New numbers show that Mason is 564th largest endowment in the nation. Last semester we published a story that took an in-depth look at how small the university's endowment numbers are in comparison to other universities.

Every year, Virginia undergraduates who demonstrate financial need get a part of their tuition covered by the student financial assistance program (VSFAP).

The amount of money allocated to financial need students has actually been rising steadily over the past few years. In 2007, $108 million was slated for the program, and about $150 million was allocated in 2012.

The Virginia General Assembly will convene its 2014 legislative session on January 8^th. The session, which only lasts until the beginning of March, is a whirlwind of policy debate that affects all Virginians. As a public university, George Mason University is heavily influenced by decisions made by state policymakers. This year, there are a number of bills that could impact Mason and its students. Here is a brief roundup of some of those bills:

1. Restrictions on out-of-state enrollment

At a regularly held budget forum on Oct. 10, two senior university officials painted an optimistic picture of the future of Mason’s finances, but emphasized that many challenges remain.

Provost Peter Stearns and Senior Vice President JJ Davis, presented a number of data sets revealing little support Mason receives as a public university. For example, out of Virginia’s six doctoral institutions, Mason receives the lowest per-FTE (full time equivalent) student funding. At the same time, the university spends 62 percent that of its peer institutions.