

There is no shortage of students who are seeking out these nontraditional study abroad options. Marina Markot, the University of Virginia’s associate director for study abroad, says there is a very large population of students who are deeply interested in countries with drastically different cultures than the U.S.

“They are interested in the problems of the world—poverty, public health and social justice, to name a few. Studying these issues without the local context is very difficult. It’s better to see something first-hand than read about it 10 or 20 times,” Markot says.

Passionate Professors
Many colleges in Northern Virginia and the surrounding regions are able to accommodate students who wish to study in just about any region of the world. A key component of this versatility with many colleges’ study abroad programs is that they are able to find professors who are passionate about a particular region.

The program Young attended last summer is headed by two UMD professors with decades of experience studying and lecturing on and in the Middle East. Professor Edward Kaufman is a former executive director of the Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Professor Talaat Shehata graduated from Cairo University in Egypt and has more than 30 years of international relations experience. Under the guidance of Kaufman and Shehata, students enrolled in the Egypt and Israel summer program were asked to focus on how to address international conflict and work toward helping to foster a peaceful coexistence between countries.

Young says, for her, the program exceeded its basic goals. “Basically the only way you can understand conflict resolution is to meet individuals on both sides of a certain conflict. Of course you can find conflict anywhere – it’s in a thousand places – but it is so important to travel to this region plagued by violent conflict for so long. You get a sense of what it’s like to live in those conditions of conflict.

“For me, studying abroad was a reaffirmation that conflict resolution is something I really want to pursue after I graduate.”

Among the area’s universities and professors, programs concerning international culture and conflict analysis are by no means confined to the Middle East. At George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax, Al Fuertes is the director of a summer program in the Philippines that encourages students to learn conflict resolution though both community service and peace building.

Global programs should teach students how to value the experiences of the people who may differ from them, Fuertes says. “When students go to the Philippines, they are not confined within the walls of the classroom, but are immersed in the community.”

Students who participate in GMU’s Philippines program have the chance to meet the country’s military and religious leaders, while also having the chance to live with a host family.

“There are many ways for students to get out of their comfort zones and experience new ways of doing things. They realize how much responsibility they have as spokespeople from the Unites States,” Fuertes says.

Since the Philippines is drastically different than the United States, and plagued with poverty and religious separation, Fuertes accommodates students by holding daily debriefings during the summer program. “We just go through the whole experience that students are having, and what it means to them. It’s a matter of helping the students understand the major differences between the United States and the Philippines, when it comes to culture,” Fuertes says.

Extraordinary Opportunities
GMU students interested in conflict resolution also have the chance to learn first-hand about the significant and historic struggle between Israel and Palestine. A program held each summer and winter focuses on conflict resolution and the history and development of Israel and Palestine. Through this program, students learn from experts and leaders on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and are schooled in the region’s dynamics and history.

Kevin Stoy, marketing director of GMU’s Center for Global Education, says the university has struggled as far as getting other Arabic-language programs to grow in popularity, but the Israel-Palestine program has a steady following each year.

The program is led by Yehuda Lukacs, associate provost for global education, and director of the GMU Center for Global Education. Lukacs has been taking groups of students to the Israeli-Palestinian region for about 12 years, and has extensive contacts in the region, Stoy says.

Due to heightened safety concerns in late 2008 and early 2009, Stoy says students were “kept on a shorter leash” during the winter program, but there was no serious talk of canceling the program altogether, or ending it early. Only one student dropped out of the program before it began, and that was due to personal safety concerns, according to Stoy.

Stoy says it was important for GMU to keep the program running, in order to accommodate the many students who were depending on it as a profound learning experience. “Now is as important a time as ever to be in that region and learning about it. Dr. Lukacs can pull off such a successful program because he has a lot of experience and a good structure in place. He has a lot of the right tools in place to make it work.”

“Global education isn’t the kind of learning where you’re asked to memorize and regurgitate. It challenges the individual to ask questions about themselves, and puts them face to face with realities they might not have experienced otherwise. When students get back home, they notice things they might not have noticed before—things they might have taken for granted,” Stoy adds.

Witnessing History
Traveling to a nontraditional location is not just about studying a region’s history. Students might get to witness history in the making, as each cycle of an abroad program can be drastically different from the last.

The University of Virginia’s winter term program in Ghana coincided with the country’s three-round 2008 presidential election, which eventually resulted in John Atta Mills’ victory in early January. Students participating in the program were able to witness first-hand the securing of Ghana as a stable democratic country.

Scot French, associate professor of history and director of the University of Virginia’s January term Ghana program, says, “Yes, we were there during the runoff elections and waited breathlessly, along with our Ghanaian hosts, for the results. For me, it was absolutely electric. I watched, thrilled, as a waiter in the Castle Restaurant showed our students how voters’ thumbs were inked and then pressed onto the ballot.”

French says he and the students followed the election news each day, and finally witnessed the official announcement of Atta Mills’ victory, and later the new president’s inauguration. U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Donald Teitelbaum invited French and the students to his home for dinner on the last night of the program. During the meal, Teitlebaum stressed to students the significance of what they had witnessed during the month-long program.

“He told them that Ghana was now essentially a two-party country in which both parties had won an election and assumed power, and both parties had won an election and stepped down voluntarily,” French says. Teitlebaum told the students, “It’s something you’ll be able to look back on and say, I was there at a really historic moment.”

Markot says that when it comes to helping students gain an understanding of world governments, “the key here is to help students grow in their understanding of the world, period. Start from where they are and then take them one step further—hopefully two steps further.”

Looking Toward the Future
Even among local colleges and universities that do not currently offer a wide range of nontraditional study abroad options, many faculty members recognize the need to accommodate students who want to go down that road.

Ella A. Sweigert, director of education abroad at the Catholic University of America (CUA)’s Center for Global Education, says that while the university does not yet offer nontraditional study abroad programs, they are working to expand the overall program.

