Virginia Tech wants to pay inbound class to delay attendance

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) – Virginia Tech wants to pay incoming in-state students to delay their start date and not attend the university for up to a year.

The Roanoke Times reports the school budgeted $3.3 million to quell the expected 7,500-student freshman class, which officials have said would strain the town.

The school has said this class would be its largest. It said the size was unanticipated, but engineering education professor Marie Paretti said that wasn’t true as faculty predictions of the swollen class size were shared with administrators.

The payment options include a $1,000 grant to take a gap year, tuition reimbursement for taking classes at a community college for a year and tuition-free classes next summer for those who skip the upcoming fall or spring semester. Students can apply until June 6.