A liberal arts education generally prepares students to have a broad mind to different aspect of society and change. Thomas Jefferson was a firm believer of the liberal arts and the role it plays in expanding the knowledge of a people. This line clearly demonstrates that the founders of the college believed that every student should have the right to gain knowledge at this institution and use that knowledge to then apply to their respective ideologies. Expecting everyone to follow the same ideology and not having a diversity of ideas would only be reflective of resistant and baseless thought.

It is interesting as a first year student to see the cost of a meal plan. First years are required to buy the most expensive meal plans available. $3.500 in today's money would equate to about $64.79. Students in the present have to spend about $2000 yearly for meals. This shows how while $3.500 is still not cheap by 1818's standards, meals didn't really cost students a fortune. Also, slave labor was probably used to prepare the meals; therefore, no salary had to be paid, making the food cheaper. It would be interesting to see a data set of the cost of meal plans every year at UVA since 1818. There would be possible, statistically significant correlation present with the end of slave labor and the rise of meal plans.