If the student graduated at the top of their class, wouldn't they be more or less guaranteed acceptance anyways?

I don't really have a problem with this, I am just wondering if this is purely symbolic, or whether this will change something.

First, I'm a little curious what 'at the top of their class' means.  I suspect it means top 10%, but I suppose we'll see.  

Even assuming it means literally top of your class, just because you're at the top of your class at a private high school of 100, which means you are say, 1st or 2nd out of a class of 25 doesn't necessarily mean you are a shoo in.  

And I'm not sure it should, frankly.  I understand that Del. Poisson wants to do something for our veterans, which is commendable, but automatic admission doesn't strike me as the right direction to take us.  

I can't help but think that this will remarkably increase the number of veterans at UVA, some of whom may not have gotten in without it.  Seems like the wrong message to send to me: if you're a good but not spectacular student from a Virginia high school, but really want to go to UVA, take a quick detour in the Army and you're on your way!  

I don't like it as a recruiting tool and I don't like the message it sends to the Board of Regents ("We'll tell you who you'll let in!!").  It seems to me to set a bad precedent and makes me wonder what else Delegate Poisson wants to instruct them on.  It's just not an area that I think we should be messing around in.  

It's one thing to guarantee our veterans admission to at least ONE Virginia institution, but to make it a pick and choose affair....seems like a bad idea from a smart, well-meaning legislator.

There is and has been for a long time, a negative prejudice against Fairfax County and other Northern Virginia graduates in order to get more balance and especially out of state students. Being the best and/or the brightest doesn't always count even for sports. Out of state students pay a LOT more money to go to Virginia schools and help the budgets even though they are public institutions. I won't be surprised to see it get worse because of the financial situation at the colleges.

Do you think this bill improves or detracts from the position of students like your daughter?

for all those tax-paying voters whose children are still working their way to the amazingly good college/university system we have here in Virginia, they care a lot....

I've talked to several of our area delegates and one Chuck Caputo, who was the Chairman of the Board at NVCC for several years, got some legislation through last year that allows students to start in the local community college and then transfer into the "Big" schools at the same tuition level.  

My own feelings are that our servicemen have paid a lot of dues to help keep us free. They deserve advantages like this if for no other reason than we owe them a chance to re-adapt from the hostil world they have just been fighting in to main stream society.... and college is a good place to start. I am a Vet from the Vietnam era.... I have several high school classmates whose names are "on the wall" and thus I have a prejudiced opinion on the subject as well.... But, all that said, this is not a give-away, it's an advantage to those volunteers who give up some of their lives to protect ours. That sounds like a good deal for both sides.

I think that, yes, this may further exacerbate the quota problems for in-state students, BUT I can't believe the impact will be huge. Compared to the number of our high school seniors who are trying to get into our state schools now anyhow. When we dig our way out of the financial crunch we have now, the college system has to be a priority to focus on again. I trust we can get our legislators to do this as soon as practical.... and if not, we have to re-calibrate them by communicating our wishes.....

Thanks Used2.  

When I commented, I was pretty conflicted about doing so.  Absolutely we owe our veterans so much more than we've given them thus far for what they've done for us.  While not a veteran myself, I have both friends and relatives who have done multiple tours, so I'm especially sensitive to veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.  I'm still not sure I think this makes sense, especially as a recruiting tool, but I take your point.

It strikes me that one of the biggest barriers to veterans' reintegration into society is access to health services.  Perhaps legislation in that area, creating greater access to health services, would better help our returning warriors.

Is this proposal designed to help vets, or to be an incentive for the "top of the class" students, however defined, to serve in the military?

As far as helping vets, I think this provision is unnecessary given the new GI Bill that recently passed thanks in large part to Jim Webb.

There are plenty of colleges and universities in the U.S. I don't know the total number but I think it is over 3000. If a vet has the academic qualifications (which this proposal assumes) and has tuition, room and board pretty much covered (the GI bill), gaining admission to a college or university shouldn't be a problem.  As with any students, it is more important to find a good fit between the vet and the educational institution, than to become fixated on a particular institution because it has a big name.  