Students are encouraged to attend CUA-approved programs that travel to areas like the Middle East, as long as there is no State Department travel warning against a particular region. “Colleges in general want to expand their scope beyond the traditional Europe destinations,” Sweigert says. For Young, her experiences traveling abroad to study conflict resolution are far from over. After graduation, she plans to revisit Belfast, Northern Ireland, where she studied earlier in her college career. The opportunities she was granted through study abroad are something she will carry far beyond graduation.

“It was really an eye-opener to see first-hand how people in a region are restricted by conflict situations. Traveling to Israel and the West Bank and hearing the biases and opinions from each side helped me understand how deep these feelings of hatred and misunderstanding run,” Young says, adding, “It’s important for everyone to understand international conflict—but especially if you want to have a career in resolution. It’s our responsibility to understand that we all have the potential to help in some way. ”

Tip #1
Register with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/, making your presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an emergency.

Tip #2
Get familiar with health conditions at your destination (high altitude or pollution, types of medical facilities, required immunizations, availability of required pharmaceuticals, etc.), and make sure you are up to date on your vaccinations. A key resource for health information is the Travelers’ Health page of the Centers for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov/travel.

(July 2009)

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We Rule—Here’s How We Know

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, December 16th, 2008

By Shirley Nuhn and Sharon J. Ritchey with Libby Burns, Elaina Loveland and Warren Rojas

With tuition rates climbing along with energy costs, wise families are choosing the path to higher education that is closest to home. Fortunately for Virginia residents, our state is a bevy of public and private institutions serving the needs of diverse student profiles. In particular, many of our largest state schools own prestigious national reputations.

We gleaned the schools you see on these inside pages from the popular U.S. News & World Report ranking system, and personally visited with the faculty, staff and students of these institutions to find out what makes them so outstanding. We then analyzed each school’s peer list compiled by Virginia’s State Council of Higher Education, which compares institutions based on faculty salary, freshmen enrollment size, research capacity and acceptance criteria, to discover how Virginia schools reign supreme.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg; 540-231-6267; www.vt.edu

Founded: 1872
Undergraduate Population: 21,997
President: Charles W. Steger
U.S. News and World Report Ranking: National Universities – 71

Virginia Tech is situated in the state’s Blue Ridge Highlands. A land-grant university esteemed for research, it is home to the Hokies, a team whose name began as a spirit yell.—SHIRLEY NUHN

Curriculum Spotlight
Aerospace and Ocean Engineering
Steer a vessel in the waters. Or launch one to new heights. Virginia Tech’s distinction is in having the only academic department in the United States combining the two engineering disciplines, in which all faculty are actively engaged in research. Currently, 85 externally funded research projects are underway, totaling $6.836 million, including a project funded by the National Science Foundation, according to department head Chris Hall.

Analytical and computational tools developed here help ship designers understand and prevent dangerous phenomena for vessels, such as capsizing. And one of Hall’s projects, funded by the Department of Defense, pertains to developing improved models and control strategies for electrodynamic tether spacecraft, which may be several miles long.

Such research and talent pay off in huge ways for the economy: Virginia boasts about 300 aerospace companies and is home to two National Aeronautics and Space Administration facilities generating $1.24 billion in income and 12,180 jobs (NASA data, 2006).

Famous Alumni
Charlie Camarda, Astronaut, Aerospace Engineering, 1990
VT alum Charlie Camarda flew on space shuttle Discovery in July 2005, the first flight launched after the 2003 Columbia shuttle accident. Over the years, he has received numerous awards from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Camarda, 56, says he chose Virginia Tech on the basis of its faculty and his interest in structural mechanics.

“One thing I’ve enjoyed doing is solving seemingly impossible problems by coming up with innovative solutions,” he says. “Some people view engineering as a process. But I view it more as an art.”

His advice to students considering the university: “Be prepared to work hard and explore the resources available. Undergraduates in engineering are absorbing an enormous amount of information,” adding that he would encourage students to interrogate their professors about their lessons, and for professors to “have students operate in a team mode.”

Notable Professor
Chris Hall, Department head of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering
Chris Hall made the transition from acting department head to taking full rein last May. Having entered the field of aerospace after joining the Air Force, his 20-year career includes having taught computer technology at Virginia Tech since 1997. “These students are very energizing to be around,” says Hall, 50, of the campus environment. “Many of them have known since they were little that they wanted to build rockets.” This year, Hall was part of the Virginia aerospace sector visiting in Richmond, talking to state legislators and reinforcing the value of investing in aerospace, university-based research.

Campus Legend
Each class designs its own traditional ring, enormous and precious. Urban myth has it that Tech rings above a certain size require registration as weapons.

Program Highlight
Virginia Cooperative Extension
Sun, air, water and a soil sample—all analyzed just for you. With a tailor-made prescription on nutrients for soil, a home gardener saves time and money on fertilizer and goes easier on the environment. Such soil testing, as well as a plethora of other, similar services, come from Virginia Tech, which teams up with sister land-grant school Virginia State University, in an effort that’s part of the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture). Plus, here, family and consumer sciences programs dole out advice on financial management, nutrition and physical activity.

How They Compare
Pennsylvania State University
Nanotechnology has been on this university’s scene since 1993. At its heart are the science and engineering of matter at the atomic and molecular levels, whose commercial, computational and environmental applications lie just ahead.

The pulse quickens, however, when you see what Virginia Tech has been up to. In fall of 2003, the school hailed System X, a 10-plus teraflop, 2,200-processor cluster. A terascale computer, System X stands amongst the world’s most powerful supercomputers—the equivalent of 1,100 Macintosh G5 computers running in parallel. As terascale and teraflop refer to trillions of operations per second, for computer science students and faculty alike, Virginia Tech’s supercomputer powerfully enhances research capabilities.

New and Noteworthy
Collaboration is the watchword at Tech. A degree from the Myers-Lawson School of Construction blends architecture and engineering within the walls of its new home, Bishop-Favrao Hall. This building honors Richard Bishop, a 1967 graduate in building construction, and William Favrao, who established Virginia Tech’s construction program in the 1940s. Its grand opening came in May, when state-of-the-art laboratory spaces awaited students with testing labs, wet labs, material handling, tool and welding labs and workshops for the assembly of construction systems.

