<p>Spyderman- many people who appear middle class, but are self-employed could have low enough AGI to qualify. I had direct exposure to AccessUVa this past spring and was pleased and amazed for the student I knew who was accepted and offered aid. She did not go there, but she showed me the paperwork and it was great. They called her home more than once to explain follow-up financial forms and really made an effort to make sure her family felt comfortable with the process and that it could be affordable.</p>
<p>I am sure there is a long history of upper middle class kids on campus, but they are making a change. Following this board, i saw the changes announced with AccessUva and I’d bet that over time, the % of Pell grants will increase.</p>
<p>Also, it is my belief, based on what I saw with this student, that there was some admissions knowledge as to who would qualify for AccessUVa- they had some additional correspondence. So, would it not make sense that they might have slightly different admissions in that group? They may look at that group and compare those kids only to each other- this girl was extremely qualified, so I cannot say for certain, but perhaps they are able to adjust for the lack of educational advantages experiecned by lower income kids. This girl would not have applied without AccessUVa and I have to give them credit for executing that program well, in her case.</p>
<p>I have never been to UVa and do not know enough about them to defend or accuse, but I did see an outstanding effort to encourage a student with whom I am acquainted, for what it is worth :)</p>