I received this letter today from UVA President John Casteen;

The University is frequently recognized for offering an excellent education at a reasonable price. Last May, the Center for College Affordability and Productivity ranked us No. 1 among all national public universities.

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine ranked us No. 3 nationally in “100 Best Values in Public Colleges” in December. U.S. News & World Report ranked the University No. 16 among all universities, both public and private, in its most recent “Great Schools, Great Prices” list. We have earned this reputation for affordable excellence by employing expert fiscal managers to handle our resources wisely, by attracting and retaining top faculty members, students, and staff, and by a commitment from our Rector and Visitors and women and men who work throughout the University to ensure access for qualified students from all backgrounds.

Our goal has been to provide a superior education at a fair price and to budget appropriate sums for financial aid for students from various economic circumstances. Through AccessUVa, the University’s financial aid program, we aim to level the playing field for our state’s and nation’s young people.

The current economic crisis poses special, often daunting, challenges to families who are increasingly hard pressed to pay education costs. This fall, 882 AccessUVa students enrolled in the first-year class, bringing the total number of AccessUVa students currently enrolled to 3,781. Without this program, which we hope will find imitators elsewhere, these students might not have been able to come here. We plan to continue to build this program in the years ahead.

Support from alumni, parents, and friends helps us sustain quality here even as we work to make the University affordable for all students, regardless of their financial means. For your commitment to this University and to the values it embodies, I am grateful.

John Casteen

Note: To read the USA Today story and view the Today Show segment on the rankings, click here.