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James Madison University
Harrisonburg; 540-568-5681; www.jmu.edu

Founded: 1908
Undergraduate Population: 16,013
President: Linwood H. Rose
U.S. News and World Report Ranking: University-Master’s (South) – 4

James Madison, which celebrated its centennial on March 14, claims the natural beauty of the Shenandoah Valley. Known for a wealth of arts, sciences and athletics, the university began as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg in 1908, then went coed in 1966.—SHIRLEY NUHN

Curriculum Spotlight
Music Industry
“Students may find jobs in the recording industry, management of artists, music publishing and work with symphonies and other venues,” Marilou Johnson, JMU’s interim dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, says of her students’ career potential. Copyright management is also of the moment for artists. According to Johnson, 49, the Music Industry major is the college’s second most popular, after Music Education. To complete the degree, studio work is a must, though students who minor in the study don’t have the same performance requirements. Faculty members for the major include David Cottrell, an Emmy Award-winning composer and French horn performer, and Joseph Taylor, founder and keyboard player for the rock group Undercover. In July, the college welcomed George Sparks as its new dean.

Notable Professor
J. Barkley Rosser, economics
J. Barkley Rosser, 60, currently serves as editor for the Journal of Economics Behavior and Organization. His research includes complexity, catastrophe and chaos theory, plus environmental economics that deals with such phenomena as the collapse of fisheries, and the Chesapeake Bay as what was once one of the most productive estuaries in the world. “Today it is one-tenth of what it had been. But we don’t understand everything that’s going on—not the total picture.”

Famous Alumni
Ken Bartee, Mcdonald Bradley, Inc.; Information Systems, 1983
For the president and CEO of Herndon’s IT-solutions provider McDonald Bradley, Inc., education at JMU sparked his confidence about entering the business world. His words of advice today? Think teamwork, says Bartee, 47. Think a balanced life in the incredibly fast-paced D.C. area. Think of giving back, too. For four years, McDonald Bradley has supported Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children’s Teardrops to Rainbows program, bringing major upgrades to the pediatric oncology unit and lots more for families to smile about.
For students who are considering JMU, he says, “Make sure it’s the right fit for you. All schools are different.” What other career could he see himself enjoying? “Sports. As an agent or in behind-the-scenes management. I was a wrestler in high school and college.”Campus Legend JMU’s Kissing Rock shields couples from watchful eyes, so was once considered a romantic spot back when female students were closely supervised. The prediction is that those kiss there will wed.

New and Noteworthy
Center for the Performing Arts
Artistic expression unlocks something deep within, for performer and audience alike. Those bold dreams are coming to life for the arts at JMU. Following the creation of the College of Visual and Performing Arts in 2005, construction began last year for the Performing Arts Center, set to open in 2010. And the purchase of sumptuous instruments, thanks to a generous $1 million anonymous gift, has enabled JMU to become an All-Steinway School.

Program Highlight
Biotechnology
Whether a natural born problem-solver, or just a couscious citizen, you’ll be interested to know this interdisciplinary program offered between JMU’s Departments of Integrated Science and Technology and Chemistry is bringing the direct benefits of next-generation vaccines and biofuels to life.

Within this department, faculty-student interaction is vibrant. “It’s a rigorous science program—very lab-intensive,” says Robert McKown, professor and biotechnology program coordinator. And according to A. Jerry Benson, dean of the school’s integrated science and tehchnology programs, “We have a good track record of students presenting at (professional) programs,” including four for 2008.

How They Compare
University of Maryland
To the competition, Maryland says, “Fear the Turtle.” The university is home to 12 sports for men and 15 for women. No surprise that JMU’s women’s sports also outnumber those of men, 11 to 6. The women’s athletic tradition here goes back almost to the university’s founding year. Since the 1970s, the mascot for any school team event has been the tenacious Duke Dog, known to lead the crowds in fight song: “Fight for Glory—Honors Won. Brighten the Lights of Madison. Madison, James Madison, Show Your Colors Proud and True, We are the Dukes of JMU!”

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University of Virginia
Charlottesville; 434-982-3200; www.virginia.edu

Founded: 1819
Undergraduate Population: 14,676
President: John T. Casteen III
U.S. News and World Report Ranking: National Universities – 23

The University of Virginia, in central Virginia, embodies Thomas Jefferson’s vision for an academic village. Pavilions, elegant landscape and breadth of scholarship are among this historic university’s hallmarks.—SHIRLEY NUHN

Famous Alumni
Tina Fey, Actor/Writer, drama, 1992
Originally, TV writer and actor Tina Fey had planned on an English major. In 2001 Fey told the school’s student-run newspaper, “I read about (UVA) and found out what a good school it was, and I ended up deciding to come here before I even visited.” Once there, she was won over by theater and playwriting courses, where she was known for encouraging other students. Since graduating, Fey’s given back to UVA, presenting improv workshops at the school’s Culbreth Theatre and offering career insights—after performing with The Second City troupe in Chicago, she penned for “Saturday Night Live,” ultimately achieving the status of the show’s first female head writer and joining the cast as Weekend Update anchor. “30 Rock,” a sitcom for which Fey is producer, head writer and co-star, won a 2007 Emmy for best comedy series.

Curriculum Spotlight
Political Philosophy, Policy and Law
This major, which embraces the perspective of the study of law having a rich humanistic tradition, will delight a scholar tightly focusing on political theory. Loren Lomasky, Cory Professor of Philosophy, Policy and Law, directs PPL. Born in UVA in 2004, the program is distinctly interdisciplinary. “Several of us collaborate—in a program, not a department,” says Lomasky, 61. Only about 30 students are admitted annually, so they get to know one another in an inherently intimate environment. Lomasky says, “I won’t say we’re the crown jewels, but we’re proud of what we’ve been doing and hope to do this better in the future.”

Campus Legend
Treading on the Z Society’s “Z” that marks the footbridge near Ruffner Hall induces pregnancy before graduation. Myth origin is a mystery.