Is there any evidence whatsoever that the admissions officers of the top Virginia universities are not giving veterans a fair shake?  If the answer is no, I would say let them do their jobs.

If it is meant to be an extra incentive for top students to go into the military, again I wonder whether it is necessary.  Isn't the current economy, and the new GI bill, incentive enough?

Is there any evidence whatsoever that the military services are asking the individual States to help with recruiting by adding such extra incentives?  If the answer is no, I say let the military services do their own recruiting.

Here's another idea:  Let's have the Virginia legislature should stick to its knitting, and stop grandstanding.      

What I am reading here must be coming from heads that have been stuck in the sand for the last five years. Clearly, President Bush's strategy to prohibit the press from covering the return of the filled caskets from Iraq and Afghanistan has worked brilliantly. Maybe I missed it, but not a word spoken about the wounded soldiers and marines, many, many with missing limbs and other health problems that we are responsible for.

These veterans, the ones who return alive, who may want a chance at a college education in this state, are our responsibility. When they join the military they are joining our military to defend us. We screwed up big time when we sent them to invade Iraq, but nevertheless we are responsible for them.

The GI Bill sponsored by Senator Webb is the very least we can do for our military. If our state can make it a little easier for these veterans to get higher education we should provide it as part of our responsibility to provide for our military veterans when they return.

Oh, I forgot, we were told to go shopping. No sacrifice needed from us. Come on folks, let the veteran cut in line just this once. And may I suggest we all spend a little of our precious time paying attention so that maybe we can keep our government from using/spending our men and women in the military recklessly. It is time to pay up.

First, I'm pretty uncomfortable with your insinuation that any of the people commenting on this thread a) don't appreciate the sacrifice, b) don't support further efforts to help and reward our veterans, and c) aren't paying attention.

I don't have to watch the news or see a coffin on tv; I pick up the phone and ask my cousin how's she's doing.  TV's all fine and well my friend, but that conversation is real.  So back off.

Second, to say that this policy is misguided does NOT mean that you wouldn't support some other policy.  There are good reasons to not want to give automatic admission.  

Third, and maybe you missed it, but what I said was that there are BETTER things we could be doing for Virginia veterans than this.  Mental health coverage springs immediately to mind.  The reason we get something like this is that it doesn't cost anything, which means that it has a better chance of passing, which means that someone gets to put it on a brochure.  That's not a very good reason, given the downsides, in my mind.  

So step off your soapbox for a second and pay closer attention.  We CAN do better for our troops.  We MUST do better for them.  THIS is not the way to do that.  

It'll help a very small portion of the troops who are returning.  It might help recruiting, which is not, frankly, the Virginia General Assembly's job.  It would help students down the road who enlist, but that doesn't do a thing for those who've already gone over.

All good points. However, I view education as an essential component for surviving in this world of ours.

No question that the healthcare of veterans is the most immediate concern, and education dollars will do nothing for veterans if they are in no condition to benefit from college classes. But without providing the opportunity, including extra help, for a college education we limit instead of enlarging their chances for reintegrating into and contributing to our community.

Not providing such support is shortchanging your cousin and her fellow servicepersons.

All I'd say is that shortchanging veterans and not granting automatic admission to the state school of their choice is not exactly the same thing, in my mind.  And that might be where we disagree.

But with the new GI Bill that Senator Webb got passed, veterans WILL have the opportunity to attend college if they so choose.  That's not what this does though.  So it's important we get that much straight.  

This bill has nothing to do with access to a college education.  It has everything to do with letting honorably discharged veterans who meet a certain standard do something that no other citizens in the entire country get to do and that bears little or no relation to the great sacrifice they've made for us.  I just don't think that's the way to go.  

It completely undermines the college admissions process.  And when it comes right down to it, if these folks are qualified then they'll absolutely get in where they want because their service makes them more attractive, not less.  

So, I guess I'd just finish up my commenting on this bill by saying I respectfully disagree with this approach, while absolutely endorsing the spirit in which it's done.