For lower-income households, sending kids to college can be really hard. 

A college education has become so expensive these days. And if you fall into that range of income where you don't make enough to cover the costs, but you also make more than the qualifications necessary for complete assistance (um, most of us!), it can be especially hard. So where do you find the money? Will your children have to take out costly loans that could deter them in the future? 

Well, the new president of the University of Virginia understands that a college education is important to all students, no matter what socioeconomic status they and their families come from. He has vowed free UVA tuition to those students whose families are making less than $80,000 a year. UVA President James Ryan went even further and stated that tuition, as well as room and board, would be free to those who make less than $30,000. These pledges were made during his inauguration on October 19.

Courtesy of news.virginia.edu

This is an attempt to appeal to the community to allow first-generation and low-to-middle-income students the opportunity to attend college without loans, five jobs, and family worries. For some, this is a chance to just attend at all, as they may not have been able to otherwise. 

While there is still a lot to do before this policy could officially start, it is heartening to know that some educational institutions really do care about their students in this manner. Normal in-state tuition starts at about $13,700 a year, but once you account for room, board, book costs, and all the other fees, the cost is closer to $32,400. 

As of yet, there are no specifics as to how Ryan plans to bring his free tuition pledge into fruition.

Are you excited to hear more about this, as it develops? I know I am! How do you feel about this new tuition pledge at UVA? Share your opinion with us in the comments below!

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