Notable Professor
Larry J. Sabato, Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics
Larry Sabato, 56, puts civic education on the map: Spot his academic and analytic perspective in print, radio, TV and the blogosphere. A 1974 UVA grad, he has spearheaded the school’s Center for Politics since 1998; among his students these days are children of office holders and the diplomatic corps.

“This year has been a wonderful opportunity,” he says of the presidential campaign’s educational opportunities. “A laboratory.” According to Sabato, many students consistently following the primaries are finding that their hard work is now paying off.

New and Noteworthy
Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy
University founder Thomas Jefferson embraced experimentation’s place in public service. Through a recent $100 million gift by UVA alumnus Frank Batten, Sr., a new school is to be built to tune into emerging demands of leadership. In 2007, Batten explained his vision as undergraduate curriculum “focused on developing leaders who understand the responsibilities and opportunities of public life and have a bias for action.” The school, to open in fall 2009, will serve about 225 undergraduate and 165 graduate students.

Program Highlight
AccessUVa
We’ve all seen the headlines about tuition spikes. But planning for college doesn’t have to be a financial headache. Since 2004, UVA’s financial aid program has made higher education—and the entire academic experience—affordable for all admitted students, no matter their economic situation. Quite a few options are in store to assist, including a commitment of $20 million in need-based grants to undergraduates and the ability for low-income students to obtain loan-free packages. UVA states that this program offers help with need-based loans and strives to meet 100 percent of need for undergraduate students. Middle-income families feeling adrift in a sea of budgetary and tuition concerns couldn’t find a brighter harbor.

How They Compare
Princeton University
The tally of books at the Princeton library is more than 6 million, including about 200,000 that are rare or historically significant. UVA’s library has 4.9 million books; more than 300,000 are rare. A nod to the past is in order. Since 1992, UVA has been home to the Rare Book School, an independent nonprofit educational institute supporting the story of the history of books, as well as printed and related subjects.

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University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg; 540-654-2000; www.umw.edu

Founded: 1908
Undergraduate Population: 4,183
President: Richard V. Hurley
U.S. News and World Report Ranking: Universities-Master’s (South) – 9

Previously known as Mary Washington College, honoring George Washington’s mother, the University of Mary Washington celebrated its centennial during the 2007-2008 year. In 1862, the Battle of Fredericksburg raged along the high ground that today forms the main campus.—SHIRLEY NUHN

Curriculum Spotlight
Historic Preservation
You are a doctor, and your patient is a building. What measures will restore it, enabling your patient to again thrive in the community? Bricks and mortar aren’t the only components. Historic architecture, architectural conservation, folklore, archaeology, planning and museum studies are key. UMW was one of the nation’s first institutions with an undergraduate curriculum in historic preservation, and the first to establish an independent department of Historic Preservation—now the nation’s largest. W. Brown Morton III, professor and Prince B. Woodard Chair of Historic Preservation, has been on the department’s faculty since 1986. He describes how some American cities contemplate reuse of historic buildings. The style preferences of a preservation professional isn’t the main point, Morton, 70, says. “Instead, let’s ask, ‘How does the community want to keep something?’”

Famous Alumni
Judy Muller, journalist, Dramatic Arts, 1969
TV news correspondent, Emmy winner and National Public Radio commentator Judy Muller is currently a professor at the Annenberg School for Communication. Her high-profile stories include the O.J. Simpson criminal and civil trials (ABC) and 1988 political conventions (CBS). Has she come full circle, attending college to broadcasting to teaching? “I don’t think my circle is ever full. I’m still taking detours,” says Muller, 61, who’s also working on a book about small-town newspapers. To potential students, she advises, “Really take advantage of the variety there.” Students gain when involved with the college newspaper, drama or whatever else takes them outside of the classroom, according to Muller, who says she wishes she’d also studied more history and political science. “I’ve had to learn about those subjects on my own. But that’s how the critical thinking skills help,” she explains. “You teach yourself. You’ve got to be curious.”

Notable Professor
Gary W. Stanton, Historic Preservation and Director of the Center for Historic Preservation
A folklorist, Gary Stanton, 61, says he doesn’t necessarily stand out. He came to UMW in 1989, during a period of government interest in history and historical artifacts. Stanton, who enjoys vernacular architecture, explains, “It’s important that we have a continuity of living artists.” Ask nicely, and he’ll point out the Civil War sites on campus, too.

Program Highlight
Charitable Giving
Last year, students who were enrolled in the Economics of Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Sector course, taught by professor Robert Rycroft, awarded $7,500 and $2,500 in grants, respectively, to the National Housing Trust/Enterprise Preservation Corporation and Fredericksburg Counseling Services, Inc.

Even more: In 2006, UMW grad Shin Fujiyama, with sister Cosmo, cofounded Students Helping Honduras, expanding the economic and educational prospects in Honduras by getting U.S. students involved in the initiative. Earlier this year, the organization won $50,000 through a Parade magazine and Case Foundation contest for charitable organizations, plus $28,000 in other donations.

New and Noteworthy
The Peace Corps names UMW on its list of Top Producing Colleges and Universities. Currently, nearly two dozen alumni volunteer for the worldwide organization, ranking the institute sixth among colleges and universities with fewer than 5,000 undergraduates. Since the Peace Corps’s inception in 1961 as a call to service, 173 UMW alumni have contributed time and talent.

How They Compare
Georgia College and State University
Here, esteemed alumni include writer Flannery O’Connor. Known best for fiction, O’Connor was a skilled cartoonist, too, and this university is the repository for her collection of exquisite work. But for creative writers who savor poetry, UMW is likely a strong pull. Claudia Emerson, associate professor of English, received the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in the field for her book “Late Wife,” an account of the end of her 19-year marriage and the start of her life with a new husband.

Campus Legend
Stepping on the university seal, which is embedded in the floor in Trinkle Hall, is said to result in the offending student not graduating. (But sources suspect a wider swath is just more respectful.)

