Dear 'Ole UVa

I am bursting with pride today for the University of Virginia, my Alma Mater. In his first address to the University, new president James E Ryan has announced that, moving forward, lower income Virginians will be attending the University tuition free, and poor Virginians will be attending free, period.

Very noteworthy here that, although UVa has been a public school since its founding, the funds for these scholarships have been raised mostly through private donors. Our alums have done very, very well, and now we want to help the next generation do the same. This is what I would call, "a hand up, not a handout."  

On top of the generous donations that have helped us cultivate a muscular financial endowment, none of this would be possible without the tremendous investment returns provided by the American Stock Market. Over the last several decades, no other nation's financial markets have even come close to America.  In short, the American way of life that Thomas Jefferson helped bring into this world continues to flourish, even if we don't hear about our successes often enough in the media. Today I am sure that TJ would be proud of the University that he founded.