By Tom Allison

People often ask how our Young Invincibles campaign to boost state investment in higher education – coined the Student Impact Project -- works.  We empower students to talk with state lawmakers about policy solutions to complex problems in higher education. Recently in Virginia, our work led to a successful symposium that brought students, lawmakers and college administrators together to exchange ideas about college affordability and accessibility that could impact the state's 2015 legislative agenda.

On Wednesday, July 16 Young Invincibles hosted a higher education policy symposium with Delegate Rob Krupicka, Ed Trust, HCM Strategists and the Lumina Foundation at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Check out some of the highlights.

Students pursuing higher education in Virginia continue to see tremendous increases in tuition rates — 41 percent over the past five years at four-year schools — due in large part to the decrease in state support. Virginia community colleges have also seen state support drop, from $4,275 per student to $2,583 in the past four years, driving tuition up for those students who can often least afford it. With each new year, higher education becomes less and less affordable, and students are graduating with more debt than ever; the average student debt load in Virginia is $24,717.

Moreover, even the increases in tuition rates still do not account for the lack of state-appropriated funds, and colleges and universities are having to make cuts and reduce funding to some important components of higher education, including course offerings and class sizes.

But for every problem, if we have our priorities straight, there’s a solution. One step in the right direction is the $50.9 million unallocated balance former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell left behind in his last budget, the largest unappropriated balance since 1991. I can’t think of a more worthy priority for the commonwealth’s future than making higher education more affordable for Virginia students.

Every state faces unique challenges and opportunities in financing its higher education system. Here's what's been happening in the Commonwealth of Virginia lately, and how we're working with students to make affordable college a reality for all Virginians.

Click here to download our break down of Virginia's budget process.