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Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond; 804-828-0100; www.vcu.edu

Undergraduate Population: 21,260
Founded: 1968
President: Eugene P. Trani
U.S. News & World Report Ranking: Tier 3 schools

With some of the nation’s strongest art programs, Virginia Commonwealth University is often seen as the state school for creative types. The institute offers a variety of degrees, however, including Nursing, Medicine, Dentistry and Social Work. It is an urban school, and the largest in Virginia, located on two campuses in Richmond. The school encourages cross-disciplinary studies and urges its students to explore their world through their chosen field, whether it be arts or medicine.—SHARON J. RITCHEY

Curriculum Spotlight
Visual Arts
The Department of Sculpture and Extended Media at Virginia Commonwealth University includes more than 100 undergraduate sculpture majors. It is the largest of its kind in the United States, and U.S. News & World Report ranks the program as the best in the nation. Students are not only exposed to traditional sculpture media, but also are encouraged to explore technology’s parameters and to pursue interdisciplinary activity. Additionally, it’s not uncommon to see students from other disciplines collaborating with the School of the Arts on projects that tie in engineering and other sciences.

Notable Professor
Elizabeth King, Fine Arts
Elizabeth King is an award-winning sculptor who has been honored by both an Academy Award and Guggenheim Fellowship. Her work is in permanent collections around the nation, including the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. She has been a faculty member for 23 years and said she feels she has been a part of a “dream team of academia and students.” King added she loves being part of the VCU community because “there is a high-level conversation about art. VCU is a deeply collaborative community.” According to King, the school’s student body is more varied as a result of lower tuition costs, thus fostering a distinctly unique environment in its diversity.

Famous Alumni
David Baldacci, Author, Political Science, 1983
Hailing from an alma mater known for its creative bent, it’s not surprising that blockbuster author David Baldacci is a political science graduate. According to Baldacci, “In one of my novels, I described VCU as the Stanford of the East, and that wasn’t fiction. How many universities are there with No. 1-ranked art programs and a premier medical school? Or nationally ranked engineering and business platforms standing proudly alongside one of the best liberal arts curriculums in the country, all tethered to an entrepreneurial spirit second-to-none? When you experience the immense footprint this world-class university has—not only in bricks and mortar, but in the hearts and minds of its students, faculty and leadership—you will quickly realize that you are in the presence of an educational powerhouse that truly has no peer.”

New & Noteworthy
Da Vinci Center
The School of Engineering’s da Vinci Center for Innovation in Product Design and Development is where engineering, business and art students work entrepreneurially on product-development projects for major corporations and government organizations. Collaborative projects created here range from packaging technology for overseas markets where food often spoils during extended transport to affordable medical equipment in third-world countries. Students work together on a product from its conception to its marketing strategy, without ever leaving the architecturally circular room—think Etruscan man meets the Industrial Revolution.

Program Highlight
Homeland Security
In 2005, VCU became the first major research university in the nation to offer a Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness degree, the program for which was expanded in 2007 to include a master’s. The program prepares students with both theoretical and practical knowledge for careers in national security or emergency planning and response. Courses include emergency planning, terrorism, legal and constitutional issues, strategic planning, intelligence, risk and vulnerability assessment, international relations and U.S. government.

How They Compare
Boston University
Both Boston University and Virginia Commonwealth University reside in the heart of colonial cities that are now the capitals of their respective home states. Each school offers a range of degrees and study options and has a large student body. But for the student looking for the edge when it comes to arts, VCU is the place to shine. Undergraduate students have access to programs and faculty from the No. 1-ranked graduate school. There is a strong energy of collaboration in the arts department at all levels that inspires students to work harder and push the limits of their creativity.

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George Mason University
Fairfax; 703-993-1000; www.gmu.edu

Undergraduate Population: 18,221
Founded: 1972
President: Alan G. Merten
U.S. News & World Report Ranking: Tier 3 schools

George Mason University is a suburban school established to meet the research and employment needs of the region; most notably, public policy, technology and the arts. Today, its mission continues with the expansion of The Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering, an internationally renowned public policy school, and world-class performing arts centers by way of The Patriot Center, The Center for the Arts, two experimental theaters, three dance studios and music and fine arts studios. Recently, Mason achieved national fame when it made the NCAA Final Four. According to Mason professor Robert Baker, after the noteworthy basketball season, applications soared by 350 percent, with out-of-state applications increasing by 40 percent. Today, out-of-state students make up 25 percent of the university’s student body. —SHARON J. RITCHEY

Curriculum Spotlight
Conflict Analysis and Resolution
GMU’s Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR) is the first graduate program of its kind in the nation and the only one at a state university. Founded in 1981, ICAR now offers graduate and undergraduate programs with approximately 250 undergrads and 250 graduate students. ICAR is also home to the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution. The Center mobilizes resources of religion, diplomacy and conflict resolution to support more effective interventions in global problems. “Many of our faculty members are involved in back channel programs in places such as Guatemala, Bolivia, Ukraine and North Korea,” says Sara Cobb, ICAR director. ICAR is also developing a retreat complex that currently houses the graduate program and hosts workshops and training. “Eventually this retreat will function like a teaching hospital where students and faculty can interact with visitors wanting to learn how to resolve conflicts.” Cobb also points out that ICAR serves domestic issues and has worked locally on issues of gang violence and immigration matters for Manassas.

Program Highlight
Nursing
This program, now 30 years old, serves as a feeder program for the area’s hospitals, including the Inova Health System, which also provides nursing scholarships. Current undergraduate enrollment is 240 students. Nursing students are prepared to take the NCLEX, the computer-assisted licensing test necessary to become registered professional.

The school welcomes a new director this summer, Dr. Robin Remsburg, the former chief of the Long-Term Care Statistics Branch and deputy director of the Division of Health Care Statistics at the National Center for Health Statistics.

How They Compare
Georgia State
The Department of Computer Information Systems at Georgia State University is a leading technology program. Like George Mason University, Georgia State boasts ties to the business community. Both programs offer students world-class faculty and research facilities. However, the Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering offers students more employment opportunities, as the Volgenau School corporate partnership program invites local businesses—coincedentally, some of the hottest technology companies in the nation—to work directly with students and faculty.

