<p>Okay, let me explain my thoughts clearer. Damn, I have to go to work now.</p>
<p>While UVa has traditionally had a history of being a Southern gentleman’s school on par both socially and academically with the Ivy League schools, it has (in the last 30 years) implemented major programs to be inclusive of students of all backgrounds. UVa has increased the number of its minority students to now a quarter of the student body. The University even has one of the highest percentages of black students in the country - with the highest graduation rates of black students (as well as all students) among all public schools. </p>
<p>Now, UVa has turned its sights toward cultivating economic diversity. The UC System has had a long history of huge governmental support, which has allowed its tuition to remain low from the very beginning thus attracting poor students. The state of Virginia in contrast hasn’t always been supportive of higher education. Thomas Jefferson had to fight for every penny he got from the state in order to establish UVa. The initial funding of UVa was so low that it was more expensive to attend the University of Virginia when it opened than Harvard. Thus, from its very first days, a certain type of student was drawn to UVa, which until 1970 (like Yale) was all white and all male. Since the inclusion of women and minorities, UVa has changed for the better. </p>
<p>Again, UVa finds itself with low funding from the state, but despite this fact, the University is committed to strong recruitment of poor and middle-class students. You can fault UVa for having a low number of low-income students, but I think it’s important to look at the history of the University and the significant strides it has taken. </p>
<p>Like all great institutions should be, UVa is a work in progress, bettering itself every year.</p>