Notable Professor
Stephen Fuller, School of Public Policy
Stephen Fuller joined the George Mason School of Public Policy in 1994 and was named to the Dwight Schar Faculty Chair in 2002. He is a prolific writer producing 60 publications a year, 45 of which are monthly newsletters in the field of urban and regional economic development. Fuller only teaches one doctoral seminar a semester. But he is accessible and always willing to offer advice to consumers, as well as private companies. He says he feels that the school has a unique role in the region. “Back in 1975, I was asked to track how the federal government influenced our local regional economy. No one was doing this type of work. Forty years later, I’m still researching this … (Mason is) like the little engine that could, and I’m the engineer.”

Famous Alumni
Anousheh Ansari, Space Tourist, Electrical Engineering, 1988
Anousheh Ansari became the first woman tourist in space when she joined the Soyuz TMA-9 crew at the International Space Station. She is vice president and general manager of the INtelligentIP division of Sonus Networks, a company that she founded and turned into a force in the telecommunication industry. “I have fond memories of my years at George Mason,” Ansari says. “The university has grown and expanded significantly, but I feel it maintains the same level of attention to students and their lifestyle and education. I found many friends who were not just students, but faculty members, who really cared about giving their students an opportunity for a brighter future. The university pays special attention to its international and women students and, as such, was an ideal place for me to start my education in the U.S.” 

New & Noteworthy
The Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering
When completed, this school’s new building, Academic VI/Research II, will be the largest on campus and the first building with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. “This building shows our commitment to our campus and our environment,” dean Lloyd Griffiths shares. “It will help us attract the outstanding students and faculty who will create the engineering innovations that drive our economy.”

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The College of William and Mary
Williamsburg; 757-221-4000; www.wm.edu

Founded: 1693
Undergraduate Population: 5,734
President: W. Taylor Reveley, III
U.S. News and World Report Ranking: National Universities – 33

William & Mary is often called a “public Ivy” school. U.S. presidents and diplomats have sought their education on this historic campus since its founding in 1693. This small university is ideal for students seeking to engage in their communities during their undergraduate years, rather than wait for graduation. It is an academically challenging school, but also a creative place where the liberal arts can mean anything from studying the classics of language and literature to raising funds to promoting health and education programs in another country.—SHARON J. RITCHEY

Curriculum Spotlight
International Relations
In 2005, faculty at William and Mary set out to restructure the International Relations program at the college and “create the best undergraduate IR major in the country.” Mike Tierney, assistant professor of Government explains that the new program is truly interdisciplinary, as students must now complete coursework in economics, history and political science, along with their chosen electives. The program also requires extensive foreign language proficiency, study or research abroad and a capstone honors thesis. Tierney says, “When we changed the program we expected students to drop out and pursue other avenues. We’ve been surprised that students have embraced the change. It’s now the largest interdisciplinary major on campus.” The subject matter is so popular at the school that the IR Club is the largest student club, and its Model United Nations team is world champion.

Program Highlight
Student-led and designed outreach programs
William and Mary encourages students to use the world as their classroom and to make a difference. One goal-facilitating student program is Students Helping Honduras, founded by W&M grad Cosmo Fujiyama and her brother Shin, of the University of Mary Washington. The organization has raised more than $350,000 to help an orphanage in the remote village of El Progresso, Honduras, and is now supported by student groups across the nation.

Notable Professor
Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Government
Today, this retired Army colonel and noted author is a visiting professor of Government teaching two classes, one involving case studies of global power, and the other on the U.S.’s national security policy. He says, “I simply try to be honest and straightforward with my students about my 35 years in government service, both in the military and at the Department of State.” His years of service include: Special Assistant to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Colin Powell; faculty member of the Naval War College; Deputy Director and Director, Marine Corps War College; and former Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell. He says he is as impressed with the school and the students as they are with him, remarking, “I learn as much or more from my students and from my various audiences as they ever do from me or the readings I give them.”

Campus Legend
Sneak a smooch from your sweetheart on the Crim Dell bridge, and nuptials are guaranteed.

How They Compare
Dartmouth
If you had to choose been historic Ivy League Dartmouth College in picturesque Hanover, NH, and the historic College of William and Mary in picturesque Williamsburg, you would be hard-pressed. Both have a strong liberal arts tradition and exemplary faculty. But a look at the schools by the numbers shows a year’s tuition at Dartmouth to be $47,000, and a year’s total tuition and fees, excluding room and board, at W&M for in-state residents to be $9,164. Who’s smarter now?

Famous Alumni
Mike Tomlin, Steelers head coach, Sociology, 1995
This school’s alumni listing reads like a who’s who of notable leaders from the nation’s earliest history to today. Four presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Monroe and Tyler. Cabinet members and diplomats, including current U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates. But as a liberal arts university, the school lists many of today’s most recognizable faces as its alums, including actors Glenn Close, Scott Glenn, Linda Lavin, Bill Lawrence, Patton Oswalt, Andrew Pang and blockbuster political satirist Jon Stewart.

Further, the school recently welcomed back Mike Tomlin, a Sociology major from the class of ’95, now head coach of the Pittsburg Steelers. Tomlin delivered this year’s commencement speech, saying, “One of the things I do remember about sitting where you sit is, when we walk the grounds of this great college, we’re told repeatedly that when we get re-released into the wild, we’ll have the skills to win. I’m here to tell you today that that’s very true. And it is not just in the field that I’ve chosen to pursue, but in every field of human endeavor.”

New & Noteworthy
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant
The college’s Environmental Science and Policy Program started 2008 on a positive note with a $1.5 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The funding will allow the school to establish two new programs: a Center for Geospatial Analysis and a “teacher-scholar” postdoctoral program in the interdisciplinary environmental science program. The school reports that “the new center will expand the college’s use of geographic information systems … an emerging technology that uses computers to plot, layer and organize data.”

(August 2008)

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Paying for College

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, December 15th, 2008

What a Virginia Education Costs and How to Finance It

By Jan Maxwell / Photo Illustration by Morgan Howarth

The shiny brochures start arriving your child’s junior year. “We’re impressed with your SAT score (batting average, science award, GPA). We would love to have you attend our university.” So begins a rite of passage for college-bound children and their parents. Eager students linger over gorgeous photos of ivy-covered buildings and state-of-the-art computer labs, narrowing down their college choices, while concerned parents linger over their financial statements and household budgets, wondering how on earth they are going to pay for it.

College is getting more expensive with each passing year.

According to the educational organization, College Board, tuition and fees at four-year public colleges averaged $5,491 in 2005, a 7.1 percent increase from the previous year. At private institutions they increased by 5.9 percent, reaching a staggering $21,235.

Virginia colleges are not immune to these increasing costs. (See our sidebar on the cost of attending Virginia’s public and private colleges.) The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia estimates that undergraduate students attending Virginia public colleges will pay over 9 percent more for tuition and fees in 2006-07 than they did during the 2005 school year. That follows an 8 percent increase the previous year.

Costs for room and board are also on the rise, along with all the other incidental expenses that a student will incur. Money for textbooks, supplies, personal needs (laundry, phone, etc), special lab fees, and travel can easily add up to several thousand dollars a year. Fortunately, there is a significant amount of federal, state, and private money available to help parents cover the cost of college. These funds come in a variety of forms, from scholarships to loans, and the amount of available money is increasing each year.

The College Board reported that $143 billion was awarded nationwide to students in 2004-05. Private Virginia colleges award hundreds of millions of dollars each year and our state government offers a variety of grants and scholarships to college students. You just have to know where to look.

Step 1
Understand Your Options
If you’re lucky, you have the entire cost of your child’s four-year degree sitting in an interest-bearing account or socked away in the Virginia College Savings Plan. For everyone else, here’s a primer on how to pull the money together.

Four Types of Aid
Scholarships & Grants
Scholarships and grants are gifts. They do not have to be repaid. Scholarships are generally merit-based (academic, athletic, etc.), while grants are usually need-based. However, there are exceptions, so it’s important to read the specific rules for each scholarship or grant before applying for it.

Federal and State Grants
Both the federal government and the state of Virginia provide grants to college students. Pell Grants are the major source of federal government money, and you can find information about these grants at http://studentaid.ed.gov. Virginia has four different grant programs that provide assistance to students who are enrolling in both public and private colleges. Visit www.schev.edu for details.

Student Loans
Federal Stafford Loans, with a fixed interest rate of 6.8 percent, have the lion’s share of the student loan market. Beginning July 1, 2007, incoming freshman can borrow up to $3,500 for their first year of college. Private loans, known as Alternative Education Loans, are also available from private lenders.

Parent Loans
The federal government’s Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) allows parents to borrow money to pay any expense that is not already covered by financial aid, up to the full cost of attendance. The interest rate is 8.5 percent.

Work Study
The amount and type of work study is determined by each school. Work study programs are generally not applied against tuition, so students can use the money to defer some of their indirect costs.

Step 2
Search for Money
Since scholarships and grants do not need to be repaid, you should begin by concentrating your efforts in that area. Fortunately, there are lots of great resources that will help you find scholarships and grants that match your child’s background and achievements.

A note of caution: scholarship scams abound. Never pay anyone to give you scholarship information. It is readily available for free and easily found.

High School Counselor
The best place to start is with your child’s high school counselor. He should be aware of local and state scholarships and grants that match your child’s background. In general, your child’s chances of securing a scholarship or grant are better at the local level, as there is less competition.

Local Organizations and Employers
Many local companies and organizations provide grants and scholarships. Visit their websites and see if they are offering college money. Your local Chamber of Commerce is also a great asset. For example, the Prince William County Chamber of Commerce offers nine $1,000 scholarships to qualified students. Another avenue to pursue is your own employer. Many large companies provide tuition reimbursement for the children of employees.

Step 3
The FAFSA
To apply for most financial aid, you need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This form provides financial aid offices with the information they need to make funding decisions. The form can be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

The FAFSA will ask for personal income tax information. Even if you have not completed your taxes, it’s important to prepare and file this form in early January of the year your child will be starting college. Estimated information is accepted.

Within seven to ten days after the FAFSA is processed, your child will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). The SAR will contain a list of the federal aid programs for which you qualify. It will also contain your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). This is the amount of money the federal government believes you can contribute to your student’s college costs. It will usually appear in the upper right corner of the SAR, and you may want to sit down before viewing the number. You may think that they have mistakenly added an extra zero, but you will be wrong.

A high EFC does not mean that you will not be eligible for any assistance. It will, however, preclude you from some types of funding, like federal Pell Grants.

You can estimate your EFC by using the handy calculator at www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml.

You can have the federal government forward your FAFSA to six schools of your choice. When you visit college websites, carefully note the priority deadlines for financial aid applications.

Applying early improves the chances of receiving aid.

Step 4
The Award Letter
When your child is accepted at a college where you have applied for financial aid, you will receive a financial aid award letter. It will detail the types of funding that are available to you. The award letter will tell you what scholarships and grants your child has received, what loans he is eligible for, and how much work study money is available.

If you receive award letters from multiple schools, you will need to compare them. Some things to consider are the ratio of grants to loans, the terms of the loans that are offered, and whether the financial aid will be available in subsequent years.

Step 5
Tax Time
Scholarships and grants may be non-taxable if they meet certain requirements.

Check the IRS website for information before you fill out your income taxes.

Everyone involved in the financial process, from the U.S. Department of Education to the financial aid officer at your first-choice school, wants to help you in every way possible.

Take time to investigate all of your options. Don’t assume you won’t get help until you’re told you won’t get help. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Make a calendar of important deadlines and make sure you meet them. Get your children involved, so they understand the cost of financing a college education.

Most importantly, remember that there are many sources of financial aid available within your community, your state, and the nation. With a little time and effort, you should be able to put together a package that will provide an affordable college education for your child.

The Academic Common Market
There is a little-known program that can bring big college savings to the right students. It’s called the Academic Common Market (ACM).

The ACM is an agreement among 16 states (AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV) that allows students to pay in-state tuition rates at out-of-state schools. The catch?     Students have to major in select programs that are not offered at Virginia’s public colleges. Over 35 of these schools are currently accepting Virginia students at in-state rates of tuition, and the list of available majors numbers over 100.

Here’s a sampling:
Architectural Engineering Technology Fairmont State College, WV
Aviation Management Auburn University, AL
Biomedical Engineering Technology East Tennessee State, TN
Civil Engineering Technology Bluefield State College, WV
Culinary Arts Nicholls State University, LA
Music Theory University of Maryland/College Park, MD
Nuclear and Radiological Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology, GA
Russian University of South Carolina, SC
Go to www.explorevirginiacolleges.com. Click “How do I pay for college?” See programs there, including the ACM.

2006-07 Selected Private Virginia Colleges

Emory & Henry College
Tuition $20,860
Room & Board $7,360
Available Scholarships & Grants Distributes $12 million a year in aid »Approximately 98 percent of all students receive financial aid and 74 percent receive need-based financial aid. »The average award to incoming first-year students (including only grants and scholarships) is $10,400.

Hampden-Sydney
Tuition $23,410
Room & Board $7,738
Available Scholarships & Grants Offers a wide variety of honors scholarships, achievement, regional and special awards, and the David Fellowship. Federal & state grants

Hollins University
Tuition $23,800
Room & Board $7,738
Available Scholarships & Grants Awards $18 million annually in financial aid and scholarships. 97 percent of students receive some form of financial aid.

Randolph-Macon College
Tuition $25,345
Room & Board $7,165 to 7,725
Available Scholarships & Grants All applicants are considered for academic scholarships that range from $7,500 to $20,000 per year. Offers private grants that range from $500 to $14,000 per year, as well as federal and state grants.

Shenandoah University
Tuition $21,090
Room & Board $7,220
Available Scholarships & Grants Offers a wide variety of scholarships, grants, and awards

University of Richmond
Tuition $34,850
Room & Board $5,660
Available Scholarships & Grants In 2005-06, gave more than $31.4 million in financial aid to under 3,000 undergraduates. The Richmond Scholars program awards a full-tuition, merit scholarship to 1 out of every 15 incoming students. Through the In Reach program, the average need-based aid package awarded in fall 2005 was $27,730.

Washington & Lee
Tuition $31,850
Room & Board $6,850 to 8,920
Available Scholarships & Grants Offers George Washington Honors Scholarships that range from $2,000 to full tuition. Offers need-based assistance

2006-07 Selected Public Virginia Colleges

Christopher Newport University
Tuition $6,460
Room & Board $8,280
Available Scholarships & Grants Private donor and outside agency scholarships »Departmental scholarships. Federal & state grants

College of William & Mary
Tuition $8,490   
Room & Board $5,490 to 8,926
Available Scholarships & Grants Three major scholarship programs for entering freshmen »Approximately 300 funds (endowments, unrestricted funds, gift accounts) available for grants. Gateway William & Mary—a combination of institutional, state & federal grants

George Mason University
Tuition $6,408   
Room & Board $4,935 to 9,220
Available Scholarships & Grants Offers a variety of scholarship opportunities for incoming freshman. Federal & state grants

James Madison University
Tuition $6,290   
Room & Board $6,496 to 7,756
Available Scholarships & Grants Freshman scholarships coordinated by the Office of Admissions »Freshman scholarships awarded by university departments. Departmental scholarships awarded from institutional resources. Federal & state grants

Longwood University
Tuition $6,071*   
Room & Board $6,058 to 8,300
Available Scholarships & Grants Offers numerous scholarship opportunities to entering freshmen who have demonstrated academic excellence. Federal & state grants

Norfolk State University
Tuition $5,056   
Room & Board $6,667   
Available Scholarships & Grants Offers a wide variety of institutional and alumni scholarships »Federal & state grants

Old Dominion University
Tuition $4,728*   
Room & Board $4,974 to 6,100
Available Scholarships & Grants Administers need-based financial aid programs funded by federal, state, university, and private sources in the form of grants, loans, employment, and need-and merit-based scholarships

Radford University
Tuition $5,746   
Room & Board $6,218
Available Scholarships & Grants Awarded $52.8 million in financial aid in 2004-05, including $900,000 in scholarships.

University of Mary Washington
Tuition $6,084   
Room & Board $6,244   
Available Scholarships & Grants Administers nearly $16 million in financial assistance each year, including scholarships, grants, and educational loans. Federal & state grants

University of Virginia
Tuition $8,035   
Room & Board $6,870   
Available Scholarships & Grants A variety of privately endowed scholarships »Scholarships awarded by university departments. Federal & state grants

University of Virginia at Wise
Tuition $5,692   
Room & Board $6,106
Available Scholarships & Grants Administers a large number of scholarships from funds that have been provided by generous donors. Federal & state grants

Virginia Commonwealth University
Tuition $5,819   
Room & Board $7,263
Available Scholarships & Grants Provides a wide variety of scholarships that are funded by families, clubs, corporations, foundations, alumni, and other organizations »Federal & state grants

Virginia Military Institute
Tuition $7,609   
Room & Board $5,930
Available Scholarships & Grants Awards scholarships from over 300 endowed funds and from annual gifts. Federal & state grants

Virginia State University
Tuition $4,834   
Room & Board $6,484
Available Scholarships & Grants The University offers a variety of awards each year to qualified first-time and returning students who have been accepted for admission and met the application deadlines. Federal & state grants

Virginia Tech
Tuition $6,972
Room & Board $4,606 to 7,114
Available Scholarships & Grants Offers general, departmental, and honors scholarships. Offers federal & state grants.

* These schools charge tuition and fees by the credit hour. Number is based on 12 credit hours per semester.

(February 2007)

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